We started with the largest demographic segment of people that could be directly affected, everyone

within Indian Point’s fifty mile blast radius. This includes millions of people in the states of New York,
New Jersey and Connecticut. We went on to analyze these regions county-wise for people who receive
their drinking water from the Catskill/Delaware and Croton watersheds.1 It was important to also place
emphasis on people who were directly in contact with the river and used the waterfront for recreational
activities and therefore were probably staying in areas with close proximity to the river.

In terms of psychographics, we narrowed down to people who care about their surroundings and are
passionate about giving back to society. This population will be willing to get involved in a communal
agenda to better their local environment. We further analyzed the population to include health-conscious
people who believe in using natural and organic products.

We also found that we should target families with children who have an income of over $50,000 a year.
This way they will have the funds available to give back to the community, as well as the personal
resources required to show up for events and play an active role in the organization.

We decided to include easy targets in all of the areas, such as people who are active digitally. These are
people who pay more attention to advertising and are generally more aware of their surroundings.
Riverkeeper has focused their outreach efforts on communities and businesses located right on the
Hudson, but there are much larger audiences to be reached. One way that we considered the population on
a very large scale is by focusing on the Indian Point Energy Center and its blast radius. While it’s true that
a nuclear power plant that has mostly functioned normally for the past forty years isn’t an immediate
danger, especially compared to a polluted river or drinking water, the plant is aging rapidly and should be
top of mind for the people living in this area.

The Indian Point nuclear power plant is located “in the heart of the nation’s most densely populated
region, 25 miles from New York City.”2 There is an enormous population within its fifty mile radius,
which includes all five New York City boroughs, a large portion of Long Island, lower New York counties
of Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Orange, Dutchess, Ulster, and Sullivan, northern New Jersey counties
of Bergen, Hudson, Passaic, Morris, Union, Middlesex, and the western portion of Connecticut.

As we just saw this past weekend, when the plant had a forced shutdown of one of their reactors,3
millions and millions of people are in danger if there is ever a larger mishap. This entire group can be
targeted by Riverkeeper to increase interest and membership. Additionally, this is an untapped resource.
Many of these people have not been targeted by Riverkeeper in the past, such as Long Island and
Connecticut residents, because they are not directly affected by the Hudson River.
The most vital aspect of our segmentation analysis was breaking down audiences by geography because
we feel many of these segments aren’t being reached. This is also a relatively local organization; people
who live and work nearby are affected by the Hudson’s issues on a daily basis. On the other hand, tourists
and visitors aren’t going to be as invested in the cause. Demographics such as homeownership are also
vital because we wanted to reach people who have a strong ties to the area. They have lots invested, so
care about what happens to the environment around them.

We paid close attention to psychographics; based on our observations at Riverkeeper events, current
members are very passionate about causes they believe in. Reaching out to additional people who care
strongly about Riverkeeper’s secondary causes (beyond fishing and pollution) is the key to growing
membership.
We focused our targeted segments on audiences that would be specifically affected by a polluted Hudson
River. Most people will agree that a clean river is a good thing but don’t have anything invested because
they don’t know what’s in it for them. Knowing that the Hudson is polluted isn’t enough because it’s
abstract. People need to know the details to truly become involved: that it could be affecting their
drinking water, their expensive properties, and their health.
The Well-off Long Island Homeowners are defined as college-educated Caucasian males and females
aged forty to forty-nine years old. They live within Nassau County, which is the thirteenth wealthiest
county in the United States by median household income, according to the US Census 2012 American
Community Survey.4 Each household has a median income of $93,214, and a mere 5.2 percent are below
the poverty line, compared to 14.5 percent state-wide. Eighty-two percent of adults in Nassau County are
homeowners, and forty-four percent of the total number of homes are owned by people in our selected age
range. The median home value is $478,600.5

This segment’s main behavior is that they are homeowners, but they are also very involved in their
communities, including schools, religious institutions, and athletic leagues. Their main influencers are
their families, friends, schools, local governments, and financial advisors. Long Islanders are strivers and
hard workers and they’re also comfortable and satisfied.

The entirety of Nassau County is within fifty miles of the Indian Point Energy Center, and as such, they’re
in danger and would likely be forced to evacuate if anything were to happen with the nuclear plant.6 This
segment has a large investment in its real estate and probably wants to protect their investment. They’ve
spent a good amount of money creating comfortable lives for themselves, and their entire livelihood is at
risk. Long Islanders are also likely unaware that their property is in danger, and further, based on their
median income, they have the discretionary funds to donate. Based on this information, this segment
would be a great audience for Riverkeeper to target.
This segment involves people who are directly in contact with the river and use it for recreational
purposes, and therefore would be especially motivated to keep their surroundings clean. We chose the
Hudson Waterfront as a geographical demarcation due to its proximity to the river and it is located in the
areas of the highest pollution.Appendix A People living here are at risk of health issues if they fish, swim, or
engage in any other recreational activities on the river.

The Hudson Waterfront consists of these cities within Hudson County, New Jersey: Bayonne, Jersey City,
Hoboken, Union City, Weehawken, West New York, Guttenberg, North Bergen. “Of the 217 combined
sewer overflow pipes that discharge into New Jersey waterways, twenty-six are located on the Hudson…
whose New Jersey banks have seen a tremendous increase in population as towns along the waterway
have transformed in the past twenty years from neglected industrial hubs to highly dense bedroom
communities.”7 The mix of excess stormwater and untreated sewage leads to the grown of bacteria that
cause influenza and gastroenteritis-related outbreaks, such as salmonella and rotavirus infections.8

Fifty-five to sixty-five year olds make up around ten percent of the population9 in these areas and they
have both the time and money to be actively involved in the cause. We further segmented this figure by
only including those seniors who are active on the walkway and care about their own health as well as the
wellbeing of their surroundings.
Yuccies are best defined by Mashable in the following quote:

“Yuccies. Young Urban Creatives. In a nutshell, a slice of Generation Y, borne of suburban comfort, indoctrinated
with the transcendent power of education, and infected by the conviction that not only do we deserve to pursue our
dreams; we should profit from them.”10

They are the new Yuppies and a new segment of influencers in today’s market. With an age group ranging from
about 25-34, Manhattan and Brooklyn Yuccies make up a large percentage of the local population.11,12 Many of them
attended college, primarily at liberal arts institutions, and they are pursuing careers that align with their passions and
have a larger purpose. Often New York transplants, Yuccies have embraced their urban communities.

They are the newlyweds and young parents who might stereotypically be said to purchase all-natural foods for their
kids, stay away from plastics, and attend to sustainable behaviors, etc. A health angle would possibly be best for this
demographic/psychographic segment. Yuccies like to consider themselves to be conscious of their health and their
environment. Thus, Yuccies would be concerned about the health effects of the polluted river due to their healthy
and active lifestyle. This is a segment that likes to get outdoors (hike, kayak, etc.) and enjoy their community.

In addition, Yuccies would find it appealing that Riverkeeper has a rich history. They would be both impressed and
inspired by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s involvement as the Chief Prosecuting Attorney. This would make the target
audience feel as if they are joining a legacy.13

The given segment is also a large advocate of human rights, and thus the issue of everyone having the right to clean
water would be of political importance. This is a more liberal group of people. In addition, this group takes pride in
being informed. Having knowledge about the health of the river would be considered admirable among this
segment. They are also active players in the digital age, and they exist on numerous media platforms. These are
Instagrammers, Tweeters, and avid bloggers. They are vocal through online platforms such as urbanbaby.com.
A digitally connected audience would be an ideal target because they will be likely to attend to content on their
medium of choice. The Yuccies are extremely digitally active. They grew up with computers and know how to
make the most of the technology available to them, from using apps to accomplish daily tasks to connecting
with their peers on social media. Yuccies are very trusting of the medium when compared to older generations
and expect the companies and organizations that they associate with to be digitally inclined as well. They
receive their news from traditional sources, like The New York Times, but also from blogs such as Gothamist,
Gawker, and The Huffington Post. They are active on social media and use it to share relevant articles and
photographs of their children alike.

All three of our possible segments have a strong network of influencers. The Well-off Long Island
Homeowners and Manhattan/Brooklyn Yuccies have similar influencers. First and foremost, their spouse and
other family members and children affect their day to day lives. Secondary, schools and peers are important for
advice. On a lesser level, community influencers, mommy bloggers, local government officials, and doctors
and other health experts affect decision-making. Further, since both audiences are relatively well-off
monetarily, their financial advisors influence their choices as well. The Hudson Waterfront Health-Conscious
Seniors are also influenced by their spouse and children, but in this case their children are grown adults who
are in more of a position to aid their parents and alter decisions. As this audience is aging, health experts are
very important and are a strong influence. We narrowed the choices for this insight to Long Islanders or
Yuccies because they have strong and abundant influencers.

The final insight is that the audience should be very passionate. While the Long Islanders have strong
influencers and are involved in their communities, they aren’t terribly passionate about a specific cause. The
Seniors are passionate about their health, while the Yuccies are passionate about living naturally and caring for
the environment. The latter is the clear choice here because their passions align with Riverkeeper’s ideals. Like
the Long Islanders, Yuccies are also very involved in their communities and willing to share their time, money,
and personal information with causes they care about. They like to be in the know and up on trends, and
donating to causes is one way for them to stay involved.
Money, time, and children are the three main reasons why we chose Yuccies as our target audience. In
terms of money, the segment has an income of $150,000 or more. Thus, they have money to give. In
addition, their willingness to become a member of a new organization is higher than that of the other two
segments. It is better to catch people while they are young in terms of building loyalty to a cause or
organization. Older people have already committed both their money and time to specific issues and
organizations.

Because Yuccies have a sizable amount of resources and a disposable income, they have the time to
devote to Riverkeeper events. They will also likely bring their children to events. This offers the
possibility that their children will become an audience when they are old enough to become members or
donors as well.

Yuccie influence is wide due to the dedication they have to their community. The segment has the
potential to spread Riverkeeper messaging because of their heavy involvement in schools and local
governments. In addition, they are highly engaged on digital platforms. These are avid bloggers, and
social media aficionados. Not only are they creating content in the digital sphere, but they are serving as
active and willing listeners to other Yuccies with similar values. They will also serve as influencers upon
their spouses, as many of them are married or in committed relationships.

Due to the younger age of Yuccies, a higher percentage of them are physically active. As mentioned in
other parts of our research, this is a segment which values outdoor activities.

Last, quality of drinking water is a more motivating and immediate concern than the effects of the nuclear
plant included in the other two segments. Yuccies care a lot about human rights, and thus Riverkeeper’s
commitment to providing all citizens with clean drinking water will fall right under their list of concerns.
The positioning statement shows how Riverkeeper has a unique relationship with the selected target
audience. Riverkeeper has numerous allies who fight for a similar cause but none of them independently
monitor and test the water as well as issue strong lobbying efforts in order to bring permanent reform for
clean water.14 Riverkeeper believes that access to clean, affordable drinking water must be a human right.
In the interest of protecting human health and preserving freshwater ecosystems, filtration of public
drinking water supplies should be considered as a last resort to be employed only when an unfiltered
water supply poses an imminent threat to public health. Sound watershed protection programs not only
safeguard human health and aquatic life but are also vastly more economical than filtration. Their agenda
not only increases awareness for the cause but also help give young, health-conscious families the peace
of mind they require to bring up their children in this community.
Upper West Side Ben is a 32 year-old, white male working in finance for a start-up company in New
York. He is married to Catherine, a 31-year-old freelance writer. She currently works from home and
spends the day with their two small children. He lives off of West Side Avenue and is in walking distance
of Riverside Park. He takes his two children and dog down to the park daily. He often goes running in the
park and uses his Fitbit to track his health and progress.

Ben shops at Whole Foods and only buys his coffee at the local coffee shop that guarantees fair trade of
coffee beans and uses eco-conscious. He enjoys cooking so he often purchases fresh organic produce and
ingredients at the 79th Street Greenmarket.

Ben graduated from Dartmouth, moved to Manhattan after college, and has built a large network in the
startup and tech industry. He prides himself in being abreast of the latest tech gadgets, and is considered
to be an early adapter. He reads Gothamist and West Side Rag to stay up to date on happenings in his
neighborhood.

On the weekends, Ben and his wife take their children to festivals throughout the city and New York state.
They also enjoy camping and kayaking when they have someone to watch the children.
Park Slope Sally is 28 year-old art director at an advertising agency. She has been married for two years.
Sally and her husband Joe recently had their first child. She is extremely conscious of making sure her
new family maintains a healthy and active lifestyle.

Sally attended the School of Visual Arts in New York. She was active in student government while in
college and values staying politically and socially informed. She reads the Huffington Post every morning
on her iPad. Sally is also a regular contributor on a national mommy blog.

She attends mommy and baby yoga three times a week. She makes a point to shop local and is vocal in
her community.
The primary medium to target Yuccies is digital as Riverkeeper has such strong content to show visually, but aren’t
making great use of it. We would recommend that they make extensive use of social media and promote their cause
through more innovative content and hashtags on their own pages as well as by using well targeted advertisements for
this demographic. Some platforms that they should make use of is Facebook, Google advertisements and grocery
delivery applications. One interesting campaign could be a Twitter account showcasing life on the Riverkeeper boat.

Improving membership materials to better appeal to the Yuccies is an important step towards gaining their support; a
welcome package could be mailed to every new member to add a touch of tangibility to their membership. We also
recommend that Riverkeeper update the membership welcome letter to be more tailored to the new audience. Perhaps
members could select which topics they are most interested in receiving information about when they sign up. Further,
Yuppies like a more positive and clean approach with less technical jargon. The letter should display a more positive
hopeful approach to the problem.

Yuccies also like benefits so the welcome letter should mention the perks and events they will have access to by being
members of the organization. Riverkeeper could work with bars and restaurants along the river to offer discounts and
special perks available only to members. This could act as an incentive for them to freely give out their contact
information in exchange for a discount booklet. Riverkeeper could also organize members-only events with these
venues so that Yuccies feel like they are part of an exclusive group.

What’s in it for the new target audience? We must make the audience aware of how this organization directly benefits
them and improves their quality of life. It will be useful in the long run if the organization could find a small tangible
way to directly help the target audience as this will increase the value the organization's work has in their mind. For the
Young Urban Creatives, Riverkeeper has the ability to educate them on the state of their waterways, make them aware
of the pollution in the river and the effect it has on their community, the ability to educate their children about the
environment, knowledge of the runoff from the polluted river, and the aging/decaying infrastructure (it has been falling
into a state of disrepair since 2001.) Through the use of a map with geographic capabilities, the segment could see what
parts of the waterways are safe. This will be helpful when they engage in outdoor activities along the Hudson.
Think: “Realize how a lack of clean water can affect their lives, both now and in the future.” Informing
the segment about the health of the Hudson River and what it means for their future as Manhattan and
Brooklyn residents is key. Yuccies will take this information seriously and become aware of their own
efforts that can be made to improve the state of the river.

Act: “Become a member! Take their children to events.” Once Yuccies take action and become
Riverkeeper members, they will attend events and likely bring their children. This creates another
audience altogether.

Share: “Involve their peers: other parents, schools, politicians.” Yuccies are very vocal and have a known
presence on various media platforms. It is likely that they will spread the Riverkeeper message and their
personal involvement with the organization on social media and various blogs. They will become
influencers for other potential members in the target audience.
Our primary focus is to boost Riverkeeper’s digital presence. This can be accomplished using Google and
Facebook as they are the primary channels that Yuccies use online. Further, digital advertisements can be
highly targeted via both platforms.

For Facebook, we plan to spend $2,000 over the year to market specifically to men and women between
the ages 25-34 living in the affected areas.Appendix B

Google has special advertising grants for not-for-profits and we encourage Riverkeeper to take advantage
of this.15 Riverkeeper can spend $1,000, or about $5 a day for very specific, well-targeted advertisements
over a period of 200 days.16

To engage more families with children, we advise that Riverkeeper spend $2,000 to host children’s
events. This will involve young kids, give Yuccie families a reason to visit the river, and help spread
awareness about Riverkeeper and its causes.

Since Yuccies are concerned about their health and eat all natural organic foods, they tend to shop at
stores like Whole Foods and Dean & Deluca. To take advantage of this, we plan to spend $150 to print
and approximately $750 to insert 4,000 fliers into their grocery bags using the best possible rates
available for non-profits at local grocery stores. We plan to invest the remaining budget on in-app
advertisements on Instacart for Yuccies in the target areas.