Sonoma County Adapts Wildfire Case Study

Wildfire Risk Reduction Project

Social Media, Paid Media, Print, Radio, Podcast, SMS

760K

Impressions

300+

Social Engagements

2.7K

Wildfire Assessments

Client Overview

Permit Sonoma of Sonoma County, California, received a grant to promote wildfire risk reduction activities with a rebate program. The project included voluntary sign-up opportunities for residents and educating them about Defensible Space, Home/Structure Hardening, and vegetation management. In the face of California’s wildfire epidemic, this program aimed to reduce wildfire risk through education, assessments, and a rebate program to drive proactive actions.

Challenge

Short Timeline + Targeted

The county required a trusted and experienced partner to market this program effectively. Despite being highly knowledgeable about wildfire risk reduction, the county had limited resources. Outreach needed to be specific, consumer friendly, targeting only eligible parcels. Additionally, Permit Sonoma, being a permitting division, often faced a negative perception among homeowners. The project also required a grassroots team for door-to-door assessments, for which Baltoro partnered with Madronus Wildfire Defense.

Baltoro's Approach:

Planning and Execution

Customer Journey
Developed a customer journey to guide the target audience toward assessments.
- Landing Page: Created a user-friendly landing page to educate users about the program and facilitate eligibility checks and online scheduling for free assessments.
- Eligibility Check: Implemented functionality to check eligibility against a database of parcels, which was regularly updated.
Creative and Messaging Development
- Brand Consistency: Ensured all creative content maintained brand consistency with Permit Sonoma’s identity.
- Empowerment Theme: Developed video content and visuals focusing on empowerment, resilience, and community safety.
- Content Variations: Created multiple variations of messaging to test effectiveness and engagement.
Media Planning and Pulsing
- Media Strategy: Developed a comprehensive media plan that included scheduling and pulsing of ads to maximize reach and impact during peak times.
- Geo-Targeting: Implemented hyper-local geo-targeting to focus efforts on specific geographic areas within the approved parcels, ensuring relevant and efficient outreach.
- Budget Allocation: Strategically allocated budget across various channels including social media, email, SMS, radio, and podcasts to ensure optimal coverage and engagement.
Tracking
Implemented tracking across all channels to monitor results, secondary actions, and the customer journey, capturing contact information for ineligible users for future programs.
- Pixel Tracking: Implemented pixel tracking on Meta and Nextdoor platforms to fully optimize campaigns, allowing for precise retargeting and performance analysis.

Channels Utilized:

Local & Targeted

Paid Social Media: Developed engaging video content focusing on empowerment, hyper-targeted to specific geographic areas on Facebook, Instagram, and Nextdoor.
Email and SMS: Targeted emails and SMS to county lists with creative content aligned with brand messaging to drive eligibility checks.
Postcards: Sent postcards with QR code calls to action to eligible parcels, reinforcing brand consistency and driving eligibility checks.
Radio Ads: Developed a consistent creative message for a 30-second spot aired on The Wolf 102.7 FM.
Podcast: Secured a podcast interview on Sonoma in focus for the counties subject matter experts.

Results:

Foundation for Safer Community

Marketing Impact
- Impressions: 760,497
- Clicks: 6,620
- Engagement: 46 comments, 75 saves, 95 shares, 384 reactions
- Eligibility Checks: 2,677 checks
- Correlation: High positive correlation between the paid campaign and eligibility checks
Grassroots Impact
- Full Assessments: 693, with 133 from curbside conversions (6.5% conversion rate)
- Eligible Parcels: Out of 5141 eligible parcels, a 13.5% overall conversion rate
- Curbside Assessments: 1906 assessments, 341 residents accessed reports via door hangers, with 133 converting to full assessments
- Engagement Rate: 24.4% total engagement, including curbside assessment conversions and report accesses

760K

Impressions

300+

Social Engagements

2.7K

Wildfire Assessments

Conclusion:

An engine for Change

Permit Sonoma’s wildfire risk reduction project, supported by Baltoro’s strategic marketing and Madronus’ grassroots efforts, successfully engaged the community, driving significant participation in wildfire risk assessments with limited budget and a tight timeline. With two years remaining on the contract, Baltoro and Madronus are excited to continue assisting in reducing wildfire risks and enhancing community safety.

The Permit Sonoma wildfire risk reduction project, supported by Baltoro’s strategic marketing and Madronus’ grassroots efforts, has successfully engaged the community and driven significant participation in wildfire risk assessments. The collaboration between digital marketing and grassroots initiatives was crucial in achieving the project’s objectives. By integrating targeted digital campaigns with hands-on, door-to-door assessments, the project not only maximized reach but also ensured meaningful interactions with residents. This synergy between digital and grassroots efforts allowed Permit Sonoma to overcome resource constraints and community perceptions, resulting in a high level of engagement and action.

With two years remaining on the contract, Baltoro and Madronus are excited to continue leveraging this powerful combination of digital marketing and grassroots action to further reduce wildfire risks and enhance community safety. This integrated approach has set a strong foundation for continued success in driving proactive wildfire risk reduction actions among Sonoma County residents.