Community Activation + Local Development
Ava Community Energy is a not-for-profit electricity supplier providing Alameda Country with cleaner energy at competitive rates.
MY ROLE:
Industry/area research efforts to identify high-impact opportunities for local development.
Campaign and content strategy
Team alignment between community development and marketing/
THE SOLUTION:
I designed a community engagement strategy to introduce Ava’s programs to unenrolled farm owners, agricultural collectives, and clean-energy organizations.
Our messaging centered on protecting the legacy of Lathrop and Stockton’s agricultural communities through innovation, economic resilience, and partnership by positioning clean energy, as well as Ava, as advocates for that future.
Rather than leading with technical marketing solutions, I focused on meeting farmers in their existing gathering spaces and building trust through presence and listening.
THE CHALLENGE:
Lathrop and Stockton’s agricultural sector presented a high-impact opportunity, but engagement required navigating existing skepticism and structural barriers.
Key challenges included:
• a legacy of distrust following economic instability tied to PG&E
• political wariness toward public agencies
• steep upfront costs associated with clean energy adoption, ex: battery storage, conversion to solar
Our strategy focused on building trust through presence and relationship, not just messaging. Rather than relying on aggressive outreach and “faceless” marketing tactics, I focused on actions and messaging that positioned Ava as both a listener and collaborator
BTS THINKING & STRATEGY:
Ava Community Energy needed to build program participation in their newly added service areas, Lathrop and Stockton.
We repositioned Ava as an advocate for the region’s agricultural community by prioritizing:
• inviting local ag business owners to share their success with clean energy via Ava-led forums and workshops
• demonstrating consistent presence in industry conferences, townhalls, and local events
• success metrics tied to real-world connection (event attendance, contacts created