Supercharging OPPD’s Community Engagement Efforts
In 2022, Bozell helped electric utility company Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) launch the Greener Together Program—a customer-fueled endeavor to fund renewable energy projects, neighborhood improvements, and other green initiatives throughout the OPPD service footprint.
Insights
With a rate hike in its near future and interest in sustainability efforts on the rise, OPPD knew the moment was right to remind its customers of the positive impacts the utility has on the community. At the same time, they wanted to give back and help fund green initiatives that were important to its customers.
By utilizing a voting mechanism to gauge interest in new projects, Greener Together invited OPPD customers to become active participants in their communities – a first-of-its-kind program for the utility.
Execution
To start the initiative, we utilized a naming and logo convention that we created specifically for OPPD products and services, landing on the “Greener Together Program” – a simple, conversational naming solution that clearly indicates that the program is centered around green initiatives and is made up of a collective of OPPD customers.
From there, we followed brand standards we set in place for all OPPD products and services, giving the program a look and feel consistent with the other programs but unique to its offering. Sustainability iconography, like wind turbines, energy-efficient bulbs and elements of nature, were used to create an eye-catching pattern that would pique customer interest, as well as imply the intent behind the program.
Participation in the program was simple: By contributing a small amount each month – $10 or less – customers could play a vital role in building a greener community. So we first created a landing page explaining the different levels of membership, as well as the perks and benefits of becoming a member of the program.
From there, we used target personas – based on demographic information provided by the utility – to design engaging collateral that would help educate customers about the program and urge them to participate. Deliverables included search ads, postcards, a tri-fold brochure, emails, paid and organic social ads, bill inserts, pull-up banners, and program merchandise, including Greener Together-branded shirts, bags, and reusable water bottles. Plus, many materials included a QR Code for quick access to sign up.
Results
The reception to Greener Together was better than we could have hoped. Initial feedback on the launch indicated that participants were excited to vote for new projects and help spur positive changes in their communities.
Customers were excited to interact with this campaign, with more than half a million impressions on search and social combined – an overall increase from 2022 by 100%.
In the year of its launch, OPPD successfully raised more than $136,000 to fund three projects. The following year, the utility introduced two large-scale community solar projects and raised $145,000.
