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Case Study: How LiveWell Springfield Got Citywide Buy‑In for Clean Energy, Fast.

LiveWell Springfield, a coalition of over 30 organizations working to build a culture of health in Springfield, MA, wanted to educate the community about Community Choice Energy, a program to switch from fossil fuels to cleaner energy.

They Faced a Communication Roadblock

There were a few problems getting there:

Internal teams needed to agree on what information to focus on, and which specific audiences in our community to direct the messaging to.

Translating complexities of the program would be difficult to achieve in a way that built trust for an entirely new approach to the community's energy usage.

The process could drag on without clarity, causing the city to remain reliant on fossil fuels, and worsening Springfield’s reputation as the asthma capital of the U.S.

Without a clear way to tell the story, meetings stalled, decisions froze, and the city risked continuing its dependence on fossil fuels, deepening public health issues in the asthma capital of the U.S.

They Needed Motion Design
to Meet the Mission

Our role was to help make complex messaging clear, fast, and tailored to their audience.

A proven track record with nonprofits and municipal campaigns.

A fast, accurate, and streamlined production process.

Messaging control tools so stakeholders could give clear, structured input, and stay aligned.

Most importantly, we understood how to translate information into a narrative that was easy to process and take action on.

An example pamphlet from their team

A sample of our explainer video

A Plan To Move the Project Forward

Each communication strategy played a key role, but the explanatory video the campaign's anchor. It allowed for the most important information to be disseminated and understood quickly by the local community, accelerating decision-making.

Communication Strategies

Purpose

Animated Explainer Video

Summarize to city officials and community leaders what CCE is and how it specifically benefits the Springfield, MA citizens

Radio Spots

Dive deeper into the issue through conversation

Virtual Trainings

Teach community leaders to communicate about CCE clearly and effectively

Tabling

Attending in-person events to meet the community where they are, to share info

Cultural Arts & Events

Utilize creative mediums to demonstrate the importance of the work based on the city’s unique demographics

Print & Press Coverage

Spreading the message across preferred media channels that the public accesses

Examples of communication strategies: Trainings, Tabling, & Murals

The Video That Helped Pass a City Council Motion

The campaign video became the anchor of their internal and external messaging.

Timeline of Events

Campaign video launches online and presented to City Council.

City Council unanimously approves motion on Community Choice Energy

Mayor signs off on Community Choice Energy & issues an RFP for an Energy Aggregator

CCE consultant begins to craft a plan to execute on aggregation

Public Review and comment period commences

Department of Public Utilities Approves Plan

Residents & Department of Energy Review the plan and assess next steps

2022

2023

2025

2024

Present

The City Council passed the motion

Their team saved months to years of decision time

The mayor approved the switch to a green energy provider

The project lead got a promotion

From Confusion to Confidence

Before the project, the coalition struggled to find the right words.

After, they had a shared language, and a tool that sparked real change.

"Currently, if you’re a Springfield resident, your energy supplier operates as a private monopoly."

Why this DOES NOT work:

It creates detachment from issue, because it makes the audience ask too many questions (ex: who is my supplier? What makes them a monopoly?)
It makes an enemy of a mysterious supplier, which they need in order to switch to CCE.

"Every time you use energy to turn on your lights, you directly impact our climate and the health and well-being of your family."

Why THIS WORKS:

Focuses on the individual, and how they’re directly affected by the choice at hand.
Drives audience curiousity while connecting dots between a simple switch of a light to local climate change impact.