CASE STUDY
Golden State Warriors
MISSION
Harnessing community support for a new world-class arena
Challenge
In 2012, the Golden State Warriors began working with the City and County of San Francisco to build a multi-purpose arena in San Francisco. Recognizing the need to be socially responsible, open, and transparent in the process, the Warriors incorporated a blend of innovative and creative solutions designed to address the needs of the surrounding community and balance them with the requirements of the city, sports fans, and the residents of San Francisco and the Bay Area.
Approach
50+1 Strategies led the project’s community engagement efforts from the inception of the proposed arena. Due to the scale and complexity of the project along with the large number of stakeholders, 50+1 Strategies developed and executed a multi-layered community outreach program to engage, educate, and generate broad-based grassroots support for the project. We developed a community coalition of neighbors, small business owners, and local leaders to speak in support of the project at public hearings and volunteer at community events to help educate the public.
50+1 Strategies also developed the strategic messages, slogans and logos, campaign website, communications plan, public engagement strategy, and collateral materials for the project. The communications plan was conducted via direct mail, email communications, and paid digital ads. Our efforts in grassroots and digital organizing identified over 16,000 supporters and hundreds of volunteers.
Results
We engaged thousands of individuals and community groups in our participatory planning process, generating enthusiasm and excitement for an initially controversial development project, with polling showing a 16-point increase in public support. As a result, the project was approved unanimously by each of the city’s regulatory bodies, including the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors. The Chase Center opened in 2019, and our cofounder Addisu Demissie is proud to have seen the Warriors win an NBA Finals game (and eventually a championship) in their new home in 2022.
