Shining a light on financial assistance for those in need
In the summer of 2023, Omaha Public Power District (OPPD), a public utility provider, wanted to raise awareness of its financial assistance programs and educate customers on how individuals could apply for much-needed help.
The programs varied in scope and purpose, including bill reduction, energy efficiency upgrades, emergency bill assistance, and payment plans, but each shared the common goal of easing the financial burden for OPPD’s customers. So Bozell helped create a “Financial Assistance” campaign that featured all assistance programs, rather than creating four individual campaigns targeted to the same customers.
Insights
With OPPD’s audience data in hand, we developed audience personas and identified the most effective methods of reaching each group. As part of our concepting, we knew sensitivity was key when crafting messaging that would appeal to individuals experiencing financial hardship.
And while we set out to create an engaging, effective campaign that reached OPPD’s customers, we needed to do so without talking down to them. And it needed a clear, approachable call to action that would make it obvious how customers could access these valuable assistance programs.
Execution
To craft an attention-grabbing campaign that exuded positivity, we created messaging that spoke to the impact of OPPD’s financial assistance programs. The idea was that, by alleviating some financial burden, OPPD could help its customers focus more on the things that matter and bring them joy in life. “Unlock brighter outcomes” became the campaign name and CTA.
To promote the assistance programs, we created the following deliverables:
- Landing page
- Bus wrap
- Digital ads
- Social media ads
- Search ads
- Bill inserts
- Direct mailer
The Brighter Outcomes campaign relied on clear, simple messaging to speak directly to those struggling to pay their bills and provided a clear call to action for audiences. Imagery featured a diverse array of customers, which matched OPPD’s audience persona data, and depicted them in happy, everyday scenarios.
To make the deliverables visually appealing, we drew inspiration from OPPD’s existing brand colors, so the ads would be recognizable to OPPD customers. We also added eye-catching design elements like a hand-drawn light bulb shining directly on the subjects in the ad.
On physical collateral, such as the bus wrap and bill inserts, we added a scannable QR code, which made it easy for viewers to navigate to the landing page and find the program that would best fit their needs.
And because a large majority of the OPPD customers in need are Spanish speakers, we translated all materials to better serve the full scope of the OPPD community.
Results
The campaign was well-received by stakeholders within OPPD, as well as customers, who flocked to the new landing page to apply for financial assistance. In total, the campaign achieved:
- More than one million impressions in the Omaha metro area
- 8,000+ clicks on the OPPD landing page
