Paid media, events, and outreach strategies were deployed concurrently and worked together to provide the campaign with maximum exposure.

• Social media engagement increased by more than 4,000 percent throughout the campaign
• Over 44,000 website visits to SactoZero.com
• 6M+ video views
• Events were strategically staged at prominent venues like Sacramento Republic matches and Sacramento Kings games. Spikes in visits to Sac-to-Zero’s website and partner applications and websites occurred immediately following the events. 
• GIG Car Share = 3fold exceeded Gig’s goal of 10,000 downloads. The final number of downloads was 25,000+, with significant increases in engagement and downloads directly after Sac-to-Zero sponsored events.

The Sac-to-Zero campaign generated awareness of the Electrify America’s Green City program’s mission, details, and benefits to the community, including: 

• Positively impacted electric vehicle (EV) awareness within the community 
• Provided EV access to underserved communities and areas suffering from higher pollution
• Increased use of EV technology 
• Tested economic viability of EV access initiatives 
• Successfully supported the launch and success of its strategic partners

3fold developed the Sac-to-Zero brand, along with a multi-faceted general awareness campaign consisting of digital and traditional paid media, a hyperlocal event strategy, collaboration with community organizers and sports teams, 1:1 outreach to business and neighborhood districts, and local and regional elected officials.

Audience Segmentation
Four audience segments were prioritized: 

• Eco-Conscious Students: Embracing multi-modal transport, open to EVs
• Green Lifestyle Seekers: Dedicated to reducing carbon footprint
• Skeptical Non-Car Owners: Hard-to-engage group concerned about EV viability
• Early Adopters: Eager to try the latest and most significant trends and make sure everyone on social media knows

Event, Outreach, and Media Strategies
Sac-to-Zero’s media and event strategies featured local Sacramentans performing everyday activities at destinations locals recognize, like Franklin Boulevard’s supermarkets, East Portal Park, and R Street. The messaging and imagery provided an authentic picture of how residents incorporated EVs into their lifestyles. To drive home the message of the campaign, 3fold’s Sac-to-Zero event strategy aligned with the hyperlocal campaign feel but added an element of seeing themselves in EVs by having electric cars and interactive demonstrations to allow Sacramentans to get behind the wheel of an EV.

The event strategy was deployed after an initial amount of general awareness messaging was pushed out on the campaign’s other channels, including television, radio, billboards, bus shelters, and social and programmatic digital. We were timing the event strategy to start after the general awareness campaign allowed event staff to engage with residents and gauge general knowledge of the program’s elements. It also allowed for receiving immediate feedback from the public that 3fold then used to work into and adjust our social media campaign messaging. 

To add a layer of influence, we were able to leverage strong ties with community organizers, sports teams, the City’s elected and administrative officials, Property Business Improvement Districts (PBIDs), neighborhood associations, and chambers of commerce to create the best opportunities for Electrify America’s events to connect with the entire Sacramento community. Combined, all these varied events and outreach tactics resulted in people seeing just how similar regular EVs were, reducing the fear of the unknown.

Summary
Electrify America’s Sac-to-Zero campaign transformed EV adoption in Sacramento through an engaging brand, powerful events, and strategic partnerships. The campaign achieved unprecedented engagement, broadened EV awareness, and successfully catalyzed the transition to a cleaner transportation future, setting Sacramento as an example for the rest of California and the world.