Are We Winning or Losing the PR War for Marcellus Shale Development

I thought it might be interesting to see how public opinion is being affected by negative media and online buzz about Marcellus Shale.  My firm used Nielsen data to look at 45,000 media comments and over a million online conversations to determine sentiment.  In short, it looks like public sentiment toward Marcellus Shale fell through 2010 and continues to decline in January 2011.   Read more at http://blog.gregoryfca.com/2011/02/are-we-winning-or-losing-public.....  The blog post was written for the layperson.  Skip the background information by clicking on MORE and viewing the actual Nielsen data on how public opinion of Marcellus Shale is falling,

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Permalink Reply by Keith Mauck (Site Publisher) on February 23, 2011 at 4:01am
Great topic Greg. The frank truth is that the natural gas industry does not know how to wage a pr battle. Their idea of a response is to go out and create a high gloss commercial and spend hundreds of millions making a connection between gas and renewables. Expensive 30 second info-mercials might make you feel good, but it does not get the job done. The industry wants to present this polished-controlled image rather than work to create effective alliances that can make real change. People see through all this and see high dollar suits with large salary packages. Within days of getting their HBO gig via Rober Redford, Gasland was up and running a campaign via a pricey website. No doubt the environmental wing and, probably the coal industry, had infused what was a small time documentary with enough cash to make it a national campaign. Why did they do this? Because they understand grassroots. The industry's response - Gasland talking points written by expensive suits. And ShaleCountry.com a high price pr site put out by more expensive suits. The industry seemed to just ignore Haynesville the Documentary...an awesome and realistic presentation of natural gas. Why did they ignore it? Because it wasn't a hand crafted pr tool written by them. They should have bought 1 million copies of the thing and sent them to every concerned citizen out there. Instead, they go out and spend 60 million on feel good commercials.
Permalink Reply by Chuck Reed on February 23, 2011 at 4:42am

If one more peson tells me they have a site I'm going to explode. 

This is why no one can hear any of us.  you have a blue million half *** sites.  You all know what busiess we are in by now, and from the looks of it, most everyone here has their own site as well.  Great,

 

how many of those 45 year old farmers and roughnecks doing 7 20 hour days per week have time to look at tall of them?

 

Gasland was paid for by wind farm money and connected to a man with the ablity to fib, after all that is what actors do right?   That is what he is.    Also this industry reall has no need to screw about with opening NY.  Why would they want to?  to drill more wells than they have rigs for? to lower the price of gas? 

Permalink Reply by Tom Copley on February 23, 2011 at 7:15am

Chuck-- Perhaps Josh Fox does somewhat falsely portray himself as merely a young concerned citizen with a camcorder, who set out on a journey west to find out the truth about gas drilling.  We all know that he brought along a lot more baggage that that!

Nevertheless, give credit where it is due.... the man is a genius at guerrilla marketing and has managed to catapult his dodgy documentary into the big time--even getting an Academy Award nomination.

Doubtless the wind and coal lobbies have jumped on his bandwagon. Who could blame them. Everyone loves a winner.

Keith makes an excellent point. Unless the industry has unlimited funds for this aspect of their business, then maybe they should start asking for more bang for the buck! --Tom

 

Permalink Reply by Chuck Reed on February 23, 2011 at 7:55am

Tom, you can't get any more bang for the buck cuz you can't make a buck getting a bang.

 

HE was paid by the wind company first... wasn't like he did the film and then they said "wow Great idea".  The wind farms and Green people are easy to agree with and they by tickeets, funding the very ad campain.  But who will buy tickets to a pro gas film?

 

The film is a self promoting, profitable, and popular with the largest market audence

 

we are gas and oil... a bunch of rich white men everyone loves to hate.  But a film that hates them has many viewers and can make money.

 

as to his award,  I'll take a paycheck over a paperweaght any day.

Permalink Reply by Tom Copley on February 23, 2011 at 8:20am

Chuck-- Sometimes it makes a lot more sense merely to say nothing at all, rather than overreact. And, guess what? It costs a lot less. That's not to say good quality, focused information shouldn't be made available for those who want to learn the real story.

In a way, by challenging the Josh Foxs of the world, it only lends credibility to their claims and makes people want to sit up and listen to what they have to say.

Why blow wind into their sails? --Tom

Permalink Reply by Chuck Reed on February 23, 2011 at 8:45am

Yep

 

That is what we've been doing.  Those who suport us, are...those who are not never will UNLESS we want to pay off the ppl they do listen to. 

 

Basicly, in respect to the origional subject,  yes we are winning.   We are drilling are we not?

Permalink Reply by Tom Copley on February 23, 2011 at 8:52am
'nuff said!
Permalink Reply by Mike Knapp on February 23, 2011 at 9:19am

Sticking our heads in the sand in FAR from the answer.   You can't fight ignorance with indifference.  Ignorance leaves people susceptible to people like Mr. Fox. 

 

While I agree that it's going to be very hard to bring back those we have already lost, more and more people are lining up on one side or the other every day.  Those are the people we need to be engaging and educating.

Permalink Reply by Chuck Reed on February 23, 2011 at 9:43am

eh?  if you are want to reach those ppl THIS is not the place to do it.  No offence, but I see ether ppl with questions on this site or people with something to sell. 

SO put a progas sign in your yard,  spend only 2 dollar bills (my program) or get a bumpersticker, but we are far from putting our heads in the sand.

 

we are putting drill bits in the shale.   say, what will it matter when waterless fracturing is the norm? 

Permalink Reply by Mike Knapp on February 23, 2011 at 10:28am

Mr. Copely was suggesting that the industry say nothing at all. 

 

Also, what makes you think that waterless fracing will ever be the norm?

Permalink Reply by Tom Copley on February 23, 2011 at 12:14pm
Mike-- Actually, I didn't mean "say nothing at all". I was suggesting that the industry stop overreacting to what is essentially a grass roots campaign to make development and long-standing industry practices appear "controversial," when in fact they are not. Once normal  activities such as hydro-fracturing start to be viewed as controversial, under evolving standards of law, the burden of proof that the practices cause no harm shifts to those, namely the O & G industry, taking the actions. I see it a little like a Chinese finger trap. The more you react and try to pull your finger out, the tighter the trap gets. I do believe the industry should back factual sources of information that have a non-biased and neutral point of view. That should greatly help to demystify the unfounded myths about gas development that appear to be gaining a little bit of traction. I hope that help clarifies my POV.  --Tom
Permalink Reply by Chuck Reed on February 23, 2011 at 2:22pm

It won't be the norm, it won't even be used in a decade.  It's costly, crummy press ect.  that will be current headlines later on.

I think Tom's point in the right point.  We are drilling I  have been following pa/ny marcelluse drilling for 10 years.  Most ppl didn't start to think about it till 2-4 years ago.  Why?  few reasons, but when you were not thinking of it, it was being drilled and no one was talking.

 

Say nothing, don't call attion to yourself, and let Mike Moore and Josh Fox shoot footage of arrasoll cans or foam boxes or the anti gay marrage ppl.

 

Do enough to keep your own ppl happy, and do what you pay us for, drill for oil.

 

go on Youtube and look for Drill'n Man, Mansfield PA, API.  See what we did for the industry.

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