As Wiregrass Electric Cooperative (WEC) moved toward 2008, their organization faced significant communications challenges. A WEC 2005 member satisfaction survey conveyed the following:

• •  Only 72% of members felt they received good value for their money. 
• •  Overall customer satisfaction was at 84%. This was a 12% decrease in satisfaction from the previous 2003 survey. 
• •  Only 74% of members considered their cooperative to be a technologically advanced utility.

WordSouth placed priority on these three issues as we shaped a communications campaign to address the needs of our client. Our first goal was to demonstrate to WEC customers through diverse means of communications that they were getting a very good value for their money. We sought to educate members about rising energy costs and the ways that rate increases were affected by events — globally, nationally and locally. We aimed to show them areas in which their cooperative saved money, where member money was going and how we could help our customers manage energy use to lower individual energy costs.

Secondly, we sought to raise overall customer satisfaction by demonstrating the many benefits of WEC membership that go beyond simply providing power. Our goal was to highlight, through a broad dissemination of communications, the many existing and new programs that bring customers reliable service at a reasonable price.

Finally, we sought to display the high level of technology employed by WEC. We planned to show members that we are on the cutting edge of technology and are continuing that trend with plans for future technological advancement. We planned to accomplish this by emphasizing ways that technology investment has positively impacted members in the past and present. We also aimed to convey that members would continue to benefit as we invest in future technology.

OUR CAMPAIGN

We took a multi-faceted approach to help WEC reach these goals while providing their customers with the same level of communications they were accustomed to receiving. Our plan included the following elements:

• Alabama Living Magazine — Throughout the year, we used the local pages of the statewide association’s magazine to educate members about rising energy costs, keep members up-to-date regarding ongoing technology projects and better familiarize the customer base with the many beneficial programs and services offered by WEC. We used Q&A’s, feature articles, brief updates and display ads to further discuss these issues.

• Direct Mail — In July, we helped WEC introduce the new Co-op Connections Card Program. WEC mailed members these discount cards, along with a letter from WEC CEO, and a brochure describing this exciting new free member benefit offering discounts from several local businesses and pharmacies.

• Bill Inserts — We used the cost-effective bill insert a number of times throughout the year to communicate various aspects of WEC's program. We placed special emphasis on new technology and programs that make it easier for members to do business with WEC. 

Subjects included:

1. •  The WEC paperless E-bill program, a service allowing customers to receive their bills via email
2. •  The WEC Update, a video update that can be viewed on the WEC website
3. •  The H20 program, a free program that helps members cut down on energy costs by equipping their water heaters with a device     that allows our supplier to cycle their unit
4. •  The WEC toll-free power outage reporting number, that coordinates with an automated system
5. •  The WEC Triple Play program, a service allowing customers to enroll in a bundle of free service including E-bill, levelized           billing and automatic bank draft payment

• WEC Update — Seeking a way to strengthen WEC communications programs and add greater functionality to the member-focused website, we purchased basic camera and editing equipment in 2008 to develop a new communications vehicle. The result was the WEC Update, a video report featuring news concerning our cooperative and the electricity industry. Each new Update is featured on our Web site, with past episodes archived there. The entire project is shot and edited by our staff. The main benefits of this project are:

1. •  It created a way to deliver our message directly to our member, bypassing the more expensive traditional media outlets
2. •  It allows us to control our message, instead of relying on traditional media outlets to accurately present our case on important         issues
3. •  It has proven to be a fast, inexpensive means of communicating with our membersIt is a powerful addition to Alabama Living,    Bill Inserts and our Web site

• Website — In 2008 WEC's year-old website became an even more important vehicle for communicating with members. We added WEC Update, a weekly video update that informs members about important WEC issues and events. The website also has new links for online bill pay and information detailing the many WEC programs and services that benefit our members. The website, found at www.wiregrass.coop, serves as an important tool for staying connected with members.

• Annual Report —Leading up to the 2008 Annual Meeting, we produced a 16-page, full-color report that detailed WEC's  focus on providing affordable energy. We used this report as a tool to educate members about the current state of energy on a global, national and local scale. We explained that the cost of producing energy was rising across the board, causing an increase in wholesale power rates, which in turn is causing an increase in the price members pay for electricity. We demonstrated the ways that WEC was able to absorb many of these costs through past investments in technology such as automatic meter reading. We showed how member dollars were being spent as we highlighted the financial strength and stability of the cooperative. The report clearly and succinctly explained the benefits of the many projects WEC had undertaken, with a focus on how these changes would save their cooperative money while making it easier for members to do business with WEC. Prior to the Annual Meeting, every member received a copy of the annual report via mail in a packet that included board candidate bios, voting instructions, and the official notice of the Annual Meeting.

• E-Newsletter – In 2008 WEC launched a monthly E-newsletter. This newsletter contains local news and information about many WEC programs. The newsletter is emailed monthly to members and offers multiple links to the WEC website to better connect our customers.

WEC faced serious challenges in 2008, and helping them reach their goals required a collaborative effort from WordSouth Public Relations and the Wiregrass Electric Cooperative family. It was pertinent to increase overall customer satisfaction, show members the value of WEC services and change customer perception that WEC was not technologically advanced. Through hard work we were able to create a powerful multi-faceted program that allowed WEC to successfully achieve their goals and strengthen the cooperative.

RESULTS

We set multiple goals for the WEC 2008 communications campaign to provide direction for our communication. Our first goal was to demonstrate to customers that they were getting a very good value for their money. Secondly, we sought to raise overall customer satisfaction. Our third goal was to display the high level of technology employed at WEC.

We placed a strong emphasis on utilizing many different methods of communication to achieve these goals. We used the results from a WEC 2005 Customer Satisfaction Survey as a benchmark when we analyzed our 2008 survey.

Through a broad dissemination of customer contact we were able to convey to WEC members the high value of services received for the reasonable cost of WEC membership. Throughout the year, members were presented with a continuous flow of information regarding efforts to save them money and make it easier to do business with their cooperative. The 2008 WEC Customer Satisfaction Survey indicated a 7% increase in customers whom felt that they were receiving a good value for their money.

Our 2008 communications plan played a vital role in increasing overall customer satisfaction. Throughout the year, using the aforementioned vehicles of communication, we were able to show WEC customers the many services and programs offered that save precious dollars and make their cooperative experience pleasant and convenient. The 2008 Customer Satisfaction survey showed that 92% of WEC members are satisfied with their cooperative. This is an impressive 8% increase in overall customer satisfaction since the 2005 survey.

By highlighting past, present and future WEC technology use, and demonstrating the many financial benefits and convenient services created by these technologies, we saw dramatic gains in member perception of WEC as an advanced technology cooperative. Our 2008 survey saw an impressive 16% increase in customers who saw WEC as a cooperative that employs a high level of advanced technology.

Our approach created several opportunities to reach members: through their monthly magazine, their bill, their mailbox, television, the Internet, and the Annual Meeting. Through contact with members WEC employees have witnessed a heightened sense of understanding of the work done to improve service and increase efficiency. The results from our 2008 campaign provide hard data that we have utilized to gauge the efficiency of our communications efforts. Our 2008 communications campaign was very successful, achieving all three of our major goals and building on the tradition of excellence in communications that keeps WEC members connected to their cooperative while keeping the cooperative on the forefront of quality communications.