The Sierra Fund has led the effort to get a specialty license plate for the new Sierra Nevada Conservancy in order to ensure ongoing, sustainable funding for this crucial state agency. The Sierra Fund worked closely with the SNC and marketing consultants at Velocity7 to create a marketing plan to accomplish this goal. This plan was reviewed and enthusiastically supported by the Conservancy Board at their spring 2008 meeting.
The SNC License Plate Marketing Campaign Plan details the tactics and strategies necessary to ensure that at least 7,500 California vehicle owners register for a Sierra Nevada Conservancy License Plate. Key to the success of the Plan is a “viral” Internet strategy that secures registrants on-line and motivates those registrants to share our marketing messages with others with a sense of enthusiasm. This integrated marketing plan seeks approximately 20 million impressions to prospective California registrants through television, radio, organizational partnerships, newspaper, newsletter, email and websites.
This fall, with financial support from Pacific Gas & Electric Company, The Sierra Fund and Velocity7 created a brochure (featuring the approved license plate design) for use in soliciting registrants. This brochure was reviewed by the Sierra Nevada Conservancy and submitted to the Department of Motor Vehicles for their approval. DMV recently approved the brochure.
The Sierra Fund is now dedicated to working with Sierra Nevada Conservancy leaders to attract the funds needed to start the official license plate registration Campaign. Vital to the success of the Campaign is work with key stakeholders, gatekeepers, and partners. They will be needed to fulfill these requirements:
- 7,500 reservations (with $50 fee) for the license plate have to be collected before the license plate will be issued;
- the 7,500 reservations must be collected in one year after the effort is launched; and
- the Conservancy is not permitted to spend any state funds in collecting the first 7,500 reservations. After that, they can spend a small percentage of the income on “selling” the plates to more Californians.