Business Communications: Marketing 101 for Municipalities, Cooperatives and IOUs

June 24-25, 2019 | Denver,CO ::

0619-business-communications

What do electric utilities and dinosaurs have in common? Fossil fuels? No. They are not considered particularly relevant or interesting in today’s world. They should be! Electric providers are a vital service that our modern society simply cannot function without. They have a rich history and a pioneering spirit that is to be admired. Coops, municipalities, and IOUs are a solid economic driver within the communities they serve. Marketing with the right message is key to becoming a trusted community partner.

This course will identify how to engage with the community and tell the power provider story that will catalyze a positive organizational view both internally and externally. These marketing tools will help to provide internal brand champions that lead to an improved strategy for customer engagement. During the course we will also discuss an overview of how blockchain could impact the marketplace for power and consumers, and in-turn the face of marketing.

It is time to tell the story of electricity in a new, engaging way. It is time to be excited about what electricity brings to our urban and rural areas.

“We need to treat our members and consumers like they have a choice — eventually they might.” Learn to tell your cooperative, muni or IOU story in a way that brings value and connection to your members, consumers and community. Electric utilities should be an active and vital pillar of service and economic development within their communities.

Add shiny, new tools to your toolkit that help to provide relevant connection, useful information, and renewed trust and belief in your organization.

• Branding or rebranding
• Marketing strategy
• Marketing deployment timeline
• Deliverables
• Vehicles of deployment – social media, tangible assets, events.

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Learning Outcomes

• Basic concepts of branding and messaging
• Basics of SWOT analysis
• Basic concepts of a strategic marketing plan
• Basic concepts of marketing timelines, deliverables, and deployment
• Identifying unique marketing opportunities and community collaboration
• Better understanding of content and communication channels

Credits

EUCI is accredited by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard. IACET is recognized internationally as a standard development organization and accrediting body that promotes quality of continuing education and training.

EUCI is authorized by IACET to offer 1.0 CEUs for this event.

 

Instructional Methods

This program will use PowerPoint Presentations, group discussions, as well as active participation.

Requirements for a Successful Completion of Program

Participants must sign in/out each day and be in attendance for the entirety of the course to be eligible for continuing education credit.

Monday, June 24, 2019

8:00 – 8:30 a.m. :: Registration and Continental Breakfast

8:30  – 9:30 a.m. :: Building a Brand – Introduction to Campaign Management

• Brand building exercise – identify pillars and determine direction
• SWOT analysis exercise
• Timeline creation
• User personas

9:30  – 10:30 a.m. :: Case Study:: Generating Leads and how to Connect with a Supplier in a Deregulated Market – Magic Valley Cooperative

Magic Valley is a power cooperative in a deregulated market. Competition forces our organization to approach sales and connections differently than the rest of the industry. That competition poses major challenges for our marketing and business development teams, such as specifying where we can and cannot provide service and differentiating between cooperative and local municipal providers. We have found success by focusing on relationships with local developers and championing relationships with larger, national companies.

Abraham Quiroga, Business & Employee Development Division Manager, Magic Valley Cooperative

10:30  – 10:45 a.m. :: Morning Break

10:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. :: Case Study :: Spreading the Word – How Content Marketing Boosts Interest and Engagement — Tri-State G&T

• Content creation
  • On-site events
  • Videos – find interesting events, show your users where their money goes and the day to day activities of the organization
• Internal and external links — brand champions, messaging
• Infographics
• Promotion
  • Email
  • Social media
• Website management
• Testimonials

Morgan Richardson, Marketing and Social Media Coordinator – Corporate Communications, Tri-State Generation and Transmission

12:00  – 1:00 p.m. :: Group Luncheon

1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. :: Email Marketing

• Vehicles – Constant contact
• Audience
• Automation/ CRM management
• Open rates
• Subject lines
• CTA
• Graphics

2:30  – 3:00 p.m. :: Afternoon Break

3:00  – 4:30 p.m. :: Reaching the Masses – How to Use Social Media to Boost Customer Engagement

• Channels
• Automation

4:30  – 5:00 p.m. :: Case Study :: Outage Updates – TextPower

TextPower provides text messaging (SMS) solutions for mission-critical applications ranging from immediate communications with customers/staff to high security authentication of users. The company’s geo-redundant, clustered server configuration has had a 99.997% uptime rate since 2009. Utilities of all sizes and locations around the country are using TextPower’s SmartAlerts™ system to keep customers informed about outages, payments, conservation and much more.

Mark Nielsen, Chairman, TextPower

Tuesday, June 25, 2019

8:00 – 8:30 a.m. Continental Breakfast

8:30  – 9:15 a.m. :: Public Relations

• Government collaboration
• Media relations
• Press releases

9:15  – 10:00 a.m. Case Study :: Communicating in the New Energy Future — Xcel Energy

Much of Xcel Energy’s messaging is based around the understanding that our consumers have many options now for how they receive their energy. In 2016, we began with communications on “Our Energy Future” campaign. That theme has been woven throughout our strategy over the past few years and it has advanced our strategy messaging for the future.

Channing Evans and Jaclyn Webb, Customer Solutions/Marketing Department, Xcel Energy

10:00  – 10:15 a.m. :: Morning Break

10:15 – 11:00 a.m. :: Connecting with the Community – Utilize Events and Outreach to Evolve Customer Experience

• Giving back
• Community engagement
• Event management
• Event follow up

11:00  – 11:45 a.m. :: Case Studies

11:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. :: Wrap up & Adjourn

Channing Evans, Customer Solutions/Marketing Department, Xcel Energy

Channing is a Communications Consultant for Xcel Energy, a regulated electric and natural gas utility that provides reliable, safe energy to business and residential customers in eight states. In her role, Channing develops the marketing and communications strategy for several energy-efficiency and renewable energy programs that help customers save money on their energy bills. She holds a BFA in Communication Arts from Long Island University and an MA in Communication from Regis University.

Mark Nielsen, Chairman, TextPower

Mark Nielsen is a 30-year veteran of the software and wireless industries and has run software companies for the past 25 years. He is the CEO of Wireless 21, Inc.; a consulting company focused on business development and advisory services to a wide range of technology companies. Mr. Nielsen is also on the Executive Committee of Tech Coast Angels, Southern California‘s largest angel investing network, and is an advisory board member for Frost Ventures Fund II as well as Ventana Capital. He is the past Mayor of San Juan Capistrano and a former City Council member, where he also served as a director of the City’s utility operation. During his tenure on the City Council, Nielsen also served as a director of the Orange County Fire Authority. He currently is Vice-Chair and Treasurer of the Pacific Symphony.

Andrea Oaks-Jaramillo, Marketing and Economic Development Coordinator, San Luis Valley REC

Andrea Oaks-Jaramillo is the Marketing and Economic Development Coordinator for San Luis Valley REC. She has an MBA in Leadership from Adams State University (which she obtained after discovering the starving artist track was not for her.) She serves as the Upper Rio Grande Economic Development Vice President and serves on the San Luis Valley Housing Coalition Board. Andrea is also an active member of the Valley Initiative Partners (VIP) whose mission has been to create a comprehensive brand for the region. She has also worked with Adams State University and Trinidad State Junior College to help facilitate the recent SLV Economic Development Summits.

Andrea has been with San Luis Valley REC for five years and is passionate about helping to build a thriving economy in rural Southern Colorado. She believes that cooperative values are defined in the relationships of the people and the land of this area.

Abraham Quiroga, Magic Valley Cooperative

 

Morgan Richards, Marketing and Social Media Coordinator – Corporate Communications, Tri-State Generation and Transmission

Morgan is a multi-channel, digital maven at Tri-State G&T, a rural electric cooperative supplying power to more than 1 million people in 4 states. Morgan also had the honor of serving our 43 members who power the rural West. This may include escorting Power the robot, waving in parades, climbing wind turbines and hosting ribbon cuttings in solar fields.

Prior to finding her co-op family, Morgan worked 15+ years crafting web and email experiences at: Children’s Hospital Colorado, a privately-held internet retailer, a niche marketing agency and a subsidiary of SunAmerica.

Jaclyn Webb, Customer Solutions/Marketing Department, Xcel Energy

Jaclyn Webb is a Product Portfolio Manager at Xcel Energy, a major electricity and natural gas company recognized as an industry leader in delivering renewable energy and reducing carbon emissions while providing safe, reliable power to millions of Americans across eight states. Jaclyn is responsible for the management, marketing and promotion, and evolving product strategy the utility’s voluntary green energy programs. Jaclyn has over 13 years of experience in renewable energy, energy efficiency and strategic marketing. She holds a BS in Consumer Communications from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

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Business Communications: Marketing 101 for Municipalities, Cooperatives and IOUs

June 24-25, 2019 | Denver,CO