Vol. 5 No. 1
October 28, 2009
Energy Secretary Steven Chu visits PNNL
Energy Secretary Steven Chu visited PNNL to share his vision for the nation's energy research, development and policy, and the role he sees for the national laboratories.
The U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu visited PNNL in early August to witness firsthand how the Laboratory’s scientific assets are brought to bear against DOE missions. A strong advocate for fundamental science, energy efficiency and renewable energy, Secretary Chu toured the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory and the Electricity Infrastructure Operations Center to better understand how PNNL is advancing transformational science and helping solve our national challenges.
A strong supporter of social media outlets, PNNL developed a cross-functional social media strategy aimed at delivering updates through a variety of channels.
- PNNL’s Facebook page: linked to the visit's news coverage, photo gallery, live video coverage, and created a trivia discussion there in honor of the Secretary's interest in trivia. www.facebook.com/PNNLgov
- PNNL's YouTube page: posted Secretary Chu’s presentation, which was delivered at PNNL. www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UkKWmPsouE
- PNNL's Flickr page: posted images of his visit. www.flickr.com/photos/pnnl/
- PNNL's Twitter feed: "tweeted" live updates throughout his presentation and tours. www.twitter.com/PNNLNews
The results of the social media efforts showed that we reached more members of the public than through traditional channels. PNNL went from approximately 250 to more than 400 “Facebook fans” in less than a week, received nearly 600 views to Chu’s presentation video on YouTube, and Secretary Chu added as his personal “favorites” the EMSL and PNNL fan pages.