Overview
Washington State's oldest local energy utility, Puget Sound Energy (PSE), aimed to create a deeper relationship with its customers and become their most trusted energy efficiency resource. As a result, PSE and Colehour+Cohen developed PSE's "Rock the Bulb" campaign, which included weekend bulb exchange events, a vast door-to-door CFL bulb distribution effort, and an energy-efficiency contest. PSE exceeded its bulb distribution goal by 28 percent – topping 511,500 CFL bulbs. Once installed, these bulbs saved more than 118.3 million kWh of electricity and 130 million lbs of greenhouse gas emissions, equal to taking more than 10,800 cars off the road.
Research (answer one)
• Discuss the value of determining the pros and cons of previous energy programs (CFL distribution.)
• What types of questions would be used on the customer survey to determine attitudes, beliefs, and current energy efficiency?
• What differences could exist in terms of energy use and geography?
Objectives (answer one)
• Discuss the value of each objective.
• How effective are contests to encourage energy conservation?
• Connect the "goals" and the campaign "objectives" to show the importance of each element.
Programming (answer one)
• Discuss the value of the Rock the Bulb Tour and 32 events.
• What else could be included in the "Be an Energy Star Contest?
• Discuss the usefulness of a "publicity website" for a campaign.
• Discuss the social media "Golden Bulb" promotion.
• Discuss the sequence of news advisories and news releases that started and provided updates on the campaign.
• What was the value of using Boys and Girls Club members at the ENERGY STAR Exhibit House?
Evaluation (answer one)
• Discuss each objective and the evaluation measures used by the campaign.
• For a local campaign, how could the effort yield 4.8 million media impressions?
• Discuss the importance of the post-campaign customer survey.
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Case 6-2 The New UTC: Building Community Support for a $1 Billion Shopping Expansion and Revitalization
Overview
Southwest Strategies (SWS) was hired by Westfield Corporation to develop a community relations program to advocate the public and develop build support for the company's proposed $1 billion expansion and renovation of its UTC shopping center in San Diego. To proceed, Westfield needed to secure a vote of approval from the San Diego City Council. The project, dubbed The New UTC, would add three new department stores, 150 specialty shops, up to eight new restaurants, two food courts, a new 14 screen movie theater, a $22 million transit center, 10 acres of solar power on parking garages and 250 housing units to the existing site. The New UTC would be one of the largest privately financed development projects in the history of San Diego.
Research (answer one)
• Discuss the elements in the "comprehensive research program" to better identify potential messages.
• Who should have been included in the focus groups for the campaign?
• Discuss the value of the parent survey concerning the playground.
Objectives
• How could the objectives be better framed?
Programming (answer one)
• How would you structure the presentations for the community (50 conducted)?
• Discuss the importance of strategic partnerships and how they can be developed.
• How did the community relations and media relations campaigns support each other?
Evaluation (answer one)
• Notice that results centered around the vote by the city council.
• Discuss the role of each of the campaign elements in the effectiveness of the campaign.
Case 6-3 Spike & Biscuit Rebrand for the Charleston Animal Society
Overview
Sample Solution