Something Else Strategies

CIC

...Our analysis also reveals that fossil fuel trade associations far exceed the PR and advertising spending of renewable energy trade associations. One fossil fuel industry trade association, the American Petroleum Institute, spent over six times more than four prominent renewable energy trade associations combined. In total, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), Growth Energy, the National Biodiesel Board (NBB), and the Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA) spent $98.4 million on PR and advertising during the 2008 to 2017 period. API alone dwarfs all four associations, spending a total of $663.2 million during the same time period.

API alone spent over six times more than the renewable energy trade associations we analyzed.

In addition to a comprehensive analysis of how industry utilizes these sizable contracts, CIC has made available all the IRS 990 tax forms used in this analysis, and produced interactive data visualizations and downloadable spreadsheets with the raw data.

In this report, the Climate Investigations Center has extended and updated the Center for Public Integrity’s groundbreaking 2015 report on public relations spending by trade associations. Spending data we have compiled since the CPI analysis confirms that public relations firms remain in a lucrative and influential partnership with big business and energy trade associations.

The Center for Public Integrity published “Who needs lobbyists? See what big business spends to win American minds,” which was the most thorough analysis of trade association spending to date in January 2015. The report compiled IRS 990 data from 2008 through 2012 to reveal that trade associations were often spending more on public relations firms than lobbyists. For some industries, advertising and front groups seemed to be the most powerful chosen means of achieving policy goals, putting public relations firms at the center of the policy debate over clean air, climate solutions, and good governance.

Download our data here (.csv file), or view in the table below:

Trade Association Contract Recipient Year Amount Paid

Western Energy Alliance Resonate Networks 2014 $175,000.00

Western Energy Alliance FTI Consulting 2017 $217,317.00

Western Energy Alliance Resonate Networks 2013 $200,000.00

Western Energy Alliance FTI Consulting 2018 $243,000.00

Western Energy Alliance Clear Channel 2013 $125,360.00

United States Chamber of Commerce Revolution Agency 2018 $4,834,422.00

United States Chamber of Commerce Something Else Strategies 2018 $5,270,805.00

United States Chamber of Commerce Revolution Media Group 2017 $1,150,000.00

United States Chamber of Commerce R Street Films 2018 $1,554,650.00

United States Chamber of Commerce Albright Stonebridge Group LLC 2017 $712,888.00

United States Chamber of Commerce Something Else Strategies 2017 $2,919,990.00

United States Chamber of Commerce R Street Films 2016 $4,500,000.00

United States Chamber of Commerce Revolution Media Group 2016 $9,204,150.00

United States Chamber of Commerce Something Else Strategies 2016 $10,400,000.00

United States Chamber of Commerce Glass House Strategy 2016 $797,550.00

United States Chamber of Commerce Integrated Web Strategy 2015 $1,756,009.00

United States Chamber of Commerce Revolution Media Group 2015 $1,734,327.00

United States Chamber of Commerce Revolution Media Group 2014 $14,456,184.00

United States Chamber of Commerce Something Else Strategies 2015 $1,200,000.00

United States Chamber of Commerce Something Else Strategies 2014 $7,050,000.00

United States Chamber of Commerce R Street Films 2014 $4,075,000.00

United States Chamber of Commerce Purple Strategies 2014 $4,652,568.00

United States Chamber of Commerce Craft Media Digital 2014 $6,341,375.00

United States Chamber of Commerce Integrated Web Strategy 2013 $2,208,823.00

United States Chamber of Commerce Something Else Strategies 2013 $1,049,800.00

United States Chamber of Commerce Adfero Group 2013 $709,250.00

United States Chamber of Commerce Revolution Media Group 2012 $23,365,676.00

United States Chamber of Commerce Craft Media Digital 2012 $8,718,330.00

United States Chamber of Commerce Designated Market Media 2012 $8,267,709.00

United States Chamber of Commerce Something Else Strategies 2012 $2,773,205.00

United States Chamber of Commerce Smart Media Group 2012 $2,650,000.00

United States Chamber of Commerce Revolution Media Group 2011 $2,605,111.00

United States Chamber of Commerce Revolution Media Group 2010 $12,268,494.00

United States Chamber of Commerce National Media Public Affairs 2010 $9,095,731.00

United States Chamber of Commerce Mentzer Media Services 2010 $6,313,861.00

United States Chamber of Commerce Smart Media Group 2010 $8,013,628.00

United States Chamber of Commerce Designated Market Media 2010 $8,200,000.00

United States Chamber of Commerce National Media Public Affairs 2009 $60,772,056.00

United States Chamber of Commerce APCO Worldwide 2009 $17,370,239.00

United States Chamber of Commerce Integrated Web Strategy 2009 $1,858,864.00

United States Chamber of Commerce Integrated Web Strategy 2008 $1,225,909.00

United States Chamber of Commerce Presentation Testing 2008 $452,450.00

Solar Energy Industries Association Crosscut Strategies 2018 $251,005.00