Let’s say you’re a brand that wants people to think about something they take for granted. Not something simple or singular, but rather a collection of things that requires an intricate system of production, quality assurance and transport, which most people never have to worry about.
Nice, huh?
We’re talking about utilities, and utilities marketing campaigns.
You know, the resources that power all the devices that keep you connected to the outside world, keep your buildings warm (or cool, depending on the season), give your washing machine something to swish around to clean your clothes, and reliably remove everything that goes down the drain. And although we know businesses have other, unique applications, some of these use cases apply commercially too.
The utilities that matter (at least for this blog post) are electricity, natural gas, water and wastewater services.
In Colorado Springs, to be even more specific.
Our long-term client Colorado Springs Utilities (Springs Utilities) has committed to cutting its carbon footprint by 80% before 2030 by increasing renewable energy, incorporating energy storage resources and retiring coal generation. The organization also has plans to provide a sustainable water supply for a growing region through innovative ways to manage demand, integrate reuse, and develop new water supply and storage.
Connecting a bold vision to everyday reality.
People in Colorado Springs need to know how Springs Utilities is taking care of today and preparing for tomorrow. In early 2021, in partnership with Springs Utilities, we launched Today We Work for Tomorrow, a long-term multimedia utilities marketing campaign to portray just that—how the organization is ensuring reliable and safe electric, natural gas, water and wastewater services for the current population of Colorado Springs and generations to come.
The forward-thinking theme matches how Springs Utilities works and why. It also celebrates a commonly held ethos, which a focus-group participant stated well: What you do today matters for tomorrow.
We wholeheartedly agree. But then there’s the nitty-gritty.
Adding brass tacks to broad brush strokes.
In 2022, we’ve been evolving the aspirational tone of messaging and imagery in the original Today We Work for Tomorrow creative by adding in tangible actions and daily practices that any Springs Utilities customer can adopt. Aside from this being a natural next step for the campaign, we were also giving the people what they wanted.
Colorado Springs residents told us that they liked the first round of Today We Work for Tomorrow and they wanted ongoing communications to offer:
- More literal connection to utility usage.
- Specific actions for customers to take.
- More “everyday life” in Colorado Springs.
- Fact-forward messaging and emotional cues.
- Less differentiation between residential and business, i.e., everyone is a customer.
We took away that Springs Utilities customers are ready to come alongside the organization in achieving the future vision. We also heard that this future can be difficult to fully understand and quantify without real-life application. We saw an opportunity to build it together.
The vibrancy of Colorado Springs on display.
Today We Work for Tomorrow is a utilities marketing campaign that’s live across a host of channels to ensure that we engage with everyone in Colorado Springs. We continually optimize the media mix and reassess audience targeting to reach new users, too. Read about our other core capabilities here.
