In a groundbreaking effort to rally suburban women around climate action, Potential Energy’s Science Moms initiative, funded in part by AVDF, has achieved measurable success through its data-driven approach. Utilizing rigorous market research methods, including focus groups and randomized control trials (RCTs), the campaign has significantly increased support for immediate government action on climate change.
Measuring the Impact: A Data-Driven Approach
At the heart of the Science Moms strategy lies a commitment to analytics. The campaign’s primary Key Performance Indicator (KPI) is the lift in support for government-led climate initiatives, with additional metrics including cost efficiency and brand awareness.
By the close of 2024, Science Moms had driven a remarkable 9.4 percentage point increase in support for immediate climate action among suburban women—a 21.4% lift over baseline. Long-term engagement with the program has led to a 25% increase in issue salience over four years, adding 582,000 new strong supporters of climate action. Moreover, these new supporters have demonstrated a greater propensity for collective action, with 190,000 more individuals engaging in community organizing and 176,000 more taking direct policy action. Cost-effectiveness has also improved, with the cost per strong supporter declining from $42 in 2021 to just $19 in 2024.
Crafting Compelling Narratives: Content Innovation in Climate Messaging
A critical component of Science Moms’ success has been the strategic development and testing of climate messaging. In the Spring 2024 campaign, ads emphasizing children’s vulnerability to pollution—such as “Pollution puts kids’ developing lungs at risk”—were instrumental in persuading moderate women, yielding a 9% lift in support for government action on climate issues.
Further research revealed that the phrase “Unnatural Disasters” significantly influenced public perception, increasing support for climate action by 9.8 points across all ideologies and by 12.2 points among conservative audiences. This insight shaped the Summer 2024 “Unnatural Disasters” campaign, employing a multi-pronged approach:
- Science Moms as Spokespeople: Amplifying voices on local news and social media to highlight extreme weather events’ link to climate change.
- Collaboration with Meteorologists: Partnering with Climate Central to educate weather reporters on climate narratives.
- Targeted Social Media Campaigns: Deploying rapid response ads in areas affected by extreme weather.
In October 2024, Hurricanes Helene and Milton provided a real-time testing ground for these strategies. RCTs demonstrated that audiences were twice as receptive to climate messaging following extreme weather events, without generating backlash. Science Moms shared these insights across the climate movement to inform broader communication efforts.
Executing High-Impact Campaigns
Throughout 2024, Science Moms executed three major campaigns:
1) Extreme Weather Campaign (Spring 2024): Focused on pollution’s impact on children’s health, this campaign in Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin led to a 7.1 percentage point increase in strong support for immediate climate action—a 22% lift over baseline.
2) Unnatural Disasters Campaign (Summer 2024): Aimed at deepening public awareness of climate-driven extreme weather, this campaign utilized high-impact ads and social media tactics.
3) Extreme Weather Surge Campaign (October 2024): Following Hurricanes Helene and Milton, Science Moms intensified outreach in Georgia and North Carolina, boosting climate support while raising funds for disaster relief. This effort resulted in a 9 percentage point lift in climate action support at a cost of just $9.76 per new supporter—an exceptionally low figure given the heightened media spending during election season.
Capitalizing on National Platforms: Super Bowl Ad Success
One of the campaign’s most significant moments came in early 2025, when Science Moms secured the first-ever nonprofit climate ad during the Super Bowl, reaching 122 million people. The “By the Time” ad, which initially aired in the Los Angeles market and across digital platforms, received overwhelming positive engagement:
- Ranked in the top 10 Super Bowl ads by The New York Times.
- Earned media exposure valued at $105 million.
- Garnered 93% positive or neutral sentiment in public reactions.
- Expanded awareness of the link between climate change and extreme weather, particularly in response to the devastating Los Angeles wildfires.
Looking Ahead: Strengthening Climate Narratives
Beyond its immediate campaign work, Potential Energy has been proactive in shaping climate discourse by engaging with journalists and media organizations. Collaborations with Climate Central and Journalism Funding Partners have resulted in strategic guidance for over 6,000 climate reporters. These efforts have influenced mainstream narratives, including a Washington Post article that framed hurricanes as consequences of human-emitted greenhouse gases—an approach directly inspired by a Potential Energy briefing.
As extreme weather events become more frequent, Potential Energy is investing in a long-term rapid response capability. The organization aims to preemptively shape climate narratives, counter misinformation, and drive public support for action in real-time disaster situations.
With a proven track record of measurable impact, Science Moms continues to lead the way in mobilizing suburban women toward urgent climate action. Through data-driven messaging, strategic partnerships, and innovative media execution, the campaign stands as a model for effective climate advocacy in an increasingly volatile world.
For more information about Potential Energy, click here, and for more information about Science Moms, click here.
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