New TV Spots: Co-ops Restore Hope and Power in Katrina Aftermath

With much of the media attention over the past month focused on the failure of Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, much of the hard work occurring in the affected co-op areas has gone unreported.
 
With the new creative team of White and Partners, Touchstone Energy crafted new 60- and 30-second versions of a TV spot, titled Power and Hope, focused on a message of reconstruction and hope for the communities most damaged. The spots highlight the tremendous efforts of line crews and other co-op support staff helping to rebuild the areas most affected by Katrina. Unlike much of the "bad" news on the TV today, the spots focus on the facts---that co-ops are working 24 hours, 7 days a week, to make things right.

Please review the new spots (a national 60- and a national 30-second spot, plus an example of a state-customized 30-second spot, using Iowa as the example) at www.touchstoneenergy.coop.

New Spot Debuts During ABC Monday Night Football
The 30-second version made a prominent debut on ABC during the Sept. 19 Monday Night Football Special telecast, featuring a game between the New York Giants and New Orleans Saints. The game was part of a telethon to benefit hurricane victims.  

The fall media buy, which was canceled several weeks ago due to Hurricane Katrina, has been rescheduled and will run Sept. 26-Oct. 16, featuring the 30-second version of the new spot on ESPN, Lifetime, USA, Discovery Channel, Weather Channel, HGTV and regional Fox Sports channels, as well as on satellite stations. 

Additionally, a pop-up Web page was added to the new Touchstone Energy Web site (www.touchstoneenergy.coop). At the end of the TV spot, a slate directs viewers to the site, where the pop-up automatically launches. It permits consumers to click on their state, and learn which charities are recommended by that state for consumer-members to provide contributions and other support to.
 
Another aspect of this creative effort is the new capability to customize spots to a specific state. A unique line, including the name of the state, can be featured in the script of the 30-second spot for each state, a hallmark of Touchstone Energy's future creative capabilities. To order a BETA-SP or DigiBETA copy of the new spots, please contact your Touchstone Energy Regional Representative.
 
“Much like Touchstone Energy's response after Sept. 11, 2001, a significant benefit of having a national brand is the ability to take advantage of an opportunity---like getting the co-op message in front of millions of viewers on Monday Night Football---to showcase what cooperatives have done to restore hope and power for the American people,” said Jim Bausell, COO of Touchstone Energy.

Basin Electric Donates to Hurricane Relief

Basin Electric Power Cooperative (Bismarck, N.D.) on Sept. 22 announced that it will make a $500,000 donation to the ongoing Hurricane Katrina relief efforts in the Gulf Coast region. The donation will be split evenly between Louisiana and Mississippi and will aid co-op employees and co-op members affected by the hurricane.

Employees of Basin and its subsidiaires have been encouraged to supplement the donation by contributing vacation time and sick leave. The cash equivalent of time donated will be added to the $500,000 already approved by Basin’s board of directors.

"Basin Electric and its member systems are very proud to do what we can to help with the hurricane relief efforts," said Ron Harper, Basin Electric CEO and general manager. "As a Touchstone Energy cooperative, we are part of a nationwide family of electric cooperatives. There are many members of our family who have been devastated by this disaster and we want to do whatever we can to help."  Harper added that Basin Electric is committed to operating under the core Touchstone Energy values of integrity, accountability, innovation and commitment to community.

Engage Employees with Touchstone Energy Extra

Engaged employees and directors are vital to building the brand, so it's essential they're kept up to speed on the Touchstone Energy programs, services and value in a variety of ways. By now, all brand managers at Touchstone Energy co-ops should have received a shipment of the 2005 Touchstone Energy Extra, a newsletter to help engage all employees and directors in the many brand initiatives. This edition features articles on new TV ads and other communications resources, loyalty-driving programs like Co-op Connections, commitment to community efforts like SitesAcrossAmerica.com, and a report on the record-high membership in Touchstone Energy. Each co-op should have received enough copies for every employee. Brand managers are encouraged to make sure each employee receives a copy and to spend a little time talking about the role of employees in delivering the brand.

To request additional copies, contact Erin Keogh at 703.907.5572 or e-mail her at erin.keogh@nreca.coop.

ACES Power Marketing and Touchstone Energy Tee it up at LPGA Event

The Touchstone Energy brand graced the grounds of Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Ind., Sept. 6-11 as the USA took on Europe in the Solheim Cup, a premier LPGA event. In its first major advertising effort, ACES Power Marketing, a Touchstone Energy cooperative, was one of three official sponsors of the event. The ACES Power logo, along with the Touchstone Energy co-brand, was featured on the event scoreboards, brochure and program, providing great visibility for the brand at the event, which drew 103,000 spectators.

“Traits such as honesty, discipline, ethics, and teamwork are associated with competitive golf as well as the corporate culture at ACES Power Marketing,” said Tim Bennett, ACES Power director of marketing services. “Our partnership with the LPGA and the Solheim Cup, as well as our affiliation with the Touchstone Energy brand, gave us a unique opportunity to reach a national audience with this message.”

Additionally, Touchstone Energy sponsored the Golf Channel’s broadcast of the Solheim Cup, with the “Line Tech” and “Turning on the Lights” TV spots, as well as five-second billboards, appearing throughout the coverage of the event. The broadcast also featured a “Touchstone Energy Play of the Day.”

Illinois Co-ops Draw Crowds at Farm Progress Show

The combined efforts of eight Illinois Touchstone Energy cooperatives made the Touchstone Energy tent the place to be at the Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Ill., Aug. 30-Sept.1. Exciting live presentations and informational exhibits attracted scores of interested attendees to the tent. The Farm Progress Show is a biennial event and is the nation’s largest outdoor farm show. Estimated attendance at the year’s show was 250,000. 

Doug Rye and Kyle Finley gave seven high-energy presentations a day throughout the three-day event, with each show drawing roughly 75 attendees. Rye’s presentation, familiar to many in the co-op network, focused on ways to improve energy efficiency, while Finley’s “Live Line Demo” educated audiences on electrical safety. Exhibits on topics such as geothermal heating and cooling pumps, cellulose insulation, and renewable energy complemented the presentations.

Another highlight of the show was the Touchstone Energy opening ceremony, which took place daily during the event. The Touchstone Energy hot-air balloon, carrying the American flag and piloted by Eastern Illini Electric Cooperative CEO Dave Champion, flew over the crowd as the national anthem was performed.

“Our presence at the Farm Progress Show was an ideal way to get our name and message in front of tens of thousands of people,” said Bob Dickey, marketing manager at Eastern Illini and a coordinator of the Touchstone Energy tent. “We were able to demonstrate how Illinois electric cooperatives are providing solutions for our members and educating them on important topics like electrical safety and energy efficiency. It was a huge success for electric co-ops,” added Dickey.

Web Sites that Wow

This month’s Web site that wows is the recently redesigned Touchstone Energy Web site, www.touchstoneenergy.coop. The site has undergone a major overhaul this year and boasts a new look consistent with Touchstone Energy ads and communications materials. The new design was vetted by a committee of co-op brand managers who provided valuable input on how the site should look and operate.

The Web site provides access to a wealth of member resources, including advertising and communications tools, employee learning materials and other brand information. Plus, it connects members to the latest Touchstone Energy news and events, including information on Touchstone Energy cooperatives’ Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. The new TV spots created to highlight these efforts, along with the complete portfolio of television and radio advertisements, are easily accessible on the new site. Another new feature is seamless navigation between the members' only section and www.cooperative.com, integrating the brand into a broader section of the cooperative network. Questions or comments on the new Web site can be directed to Erin Keogh at 703.907.5572, erin.keogh@nreca.coop.

Quotable Quote

"We're looking forward to using the American Customer Satisfaction Index tool as we continually try to improve the way we do things. We see it as a great opportunity to compare ourselves with all types of consumer sectors, not just the electric utility industry. When we re-survey in subsequent years, we'll have a benchmark from which to compare the results of our efforts."

-Jan Stranz, vice president of member services, Oconto Electric Cooperative, Oconto, Wis.

Editor’s note: For more information on how to implement the ACSI locally, go to the Member Resources section of www.touchstoneenergy.coop.

Touchstone Energy Balloons Fly Together

Members of Jo-Carroll Energy were treated to a spectacular and unique sight on a recent September morning: all three of the Touchstone Energy hot-air balloons soaring over Galena, Ill., as part of a media event for the co-op. The flight was the last for the original Touchstone Energy balloon, which will now be retired. It also represented the first simultaneous flight for all three balloons.  

“The Cooperative Balloon Associates work very hard to communicate Touchstone Energy’s core values of integrity, accountability, innovation and commitment to community,” said Michael Hastings, president and CEO of Jo-Carroll Energy. “Seeing the three Touchstone Energy balloons flying together for the first time makes all of us at Jo Carroll Energy proud to be a Touchstone Energy Cooperative and member of CBA.”

For more information on the balloon or to book it for events, go to www.cbaballoon.com.                                                                                                      

South River EMC Employees Demonstrate The Power of Human Connections

Employees of South River EMC (Dunn, N.C.) are making a difference in their community, and the co-op has found a unique way to applaud their efforts. Earlier this year, South River launched the Power of Human Connections Employee Rewards, a program designed to recognize employees who volunteer their time to worthy organizations.

Employees of South River have donated more than 1,500 hours of their personal time to organizations such as United Way, the American Cancer Society, Boy Scouts of America, and local churches and fire departments. Each month, the cooperative makes a $100 donation in honor of the employee who achieves the highest number of volunteer hours for that month. The donation is made to the charity of that employee’s choosing. A $250 donation is made for the employee with the highest cumulative hours per quarter, and $500 will be given for the employee with the highest year-end total.

“Our employees’ commitment to their community is a testament to the integrity and dedication they display daily on the job as well as in their personal lives,” said South River EMC CEO & Executive Vice President Buddy G. Creed.

Orders Being Accepted for 2006 Balloon Calendars

The Cooperative Balloon Associates are accepting orders for the 2006 Touchstone Energy hot-air balloon calendar. The 9 x 12 calendar contains 12 color photos of the balloon at events around the country. Customized calendars with individual co-op logos are also available. For pricing and information on how to place your order, visit www.cbaballoon.com, or send an e-mail to orders@cbaballoon.com.

Editor: Erin Keogh
erin.keogh@nreca.coop
703.907.5572