Company: Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, Boston, MA
Company Description: Red Lorry Yellow Lorry is a global, independent b2b tech PR and marketing agency with a relentless focus on getting you where you want to be. We're experts at making the complex easy to understand by bringing together talented people who know their industries inside and out.
Nomination Category: Corporate Communications, Investor Relations, & Public Relations Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Communications or PR Campaign of the Year - Climate Changee
 Nomination Title: Taking a clean energy disruptor to the stars
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this first question: Specify the date on which this campaign or program was launched:
May 1, 2022
- Optional: Reference any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):
Total 35 words used.
- Clip of first piece of business press coverage in CNBC, published August 18, 2022
- Sample of top coverage secured during the campaign
- Clip of announcement where Focused Energy is listed among recipients of DoE funding
- Which will you submit for this nomination, a video of up to five (5) minutes in length about the nominated PR campaign or program, or written answers to the questions? (Choose one):
Written answers to the questions
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the nominated video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this second question: Describe the genesis of the nominated campaign or program: the reasons it was initiated, the challenges it was created to address, the problems it was developed to solve, etc. (up to 250 words):
Total 212 words used.
Despite the growth of existing clean energy alternatives such as wind and solar, the planet’s energy gap is predicted to reach 41,000 GW by 2050 (enough energy to power nearly 30 billion homes annually). Focused Energy, founded in July 2021 as a spin-off of the University of Darmstadt and National Energetics, is dedicated to solving this problem by pioneering laser-driven nuclear fusion as a means of generating (and commercializing) safe and clean alternative energy.
The company has been amassing a world-class team of leading experts and scientists, many of whom had been involved in federal research and recent scientific breakthroughs. With laser-based fusion becoming more of a reality, Focused Energy brought in Red Lorry Yellow Lorry (the lorries) to help bring attention to this growing field and company with a strategic media relations program.
When the lorries started working with Focused Energy, we were starting from scratch in several regards. Firstly, laser-driven nuclear fusion is a truly cutting-edge area of science, with little awareness, even among the scientific community. Secondly, Focused Energy had no pre-existing PR program – and therefore no U.S. brand awareness. Finally, creating brand new forms of energy takes decades, not months, so we had no company news or breakthroughs to work with beyond small personnel announcements.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this third question: Describe the development of the campaign or program: the planning process, the goal setting, the creative and media development, the scheduling, etc. (up to 250 words):
Total 249 words used.
Following a kick-off call with Focused Energy, the lorries outlined four goals and KPIs:
- Catalyze US brand awareness and position Focused Energy as a credible player by securing 60 pieces of coverage in business and science trades
- Build public excitement for a new form of energy that’s still a decade away from viability by ensuring 50% of all coverage appears in business press
- Lead the industry conversation on the benefits of laser-based nuclear fusion versus magnetic-based nuclear fusion by ensuring 50% of all coverage includes a distinction between the two
- Grab the attention of public and private sector investors and partners to help Focused Energy secure new funding and grants
As this was Focused Energy’s first foray into U.S. PR, we took two different approaches with media, targeting:
- Science trades – like EE Times, Clean Technica, and Science Magazine – to validate Focused Energy’s work
- Business press to amplify awareness and generate mass interest in laser-based fusion energy
With cutting-edge science, credibility is of utmost importance. To establish this from day one, the lorries developed a list of proof points and credentials about Focused Energy’s scientists. To add some sparkle for business press, we organized a virtual tour of Focused Energy’s Texas laboratory and invited a select group of media. Focused Energy also used this as an opportunity to invite and engage with state and federal politicians.
We also created a well-oiled rapid response machine to jump on any breaking energy news, in lieu of our own announcements.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this fourth question: Outline the activities and concrete results of this campaign or program since the beginning of 2021. Even if your initiative started before 2021, limit your response to activities and results since the beginning of 2021 only (up to 250 words):
Total 250 words used.
We knew a strong piece of business press coverage would pave the way for future opportunities – we just needed our first bite.
We initially offered background conversations with business press to establish trust in Focused Energy scientists. At the same time, we were securing thought leadership coverage among science trades to build their credibility.
We zeroed in on Catherine Clifford, climate innovation and technology reporter at CNBC, to give us our first piece of business press. After some well-timed emails – and requesting permission to name-drop investors like Marc Lore and former Yankees outfielder Alex Rodriguez – she published a feature.
As expected, the floodgates opened. Over 85% of all coverage appeared after CNBC.
In six months, we secured:
- 130 pieces of earned coverage, more than doubling our goal
- 17 briefings and commentary opportunities
- 65% of all coverage in business press, beating our goal of 50%
- 300+ million impressions
We also capitalized on a major breakthrough in fusion energy research in December 2022, when scientists first achieved a net energy gain from a reaction. We:
- Received multiple inbound media requests from top-tier business press – including the Washington Post, Reuters and Bloomberg
- Secured 29 pieces of rapid response coverage on this news alone – including Forbes, CNBC, WSJ and NYT
Nearly 75% of all coverage mentioned the difference between laser- and magnetic-based nuclear fusion (beating our goal of 50%). The media awareness and momentum we built also helped secure funding from the DoE as one of 10 fusion projects.
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