KYPERC runs ‘aggressive’ campaign in 25th anniversary year

A public relations campaign orchestrated this year by the Kentucky Propane Education & Research Council (KYPERC) is working to keep propane in the state’s energy conversation. The way Tom Underwood sees it, there is no other choice.

A roadshow highlighting propane’s uses capped the Kentucky Propane Education & Research Council’s (KYPERC) campaign. (Photo courtesy of KYPERC)

“Our council has always tried to be very aggressive because we can’t afford not to be,” says the executive director of KYPERC, referencing a state and national push toward electrification.

Underwood oversees the $100,000 campaign, a multiphase approach to raise awareness of propane as a clean fuel. It has relied on television promotions and other digital strategies, culminating in a roadshow to highlight propane’s uses, particularly in school buses, other fleet vehicles and lawn mowers.

“Propane has to be part of the energy conversation, but we’ve got to speak up. This is our speak-up campaign,” he says. 

KYPERC launched the campaign in January with promotional spots during the popular home improvement shows “This Old House” and “Ask This Old House,” which appear daily on two Kentucky Educational Television (KET) channels. The television programming, in addition to KET website and monthly print magazine promotions, has given the campaign widespread attention. This part of the campaign, costing $10,000, will continue until January 2024.

The second phase of the campaign was in cooperation with national PERC through a two-to-one match program. PERC allocated $24,583 on top of KYPERC’s $12,292. The Kentucky portion of the campaign focused on more than 800 zip codes across the state, using multiple media channels (audio, video and display banners on top news websites) to reach homeowners from May to July. This campaign delivered more than 4.4 million impressions and received a month-long extension with additional PERC funding, Underwood notes.

Phase 3, from August to October, shared messages on social media channels and expanded to over-the-top web banners delivered via streaming services. As of Oct. 18, this part of the campaign, which featured geofencing strategies, achieved over 1.1 million impressions.

Asked how he plans to measure the success of the campaign, Underwood says, “What I’m hoping to achieve is to have marketers start using these tools – not only the equipment we have for them but also to get [them] into the PR game.”

The roadshow for earned media capped the campaign with stops in Bowling Green, Lexington, Louisville and northern Kentucky.

“We’re talking about energy, but we’re trying to create energy,” Underwood says.

The campaign comes at a special time for KYPERC, which marks its 25th anniversary this year.