Port of Stockton Case Study

The Challenge

Previous to the work with Palmer, the Port of Stockton held a public perception of being a government owned and operated company, a utility owned by the city.

The Goal

Change the public perception of the Port of Stockton to let members of the community know they are dedicated, involved, and committed to them.

The Solution

Through the work with Palmer, the Port of Stockton was able to gain increased visibility, be seen as environmentally responsible, and even won an award of excellence from the American Association of
Port Authorities.

In 2013 Palmer was tasked with the development and deployment of a baseline research study that would measure the Port of Stockton’s awareness among consumers in its home base of Stockton, CA. Palmer was also tasked to find out how much knowledge consumers have regarding specific facts about the Port. In summary, the results revealed that consumer awareness of the Port was extremely high. However, consumers knew little about what the Port of Stockton actually imports and exports, little about its connection with the city/county, and little about its involvement in the community. The results prompted an advertising campaign to educate consumers about the Port of Stockton and how it operates, and to help create closer ties between consumers and the Port of Stockton.

The Palmer Ad Agency developed a two-phased campaign. The first phase of the campaign entitled “Port Proud, Stockton Proud” featured employees of the Port that live in the Stockton area and who work at the Port. The primary messaging explained how employees involved themselves with the community. An additional secondary message gave specific facts regarding the Port’s monetary contribution to the local economy and the Port’s efforts to help the environment. The Port holds trade relations with over 55 countries, exporting nearly 1.5 million tons of goods yearly, creating over 4,500 jobs annually and more.

The second phase of the campaign entitled “A Part of the Port” featured “real people” that live and work in the area and who are “A Part of the Port,” through what the Port of Stockton brings to them. This ad campaign’s messaging profiled real people’s jobs and their direct tie-ins to the Port. The secondary message featured specific facts regarding the tie-in. Facts like: 1) over 90% of the fertilizer used in the Central Valley comes through the Port, 2) the Port generates over $5 million for the Stockton area that helps pay for schools, parks and more, 3) the Port is responsible for over 5,500 jobs in the Stockton area, from manufacturing to agriculture to transportation and more, 4) the Port spent $2.5 million toward helping the delicate ecosystem of the Delta and surrounding communities, and more.