CASE STUDIES

Solar Rooftop Challenge: Shining a Light for Renewable Energy

CLIENTS

Greenpeace

Agencies Involved

M2.0 Communications

Job

Public Relations

Events management

Objectives

When Greenpeace asked for help, M2.0 Communications was happy to volunteer. The international Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) has advocated the preservation of the environment since 1971 and has changed people’s minds across the world in their thinking about the earth.

In 2016, Greenpeace wanted to highlight solar energy, particularly its energy production on the rooftop of people’s homes, government buildings, schools, and churches in the Philippines. Additionally, it wanted to promote the cause of renewable power in the eyes of newly elected officials after a vitriolic election.

To send their message, Greenpeace created the Juana Solar Busts a Myth video series, which addressed and debunked the various misconceptions surrounding solar energy. It planned a launch to showcase the video and discuss the viability of solar rooftop installations with the media.

As a firm believer in environmental advocacy, our public relations agency helped the NGO with its event and programme management, technical and logistics support, media attendance, and article seeding with only one month to spare.

Activities

The M2.0 Events Team began contacting its vast media and supplier network to fulfill the event’s technical and logistics requirements. It even recruited another eco-believer, technical supplier, One Audio, which also partnered with Greenpeace for the event.

The planned outdoor event was fraught with challenges. Venue partner, Fort Bonifacio Development Corporation re-assigned the location – twice – requiring speedy adaptations. The team also prepared tents in case of rain, and thankfully so, since it did occur.

Despite these challenges, the launch unveiled the video series in the presence of celebrity advocates such as Saab Magalona, Yam Concepcion, Jun Sabayton, Jasmine Curtis, and Illac Diaz, with DJ Candy as host, and performances from Mayonnaise and Kokoi Baldo. Speakers Obet Versola and Dann Diez spoke passionately about implementing solar power on rooftops in both urban and rural settings.

Results

The Solar Rooftop Challenge generated tons of attention from the media with the biggest newspapers and broadcasters in the country arriving to hear Greenpeace’s case for solar energy. 44 media attendees came, more than twice the expected number. Many of them picked up the story; 67 Million impressions at the last count, over three times the number that the NGO wanted. Despite the rain, solar awareness shined that day and the days to come as people and politicians opened their favorite media, whether print, TV, online news, blogs, or social media to find more information about the sun’s renewable energy. Greenpeace was happy to continue working with us for the rest of its campaign with Juana Solar’s cries of “Go renewable energy! Go solar!"