BEST OF THE BEST
Communicator of the Year
Winner: Mississippi Power a subsidiary of Southern Company
Top 10 Communicators:
- Mississippi Power
- Arizona Public Service
- Wisconsin Public Service
- NorthWestern Energy
- Buckeye Power
- Tennessee Valley Authority
- Savannah Electric
- Entergy
- NW Natural
- Pacific Gas & Electric
Click Here For Complete Campaign
Walking the tight rope between profitability, public image and customer relations can be tricky, especially when the entire energy industry financial community, and following the Great Northeast Blackout of August 14, 2003, the general public in both Canada and the United States, are watching utility movements closely.
Amid the current three-ring circus of scrutiny of some electric, natural gas and water utilities, municipalities and co-ops, a few advertising and public relations employees are becoming superstars among their peers. Their ads and public messages make people laugh, conserve energy, participate in the community affairs, and become more aware of the role of energy in their own lives.
Judged by their peers, Mississippi Power, a subsidiary of the Southern Company, won top bragging honors among electric, natural gas and water utilities of the United States, Canada and Great Britain. They won the title ‘Communicator of the Year’ in the marketing and communications organization Utility Communicators International’s (UCI’s) annual Better Communications Competition.
“In hard economic times, companies do not want to be out there being flashy, yet they want to be memorable,” said Charlie Basham, project manager for Southern California Edison Company and president of UCI for 2002/2003 and 2003/2004.
The competition recognizes the ‘Best of the Best’ of utility advertisements, community public awareness campaigns, Internet sites, annual reports, television and radio spots, and corporate sponsorships. 2003 honors were presented at the annual convention in San Diego, California.
Rounding out the top ten companies for this year’s honors (in descending order): Arizona Public Service, Wisconsin Electric Service, NorthWestern Energy, Buckeye Power, Tennessee Valley Authority, Savannah Electric, Entergy, Northwest Natural and Pacific Gas & Electric. Points were accumulated for each honor received.
American Electric Power (AEP) made a single entry into the competition this year and won first place honors for a complete ad campaign dealing with public image. AEP’s eye-catching series of photographs depicting colorful, body contorting and balancing acts of the Canadian Cirque du Soleil performers was set against a solid, dark background.
“Using the imagery of Cirque du Soleil is serendipitous, and our external research shows that of those who saw last year’s four-ad campaign, ad awareness increased three-fold,” said Teresa McWain, director of external communications for AEP. “We’re hearing from our target audience – the financial community – that AEP’s message of strength, experience and flexibility have stopping power.” The high profile ads ran March through November/December in 2002 with such success the company renewed the campaign this summer.
AEP won in Group A, which is comprised of the largest utilities (those with more than 550,000 customers). Alliant Energy earned silver honors by placing second in the category. Salt River Project placed third.
UCI, acting as circus master, changed the A/B group parameters in 2003 in an attempt to encourage more small companies to compete in the competition, explained, Connie Blalock, manager of advertising for Alabama Gas and this year’s chair of the Better Communications Competition program. It worked.
In 2002, Salt River Project (SRP), placed first place in Group B (smaller customer base companies) in both complete campaign categories – public image and marketing, won approximately 15 different honors, and was named the 2002 ‘Communicator of the Year’. The transition of this single creative, award-winning company to Group A, starting in 2003, both caused a shake-up of top winners in Group B and confirmed SRP’s strength against the entire competitive field.
The reshuffling could be visualized as stuffing dozens of circus performers into a single Volkswagen bug and then watching to see who comes out first or for whom the crowd cheers loudest when all have emerged. Among the remaining Group B participants, not only did Mississippi Power win the complete campaign for public image and place third for marketing, it showed well in multiple diverse competition categories. Mississippi Power was named the overall winner of the entire competition, and earned the title, ‘Communicator of the Year.’
Ohio-based Buckeye Power and Georgia-based Savannah Electric, respectively, took home the silver and bronze honors for complete campaigns in public image.
Best of Show
‘Best of Show’ honors are awarded to the best of all the projects entered into the various general categories of the competition, regardless of company size or number of customers served. The four encompassing categories were: newspaper ads, television ads, radio ads and print messages. Due to one tie, the five 2003 ‘Best of Show’ winners were Salt River Project (newspaper category), Savannah Electric (television category), Dusquesne Light (print category), and a tie for the radio category between ComEd and Jackson Energy Authority.
Dusquesne Light’s ‘Watt’s For Lunch’ campaign featured an actual metal lunchbox.
How does a company get its message across to a greatly diverse population? Some try humor, involvement, community activism or financial incentive. Others focus their messaging on electric safety, conservation or the environment. Some try desperately to keep out of the mainstream media altogether.
From an advertising standpoint, several California-based companies excelled in the competition. The California Department of Consumer Affairs tied for third place in the marketing portion of the complete campaign category with Northwest Natural Gas. The Tennessee Valley Authority TVA, which claims to have cut its debt by 10 percent, or $2 billion, since 1997, placed second, all in Group A.
Some claim California’s ongoing governor recall is, in part, related to runaway energy bills. The resulting political circus generates media attention and constituent discussions. Hopefully the announcement of billionaire Warren Buffet acting as financial advisor to actor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s campaign will reinforce (or reintroduce) to California politics the seriousness of energy economics and personal responsibility in energy consumption.
Humor in Energy Bills?
Several utilities in other parts of North America successfully tackle spreading their corporate messages using humor. Since all the ads submitted to the contest are displayed on massive panels during the annual competition awards ceremonies, and the full-length winning television and radio ads are played for the entire group, sometimes cheering erupts from the audience for a particularly creative approach to a shared issue.
In the deep South, Entergy made an entertaining series of commercials that featured a quirky but lovable, fix-it neighbor known as Bill. Overly concerned about energy conservation, he drops by neighbor’s homes at any hour to advise on how to use energy more efficiently. In one summertime television commercial, he drops in – literally - from the dining room ceiling, supported by only a harness, during a romantic candlelit dinner for two promoting electric bulb efficiency. Entergy won first place in the marketing portion of the complete campaign contest in Group A.
Entergy introduced ‘Neighbor Bill’ in a few parts of Mississippi in 2002, wrote Checky Herrington, communications manager for Entergy Mississippi, in the July 2003 Mississippi customer newsletter, ‘Entergy Currents’. “He was so popular we decided to expand the campaign this summer.” In 2003, the ads ran on both television and radio, and Bill appeared both in the July bill and on the company’s Internet site.
“It is especially important to get the message out to our low and fixed-income customers because they cannot easily manage a significant change in their energy costs,” said Herrington.
One challenge Entergy faced in commercial development was to find an actor with an appropriate accent to play the Bill character since they needed someone who appealed to a diverse demographic audience. “He needed a to be a real Southern guy,” said Sandra R. Alstadt, Entergy Corp.’s direct of utility communications, who added they didn’t want “too Southern of an accent,” because the character had to also appeal to the metropolitan New Orleans market.
ComEd’s crowd pleasing 60-second radio spot entitled ‘Vacation’ features a soft violin background and a voice similar to Tom Burdett in the classic Motel 6 commercials.
“To help you keep warm this winter,” the folks at ComEd suggested, “try taking the family up to Nova Scotia this winter. It’s pretty much a dreary, frigid wasteland this time of year.” Besides, it continues, “They eat lutefisk up there… And you really don’t need to soak fish in lime. It stinks enough already without sticking it in anything.”
Exhibiting a (tongue-in-cheek?) sensitive side, “And of course if you are a native Nova Scotian, please [don’t complain]. I am sure it is a fine place in the summer and we hear great things about the Halifax dragon boat festival.”
In the end, the commercial advises logging on to ComEd’s web site to “learn things about Chicago and Nova Scotia… Stay Warm.” The underlying message is to promote caulking materials for winterizing a home.
Leave ‘Em Singing
Another clear favorite of an informal pole of advertisers who won other categories was ComEd’s 60-second television spot promoting a special local business. It was described by different attendees as humorous, believable and “definitely quirky”. Some couldn’t remember which utility sponsored it, but they could all remember the details. Some even sang a bit of the song many know as ‘Sleigh Bells Ring’ or ‘Walking in a Winter Wonderland’.
Starting with a clearly off-tune rendering of the familiar words, “Sleigh bells ring. Are you listening?,” the ad opens with multiple shots of an industrial production process, and continues to feature what appear to be three employees crooning in equally challenged, yet altogether endearing, voices. Only when a deep man’s voice sings, “In the meadow, we can build a snowman…” does one realize the photos are depicting an assembly line for large plastic yard snowmen. As the tune continues, the snow creature bodies transform. They are sprayed with texture and the faces, eyes and smiles of the white forms are painted to their familiar, friendly colors. The final action scene shows a satisfied employee testing the internal lights on one snowman after another. This scene is overlaid with the ComEd logo and the phrase, “Proud sponsor of snowmen everywhere.”
It is not known how many additional plastic yard snowmen were sold last winter in the greater Chicago area, but certainly more than a few commuters started singing the catchy song as they passed suburban snowmen.
In the Tennessee Valley Authority’s gold medal single marketing television ad for its Energy Right program, a man opens his (energy) bill, takes a double-take, and then promptly drops it on the floor and runs down the basement steps. “Babe, come here,” he says with a big grin on his face as he approaches his wife, but walks right past her to fully embrace the water heater. With arms outstretched, he hugs, caresses and gently gives it several soft kisses. Obviously they saved money on their electric bill by purchasing it.
Environmental Messaging
Some ads aim for that warm, fuzzy feeling that comes from nature, and from protecting it, embracing it in the district, or adapting or revitalizing an area so it can be enjoyed by many.
The Hauser Group received a ‘best of show’ and two first place awards for ads it created on behalf of Savannah Electric in the single television ad category. Its ‘Animals’ TV spot received a first place and ‘Best of Show’. It’s ‘Everything counts’ received the silver. The winning spots were included in Savannah Electric’s environmental advertising campaign, which also includes billboard ads targeted throughout the Savannah and surrounding coastal Georgia region.
Savannah Electric’s winning television ad features turtles scurrying to ocean, dolphins jumping and diving, and fiddler crabs and sand pipers feeding. The only human is heard and not seen as he provides the following voiceover.
“In a way, animals share a lot in common with us. They go to work everyday, spend time with friends, even manage to get out and shop. And like us, they don’t take well to changes in the way they live… We’re doing something about it. After all, we work hard to make your home comfortable; it’s only fitting we do the same for them. Savannah Electric – we live in the same world you do."
Savannah Electric’s ‘everything adds together’ marsh ad was shot on location around Savannah, Georgia, and pans out from a single blade of grass to encompass the entire marsh teaming with life.
Louisiana-based Cleco, which tied with Wisconsin Public Service for the gold under special booklet or pamphlet, consistently uses environmental messaging.
Customer Service
The Jackson Energy Authority’s 60-second radio ad for water heaters tells the tale of a water heater repairman who showed concern for an elderly customer. It won first place in Group B for a radio commercial.
Late one dark, rainy and stormy night he responded to a repair call after her water heater exploded. He made certain her immediate problem was addressed, and then followed her to her relative’s home to insure her safety on the drive. The ad invokes compassion in the tone of voice by highlighting actual participants. Distinct local flavor is evident by the accents and sentence structure used in recalling the story by both the repairman and the niece of the woman whose water heater had broken.
“It was raining, and my telephone rang, Her water heater had busted in the attic,” started the niece.
“It had her house flooded completely. I felt sorry for her cause she was upset. That was the main problem. The water heater can be fixed, but I just didn’t want to leave her there upset…,” noted the repairman.
The final comment was a message from the company. “Keeping our neighbor’s lives running as smoothly as possible is a full time job. We know you have better things to think about than… Rain or shine, you can rest assured we’re on the job.”
Delivering the Printed Message
Just as not every circus act makes crowds cheer, gasp with amazement or howl with laughter, energy companies have the responsibility of disseminating more traditional company messages to their customers.
Part of the joy of this competition is to witness, first-hand, the variety of messages and images used to accomplish similar tasks. “This year’s creativity was all over board in terms of execution – in terms of how to deliver the message within a budget,” said Southern California Edison’s Basham.
The joy, and sometimes frustration, of the advertisers’ job is that messages differ greatly between regions, and even within single companies depending on the nature of the supply (gas, electricity or water), competitors, customer demographics and/or the status or stagnation of energy restructuring in the area.
Printed materials, bill inserts, annual reports, special booklets and/or pamphlets may provide glimpses of humor, seriousness, genuine interest in events or issues relating to customers that happen to be children, low-income, or of minority or native cultures.
FirstEnergy’s award-winning ad for customer service appears from magazine to billboard sizes. It depicts a frosty photograph of a line worker in a bright cap sporting a seriously weathered and frozen mustache. It reads simply, “We’re out in the cold. So you’re not.”
Both photograph and text are closely related to last year’s message, acknowledged First Energy, yet still pleased the often-critical communications audience and this year’s judges.
FirstEnergy also employed a simple phrase, “So what’s up with this weather?” for a winning newspaper ad. What’s up? “It’s a play on words,” said Timothy Quine, director of advertising for FirstEnergy Corp. The power lines or the repairman on the power poles. “They are the modern-day cowboys,” he said, and are looked up to by what many consider a surprisingly rural customer base of the former Ohio Edison.
As one utility industry advocacy group UCI member astutely noted, “Hey, if it is a good campaign and seems to work, not changing it is actually a good idea. If it ain’t broke…” After all, he noted, “Utility companies are not like other industries that have 50 different ad campaigns.”
Year after year, Northwestern Energy consistently produces one after another strong visual ads teaming with regional or local flavor. In Group B, the company won gold for its series of marketing newspaper ads, and won both gold and silver for its single magazine ads. It was awarded silver honors for the single marketing newspaper ad, and tied for second and won the bronze in the single newspaper ad for image or public relations.
Differences in customer interests within a single organization are visible by comparing and contrasting Dominion’s award-winning double-sided, single-sheet mailing to customers in Ohio and Virginia. The striking graphics were done by the same person for both. Both carry the same message for the ‘extra set of eyes’, a separate but identical shut-off notice sent to a designated third-party prior to curtailing energy. Variations and logical specific regional emphasis varies regarding messages regarding their different climates and regulatory environments.
For the winter 2002 ‘Customer Connection’ Dominion’s emphasis in Ohio was on ‘chasing the chill away’, while in more temperate Virginia, the opening message focused on Virginia choice. Yes, some states are still implementing choice programs, and on January 1, 2003, Virginia Power customers were eligible to choose the company that provided their electricity. The same shivering cartoon mouse appeared on both front pages, but his colorful, striped muffler, green mittens, and fuzzy slippers were displayed much larger and more prominently to Ohio customers.
Ohio’s customer choice program has won backto-back awards with its every day depiction of activities. This past year, across multiple media formats, they featured linemen in homes – cooking eggs, hitting the snooze alarm, or participating as the surprise lead guitarist in a garage band.
Empowering The Powerless
“No one should be powerless” is the caption on the award-winning bill insert sent by UGI Utilities that features a close-up photograph of a contemplative elder woman on the cover. Inside, it reads, “No one should be without electricity.”
UGI Utilities has an older demographic that might not instinctively know they might be eligible for a utility bill assistance program, said Deborah Leuffen, UGI’s manager of marketing communications. “They may be too proud, or they may not think of themselves as low income individuals.” The flier lists income eligibility requirements and encourages them to call for more information.
The company does not normally produce bill inserts in color, but made an exception for this one, she said.
Annual Reports
In the annual report category, Group B winner Tacoma Public Utilities’ cover had no photo, just two colors, yellow and blue, stacked one over the other, respectively. In a year when the content of corporate financial reporting and annual reports received headline and front-page news, this category deserves added emphasis. There is a unique art form to combining composition, content, placement of items and graphic representations along with hard-core yet ‘transparent’ financial reporting.
Sponsorships
Everybody loves a winner. Southern California Edison won with its “Energy Conservation is Always in Season” campaign. The Anaheim Angels players delivered the message on radio and television. After the 9/11 disaster caused food banks to nearly go dry, they teamed with a community food bank and rewarded food and cash contributions with a voucher good for a free ticket to a weekend game to watch the Angels play. Coincidently, the team won the World Series that year. Basham conservatively estimated the program generated more than 1/2 billion impressions of the Edison International (the ball park carries the company’s name) on a global basis.
Canada’s Manitoba Hydro received a Bronze award for its sponsorship of the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards (NAAA) to recognize career achievement by Aboriginal professionals in diverse occupations. The awards were established as a way to build self-esteem and pride for the Aboriginal community, and to provide role models for Aboriginal youth.
Manitoba Hydro’s sponsorship & promotions department decided to leverage its sponsorship of the NAAA by holding a Creativity Contest and inviting Aboriginal students in Grades 10-12 to participate. The goal of the contest was to inspire Aboriginal youth to “Follow the Path of a Dream”. Visuals for the promotion included images of traditional dream catchers. The winners (and their adult escorts) attended the NCAA ceremony in Winnipeg.
Black Hills Power (BHP), an electric utility with fewer than 60,000 customers serving western South Dakota, northeastern Wyoming and southeastern Montana, brought home two first-place and one second-place awards. It won both first and second places for the Sponsorships category in Group B. Northwest Energy placed third.
The first place entry was for “Black Hills Power Station,” a train depot BHP had built at Storybook Island in Rapid City. Nicole Schrubb, a BHP public relations associate designed the winning collateral communications materials. Sponsorship second place was awarded for “Wildlife Experiences,” a conservation and education program delivered by Melissa Horton to area schools. Collateral materials were also designed by Nicole Schrubb.
Potpourri
BHP also took first place in the final competition category, the anything-goes potpourri with a display of Black Hills Power’s (BHP’s) history. Designed by Mutch Usera, BHP’s marketing and economic development manager, the project was associated with “Yesterday’s Tomorrows,” a Smithsonian Institute exhibit hosted by Deadwood, Belle Fourche, and Hill City.
Buckeye Power and Mississippi Power were awarded the other two Group B honors. In Group A, the potpourri winners were, in order, Pacific Gas & Electric, a tie for second between San Diego Gas & Electric and Dominion Resource Services, and Salt River Project.
Creativity is Contagious
There is a certain amount of expected adaptation of a particular concept by other companies. As long as the two company territories are not contiguous or arch competitors, candid discussions and open suggestions flow relatively freely. Attending a highly charged gathering of talented, creative minds definitely pays forward dividends.
About the Author
Linda K. Rader is president of Rader Energy, a Houston-based energy consultancy specializing in contract negotiations for natural gas or gas-to-power supply and transportation, in competitive corporate strategies, and in best practices. She founded and runs the ‘Key Women in Energy’ program on both global and Americas (western hemisphere), www.keywomeninenergy.com, ‘Key Players in Energy Information Technology’ and (new for 2003) ‘Key Leaders in Energy Supply’. She may be reached at raderenergy@att.net or (713) 960-0001.
COMPLETE CAMPAIGN
Image or Public Relations
| Group A | |
| Gold | American Electric Power |
| Silver | Alliant Energy |
| Bronze | Salt River Project |
| Group B | |
| Gold | Mississippi Power |
| Silver | Buckeye Power |
| Bronze | Savannah Electric |
Marketing
| Group A | |
| Gold | Entergy Services, Inc. |
| Silver | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| Bronze(Tie) | Northwest Natural Gas California Department of Consumer Affairs |
| Group B | |
| Gold | City Utilities |
| Silver | City Utilities |
| Bronze | Mississippi Power |
NEWSPAPER
Best of Show – Newspaper
Salt River Project
Single Newspaper Ad – Image or Public Relations
| Group A | |
| Gold | First Energy |
| Silver | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| Bronze | Salt River Project |
| Group B | |
| Gold | Mississippi Power |
| Silver (Tie) | Mississippi Power NorthWestern Energy |
| Bronze | NorthWestern Energy |
Single Newspaper Ad - Marketing
| Group A | |
| Gold | NW Natural |
| Silver | Dominion |
| Bronze | Salt River Project |
| Group B | |
| Gold | Buckeye Power |
| Silver | NorthWestern Energy |
| Bronze | City Utilities |
Series of Newspaper Ads – Image or Public Relations
| Group A | |
| Gold | Arizona Public Service |
| Silver | Salt River Project |
| Bronze | LG&E |
| Group B | |
| Gold | Savannah Electric |
| Silver | Mississippi Power |
| Bronze | UGI Utilities |
Series of Newspaper Ads – Marketing
| Group A | |
| Gold | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| Silver | NW Natural |
| Bronze | Entergy |
| Group B | |
| Gold | NorthWestern Energy |
| Silver | Mississippi Power |
| Bronze | Buckeye Power |
Magazine – Single Magazine Ad
| Group A | |
| Gold | First Energy |
| Silver | Arizona Public Service |
| Bronze | Allagasco |
| Group B | |
| Gold | NorthWestern Energy |
| Silver | NorthWestern Energy |
| Bronze | Buckeye Power |
RADIO
Best of Show – Radio
| (Tie) | Jackson Energy Authority ComEd |
Radio Commercial
| Group A | |
| Gold | ComEd |
| Silver | Southern California Edison |
| Bronze | Salt River Project |
| Awards as taken from: www.uci-online.com | |
| Group B | |
| Gold | Jackson Energy Authority |
| Silver | Mississippi Power |
| Bronze(Tie) | Wisconsin Public Service Buckeye Power |
TELEVISION
Best of Show – Television
Savannah Electric
Single Television Ad – Image or Public Relations
| Group A | |
| Gold | ComEd |
| Silver | Pacific Gas & Electric |
| Bronze | Arizona Public Service |
| Group B | |
| Gold | Savannah Electric |
| Silver | Savannah Electric |
| Bronze | Gulf Power |
Single Television Ad – Marketing
| Group A | |
| Gold | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| Silver | MidAmerican Energy |
| Bronze | Pacific Gas & Electric |
| Group B | |
| Gold | Wisconsin Public Service |
| Silver | Salt River Project |
| Bronze | Gulf Power |
Best of Show - Print
Dusquesne Light
Printed Pieces – Bill Insert
| Group A | |
| Gold | Dominion East Ohio |
| Silver(Tie) | Entergy Services Dominion Virginia Power |
| Bronze | Salt River Project |
| Group B | |
| Gold | UGI Utilities |
| Silver | Wisconsin Public Services |
| Bronze | Jackson Energy |
Printed Pieces – Direct Mail
| Group A | |
| Gold | Dusquesne Light |
| Silver | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| Bronze(tie) | Cinergy NW Natural |
| Group B | |
| Gold | Wisconsin Public Service |
| Silver | Mississippi Power |
| Bronze | UGI Utilities |
Printed Pieces – Special Booklet or Pamphlet
| Group A | |
| Gold | Salt River Project |
| Silver | San Diego Gas & Electric |
| Bronze | Entergy |
| Group B | |
| Gold(Tie) | Wisconsin Public Service Cleco |
| Silver | Wisconsin Public Service |
| Bronze | Gulf Power |
Printed Pieces – Annual Report
| Group A | |
| Gold | APS/Pinnacle West |
| Silver | Salt River Project |
| Bronze | Avista Corp. |
| Group B | |
| Gold | Tacoma Public Utilities |
Employee Communications – Printed Piece
| Group A | |
| Gold | Arizona Public Service |
| Silver | ComEd |
| Bronze | ComEd |
| Group B | |
| Gold | Cleco |
| Silver | Idaho Power |
| Bronze | UGI |
Internet Site
| Group A | |
| Gold | Pacific Gas & Electric |
| Silver | Pinnacle West, parent Co. of APS |
| Bronze | Dominion Resource Services |
| Group B | |
| Gold | Gulf Power |
| Silver | Idaho Power |
| Bronze | Wisconsin Public Service |
SPONSORSHIPS
| Group A | |
| Gold | Southern California Edison |
| Silver | Salt River Project |
| Bronze | Manitoba Hydro |
| Group B | |
| Gold | Black Hills Power |
| Silver | Black Hills Power |
| Bronze | Northwest Energy |
POTPOURRI
| Group A | |
| Gold | Pacific Gas & Electric |
| Silver(tie) | San Diego Gas & Electric Dominion Resource Services |
| Bronze | Salt River Project |
| Group B | |
| Gold | Black Hills Power |
| Silver | Buckeye Power |
| Bronze | Mississippi Power |
