Case Study:   Demand Reponse Volunteer Recruitment, Mason County PUD#3

Situation Analysis:  Mason County PUD #3 is a leader and innovator in electricity use.    They were selected to be the first in the nation to coordinate home energy use with renewable wind power generation.  The goal of the study is to stabilize electricity rates by maximizing the use of available renewable energy.   For the program, they needed to gather 100 volunteers to test the technology.   Mason County PUD #3 had run newspaper ads generating a few phone calls but nothing near the minimum 100 participants that were required. 

Solution:  Mason County PUD #3 called Goldstreet Designs.  After reviewing the situation, Goldstreet recommended a custom designed direct mail piece with a simplified message.  The direct mail piece featured the appeal of renewable energy with enticing photography and simple messaging. The piece also included a tear off return mail form with necessary information allowing the customer service department to easily verify if the customer qualified for the program.   The mailer was sent to 2000 customers with the hopes of generating the 100 volunteers needed.   A successful direct mail piece generates a 3% return or 60 qualified volunteers.  Mason County PUD #3’s objective was to get volunteers as quickly as possible so they could start installs of the test programs, but were prepared to partake in additional communications if needed to get the necessary numbers. 

Results:   No need for additional communications.  The demand response mailer generated a 7% response rate of nearly 150; more than enough for their program to get started.   Customers called in with enlightened questions. There were no complaints or frustration over the program concept, just interested customers wanting to take part in a groundbreaking program.  These results are another example of strategic planning and experience in effective communications.   Mason County PUD #3’s brand is strengthened with messaging of their innovative leadership and customers are eager to support their locally owned PUD.  

CASE STUDY:  Home Heating Guide, Northwest Regional Group (NRG)

Situation Analysis: The Northwest Regional Group is a non-profit group of leaders in the electric industry. They come together to discuss issues, share solutions and come up with new strategies of addressing important priorities. One core topic for them is educating customers on the differences in home heating systems as well as providing the latest information on new systems and offerings. Older materials being used were complicated and out of date. Utlities are a resource for their customers and as a resource, utilities need to provide current and easily understood information.

Solution: Goldstreet worked closely with members of NRG to develop a Home Heating Guide with detailed yet very clearly laid out descriptions of types of systems, illustrations and facts of when each system may be best used. Photography, icons and illustrations that clearly show what each system is, how they work within a home and tips on how to use each system most efficiently. A comparison chart was also developed so consumers can easily see what advantages and disadvantages may be present in each type of home heating system.

Results: The end result is a home heating guide that is endorsed by a group of nearly 50 utilities. Utilities around the Northwest are utilizing this resource so their customers can have the information that is most important to them at their fingertips at all time. Better yet, they understand the material and are taking action with the information presented. Quality communications make a difference and the NRG Home Heating Guide is an example of successful quality communications.

Situation Analysis:  Idaho Falls Power (IFP) was up against an amendment to the Idaho State Constitution that would result in how they negotiated long term power contracts.  To simplify, what has been considered ordinary and necessary was now in question as to whether it was ‘necessary’ and the result was potential higher costs to IFP as they would have to take power contracts to voters slowing the down the process and potentially resulting in missing out on long term contracts which help keep power costs low.   The other difficulty is that this only applied to municipal electric companies which are centered in Idaho Falls but the entire state needed to vote a majority on the issue.   Plus, IFP could not advocate one way or the other on the amendment; they could only educate.   

Solution:  IFP turned to Goldstreet for strategic planning and development a campaign and messaging to educate the Idaho Falls community.  After careful consideration, Goldstreet and IFP launched the Straight Talk with IFP campaign.   A logo was created and Get to Know HJR7 (House Joint Resolution 7) was developed.   Straight Talk offered just that…straight talk, facts, about the issues that were important to residents and customers.  Bright colors, simple messaging and materials for multiple mediums (web, newspaper, billboard, rack cards, handouts) were created.  The design and content was also made available to other power companies across Idaho so there was a unified message throughout the state.     This saved other electric companies money and also provided a recognizable brand statewide.    

Grassroots efforts were planned and executed while privately held companies launched their own communications advocating for the cause.  

Results:    HJR7 passed allowing IFP to continue negotiating long term electric contracts for their customers saving them money over time in electricity rates!    Strategic planning, budgeting and development of clear effective communications  by Goldstreet Designs lead to long term benefit for the customers of IFP. 

  
Drinking Water

CASE STUDY:  Water Quality Report, City of Lacey, WA

Situation Analysis:  The City of Lacey invests time and energy into their water quality report each year. To be efficient, Lacey decided they wanted to tackle the topic of water conservation along with water quality. The concept was to promote their watering program city wide which requires alternate day watering of lawns throughout the year. They also wanted to offer free conservation tool kits and products to residents so they can save water and money throughout the year.

Solution:  Goldstreet Designs worked closely with Lacey and proposed a unique layout and communication style to increase readership. Goldstreet also designed magnets with information on proper watering days for Lacey residents. The branding of the magnet was carried through into the water quality report so residents could easly connect with the information and recognize the information.  The water conservation products were presented in a clip coupon format attracting attention to the offerings. 

Results:  The results were staggering. The day after the water quality reports arrived in mailboxes, there was a line waiting to receive water conservation products. What supplied the City in previous years for an entire year, was distributed within a week. In fact, 3 - 4 times the amount of tools were distributed in two weeks than in all 2009. This success was unprecedented in Lacey. Plus, with the distribution of the water conservation tools to customers, Lacey could directly corelate water savings to this program and can easily see the results in water useage.   And that they did...

Lacey Water Resource Manager Erin Keith shared the specific results, "After calculating the water saving items that were given out in response to the CCR this year and calculating the water savings associated with each item, we can assume that the CCR helped Lacey water customers save 13.9 million gallons of water per year!"  This calculates to about a .5% savings of water per year, all because of effective communications. 

Wastewater  

CASE STUDY:  City of Seattle Fights F.O.G.

Situation Analysis: Seattle Public Works provides a reliable water supply to more than 1.3 million customers in King County while also providing essential sewer, drainage and solid waste service to City of Seattle customers. The City’s focus has remained on offering the highest standard of quality and care with service and overall water products.

There had been discussion but not concerted effort towards communicating with consumers on certain education outreach opportunities. One core area that was of interest to the City was Fats, Oils, and Grease in commercial entities and residential households. Throughout the City, more and more fats, oils and grease were being found in the sewer lines causing backflow issues and often costing the City or building owners thousands of dollars. It's estimated that 544,000 gallons of grease slip down Seattle's drains each month, enough to fill seven large swimming pools. Most of it comes from dirty dishes and food waste, and it's a problem. There are also over 4000 restaurants in the Seattle area and the amount of monitoring and educational outreach for inspectors was limited.

Seattle takes pride in the diversity, culture and workings of the city but needed a way to communicate to residents, restaurants, other businesses and their employees about the importance of taking proper care of disposing of Fats, Oils, and Grease. Improper disposal costs thousands of tax payer dollars in clean up of backflow and waste in the sewer systems. In fact, nearly 150 clogs and back-ups were confirmed between 2003 and 2009. Each time a city crew has to clean out the pipes, it costs about $1,500, according to SPU. Doing the math, that's about $220,000 for the 147 back-ups. That doesn't include claims filed by utility customers who experience sewer back-ups, or lost revenue when the Health Department shuts down restaurants due to sewer backs-up. The city also estimates that 30% of those back up can be easily prevented.

Solution: Goldstreet evaluated the demographics and facts of the situation throughout Seattle, and with research developed communication/education for best practices of preventing sewer back-ups from Fats, Oils, and Grease. The F.O.G. Monsters brand the issues Seattle was facing and allows commercial and residential customers to learn the facts through straight forward easy to act on tips. The F.O.G. Monsters are not scary, cross demographics of kids and adults, and create an icon to associate with the ‘issue’, therefore allowing residential and commercial customers alike to connect and learn about Fats, Oils and grease.

Commercial Brochures and Posters were translated into six languages and printed on UV protected paper for easy use and display over sinks and drains in commercial areas. Separate residential brochures were created with specific tips on keeping pipes and sewers clear at home. Truck stickers were placed on City vehicles promoting the Fight F.O.G. message allowing the clarity and simplicity of the message to speak to residents while front line workers are out dealing with the Fats, Oils, and Grease that are already in the sewer systems. The stickers allow both residential and commercial customers to connect the trucks and work crews to the materials they see/received at home and work, therefore maximizing the opportunity for outreach.

Results: Shortly after launching the program and displaying the stickers on the City trucks, FOX news featured the Fight F.O.G. campaign on channel 13 in Seattle. The in-depth story explained the issues in the sewer systems and discussed the goals of education outreach with employees. The story was then picked up by USA today and internationally based on the clear, concise communication and strong branding message of Fight F.O.G. The City of Seattle has received incredible response with the materials and has seen more effort and communication within the commercial and residential customers regarding this issue…Goldstreet’s solution was exactly what the City was looking for. Seattle PI story received 26,000 hits by 9 am when similar stories average around 5000 total for the stories life.

Months later, the communication between Seattle and residents continues to grow as more residents respond and take action.

CASE STUDY:  SW Suburban Sewer District Case Study: Bill inserts

Situation Analysis: SW Suburban Sewer District is dedicated to preserving the purity of the environment for residents and water customers living in their district which covers ten square mile region of King County, Washington. The system is a tributary to the District’s two treatment plants at the north and south and consists of 288 miles of pipeline within these two drainage basins. That’s a lot of pipeline and a lot of consumers to communicate with and serve.

People are busy and are being bombarded with thousands of marketing communications every day if not every hour! SW Suburban recognized this challenge and wanted to not just send out communications but wanted to send effective communications that their consumers would actually take the time to read and act upon. One focused area of opportunity was in their billing system because consumers ‘always’ open their bills, but they were not reading or at least not giving any indication of reading any of the inserts that had previously been included in their bills.

Solution: Goldstreet researched and evaluated the core issues and opportunities for educational outreach to the SW Suburban consumer. One area of high interest for the Sewer District was proper disposal of Fats, Oils and Grease in homes. Improper disposal can create clogged sewer lines, contaminated water, and thousands of dollars in expense in clean up to homeowners.

The Fight F.O.G. bill insert was developed to attract attention, entice readership and provide simple clear educational information on Fats, Oils and Grease. Best practices were researched and carefully chosen. The result was 5 simple tips to do at home to prevent sewer clogs, back-ups and spills. The insert was a front and back single insert with the F.O.G. monsters on the front and the tips on the back.

Results: There was no need to mark the calendar for when the inserts would be placed in consumers’ mailboxes because it was evident with phone calls. Yes, the goal was to generate readership and interest, and the bill insert did just that. Better yet, the phone calls were not consumers in fear of back-ups, nor were they confused or angry by the insert and its’ information. Instead they had quality questions and appreciation for the materials and shared their personal examples of how they were properly disposing of their Fats, Oils, and Grease.

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Stormwater

Municipalities

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