Marketplace Advocacy Campaigns: Generating Public Support for Bus ...

Assembly, the measure was ultimately defeated by the state Senate in fall 2010 (Ferriss & Sanders, 2010).

The American Petroleum Institute: “Energy Tomorrow”

The American Petroleum Institute is a national trade association representing America’s oil and natural gas industry. Members include oil and natural gas producers, refiners, and suppliers, as well as transporters and other affiliates of the petroleum industry. API’s “Energy Tomorrow” campaign targets the general public and the media, as well as federal and state governments, and advocates that “with the right government policies in place, the oil and natural gas industry can create more American jobs that can help grow the U.S. economy, generate substantial new revenues for government, and provide greater energy security for our nation” (Energy Tomorrow, 2011c).

Through traditional advertising, including print, radio and television, the “Energy Tomorrow” campaign promotes the benefits of the oil and natural gas industry to America’s future while also addressing industry-related concerns. Television advertisements highlight the substantial oil reserves that are available in the United States, industry innovations such as advanced subsea platforms, the need for additional energy exploration, and the industry’s economic impact “from the energy and manufacturing plants, to the fertilizer on the farm, to the building blocks for tomorrow’s medicines” (American Petroleum Institute, 2011).

Other ads call on citizens to oppose new energy taxes. One 30-second commercial showcases everyday citizens commenting on how energy taxes will “hurt the economy,” “kill jobs,” and lead to a “longer, deeper recession” (Energy Tomorrow, 2011b).

In addition to traditional advertising, the “Energy Tomorrow” campaign utilizes social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Scribd, and Slideshare, as well as two YouTube channels featuring energy-related informational videos and thoughts from ordinary Americans on energy issues (“Energy channel” and “Energy Citizens channel”). The campaign’s blog, meanwhile, discusses topics ranging from the impact of