We follow the data to identify the narratives that create wins.
The global response to climate change hangs in the balance.
People around the world and across the ideological spectrum are open to supporting solutions – but as we have seen time and again, they can also be pushed to oppose critical climate initiatives, leading to delays and backsliding.
Our approach
Better narratives enable us to win the fights that matter, accelerate the energy transition, and protect the world for future generations.
Since 2018, Potential Energy has developed rigorous, data-driven expertise on how people think about climate change and the policy solutions needed to address it — in the United States and around the world — through extensive research in more than 23 countries, over 3 billion ads served and measured, 160 analyses conducted, and nearly 2,000 hours of individual input and feedback.
What we do
We advise leaders and organizations.
We publish our insights, train partners, and empower leaders at all levels to achieve meaningful progress.
We design and deliver campaigns that drive change.
Our team creates and executes programs grounded in deep analytics and human-centered stories that increase support for action. We have been recognized for the results from our work, including being listed as a Fast Company Most Innovative Nonprofit, winning the Effie Award for most effective social issue campaign, and Expy Award for Excellence in Analytics from Analyst Institute.
How Potential Energy drives demand for climate solutions.
Solving climate change requires not one shift, but many. Beyond moving people to care about climate change, we need to get people excited about clean cars and clean heat, about supporting local clean energy projects, making polluters pay, and changing subsidies.
Develop winning narratives
For each of these critical narrative shifts, we take a rigorous approach. We map the segments of the population most important to move, study their needs and motivations, map opposing messages, develop and test a broad range of narratives, and then build rigorous message platforms.
Support partners
We know we will be massively more successful together than apart. So we share our learnings, develop tools and playbooks, advise on the most effective approaches, and partner in joint campaigns to move people to action.
Advise Leaders
We provide messaging advice to leaders across society in the private and public sectors. These tools significantly increase confidence and help create new climate leaders across society.
Engage citizens
Core to our work is the implementation of powerful, multi-channel marketing campaigns that meet audiences where they are, reaching them with messages and messengers that educate and drive support for solutions.
Climate change action
These education campaigns tip the balance on action in a way that can dramatically accelerate the energy transition. Each campaign creates a flywheel that makes future solutions easier
Our approach centers around three grounding principles:
Uncommon Insight
Extensive research and deep data analytics to understand people, what they care about, and how to connect with them on climate change.
Breakthrough Creativity
Narratives crafted by the best talent in the creative industry, reframing climate change to make it personal, relevant, and compelling.
Ruthless Evaluation
Data-driven decision-making that starts with rigorous analysis of what works, what doesn’t, and why.