August 2008
“Conversation” Radio, Print Materials Now Available
CFL Charlie Ready for Classroom Debut
New Co-ops Join Co-op Connections Program
Back-to-School is a Great Time to Get Charged!
New Best Practice Studies Available Online
Touchstone Energy Savers Magnets Available for Purchase
Share Your Brand-Building Success Stories
“Conversation” Radio, Print Materials Now Available
Touchstone Energy co-ops now have a fully integrated communications campaign to help reach members. “The Conversation” campaign, which began with five TV spots, now offers radio, print and billboard elements to help reinforce its themes. As always, the new elements are designed to be locally customized.
Catchy sound effects and clever scripts combine to give “The Conversation” radio portfolio a flavor that aims to catch listeners’ attention and convey to co-op members that their co-op is looking out for them.
The new perspective in the radio portfolio comes thanks to a unique collaboration between Touchstone 
Energy’s creative agency, White & Partners, and award-winning production house World Wide Wadio.
“This is our edgiest, most innovative radio portfolio yet,” said Touchstone Energy Cooperatives COO Jim Bausell. “We’ve taken a different approach with it, one that will hopefully generate more interest and draw more attention.”
The portfolio features four different concepts, each with 30-second and 60-second versions. One concept, which focuses on energy efficiency, even offers different versions based on the time of year it runs.
Three 15-second TV billboards are also available. The billboards are shortened versions of three of “The Conversation” TV spots, and can be locally tagged at the end.
Twelve outdoor billboard designs add more options for integration.
In addition to the radio portfolio and billboards, Touchstone Energy has developed an extensive library of print materials. Fourteen different print ads feature images from “The Conversation” TV spots, and reinforce the strategy of the overall campaign. The ads are available as high resolution express ads or full-page magazine layouts, and the files can be downloaded as InDesign or high resolution PDF formats.
All of the new elements—radio spots, 15-second TV billboards, outdoor billboards and print ads—can be viewed and downloaded from the FTP site. To download, drag and drop the file folders onto a computer desktop and saved to that location. Double-click the folders to access the files. If the link displays the files as a FTP directory, copy and paste the link below into the address bar of any Windows folder, such as My Computer.
ftp://brand:Nr3ca$489@ftp.nreca.org/pub/ConversationCampaign
The new elements have not yet been added to the Touchstone Energy Web site, but will appear there soon. In the meantime, all elements and formats can be found on the above FTP site.
Co-ops in need of a format or template that is not posted on the FTP site should contact Cynthia Henthorn at cynthia.henthorn@nreca.coop / 703.907.5575, or Scott Bialick at scott.bialcik@nreeca.coop / 703.907.5627.
CFL Charlie Ready for Classroom Debut
CFL Charlie, Touchstone Energy’s energy efficiency mascot, is ready to head into classrooms this fall and help educate kids about co-ops, energy efficiency, renewable energy and electric safety.
“Super Energy Saver” classroom kits, designed for grades 1-5, are available for purchase. The kits are packed with materials that will teach kids how to become “Super Energy Savers” at home, such as:
--take-home checklists that walk kids and parents through their homes, identifying energy-saving practices
-- Super Energy Saver certificates, signed by CFL Charlie
--activity sheets
--folders
--and CFL Charlie switch plate covers that remind kids to turn off lights.
Each kit contains 30 copies of each item, enough for one classroom, plus a teacher guide and classroom poster. The teacher guide is being reviewed for national accreditation and has been approved by elementary school teachers.
Pricing and Ordering Information
The price per kit is $20. Co-ops are invited to place orders for kits through Touchstone Energy’s Kristine Jackson (703.907.5633) or Ryan Schoenike (703.907.5561). Eventually, an online ordering process for the kits will be made available. The design files are available for download online for those wishing to print the kits locally.
Other Promotional Items
Co-ops can rent or purchase life-size CFL Charlie costumes from Touchstone Energy through Kristine Jackson (see contact info below).
Co-ops can also place orders through Summit Marketing for additional CFL Charlie promotional items that complement the Super Energy Saver kits. Lunch bags, tattoos, switch plate covers, pencils, t-shirts and magnets are available for purchase online.
Contact Kristine Jackson at 703.907.5633 or kristine.jackson@nreca.coop with questions about CFL Charlie and the Super Energy Saver kits.
New Co-ops Join Co-op Connections Program
This summer, 700,000 cards and key fobs are being printed for the members of the 17 newest co-ops to roll out the Co-op Connections Card. Touchstone Energy would like to welcome the following co-ops to this rapidly growing member benefit program:
Anza Electric Cooperative (CA)
Beltrami Electric Cooperative (MN)
Big Country Electric Cooperative (TX)
Choptank Electric Cooperative (MD)
Comanche Electric Cooperative (TX)
Illinois Rural Electric Cooperative (IL)
Itasca-Mantrap Co-op Electrical Association (MN)
Jefferson Energy Cooperative (GA)
Jo-Carroll Energy (IL)
Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative (VA)
Monroe Country Electric Cooperative (IL)
Northeast Nebraska PPD (NE)
Rock Energy Cooperative (WI)
Sam Houston Electric Cooperative (TX)
Sun River Electric Cooperative (MT)
Tombigbee Electric Cooperative (AL)
Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative (FL)
The success stories about the card are coming in from all directions. Businesses with increased customer traffic, members who have found a great deal in their neighborhood, travelers taking advantage of national lodging discounts and members who have saved up to 60 percent off their prescriptions are all thanking their local co-op for putting money back in their pockets. This list includes all of the 176 co-ops that are bringing great value to their members with the Co-op Connections Card.
To see the savings on prescriptions co-op members have this year, check out the most recent pharmacy utilization report. Monthly reports sent to co-op contacts are a great way to see the return on investment that this program provides in the form of member savings on prescriptions.
For questions about the program or information on how to enroll in the next printing, contact Scott Bialick at 703.907.5627 or scott.bialick@nreca.coop.
Save the Date for NET2009
Mark your calendars for the tenth annual New & Emerging Technologies Conference. NET2009 is set for Jan. 21-22, 2009, at the Westin La Paloma in Tucson, Ariz. Pre-conference events will be held Jan. 20. This business-to-business conference is designed for electric cooperatives and their key commercial and industrial customers. A new feature at this year’s conference: FREE registration for co-op business customers!
The NET2009 Web site is up and running and contains details about the program. For more information, contact Kathryn Momot at kathryn.momot@nreca.coop or 703.907.5707.
Back-to-School is a Great Time to Get Charged!
School will soon be back in session before you know it, and now is an ideal time for Touchstone Energy
cooperatives to boost their connection to students and parents as well as highlight their commitment to community.
The comprehensive Discovery Education Get Charged! kits are filled with high-quality educational materials that help teachers educate students about electricity and fulfill a requirement of the National Science Education Standards. To date, more than 10,000 kits have been distributed in classrooms (grades 5-9) nationwide.
At just $10 per kit and free shipping, this is a cheap and easy way to help local school systems start the year off right.
The kits and additional student activity books can be ordered online.
For more information, please contact Scott Bialick at scott.bialick@nreca.coop or 703.907.5627.
New Best Practice Studies Available Online
Three new case studies have been added to Touchstone Energy's Best Practices Knowledgebase, an online library of proven best practices for improving member satisfaction. The Knowledgebase case studies are divided into three categories: Distribution System Operation, Member Communications, and Member Services and Administration. The new studies appear in the latter two categories.
Communicating Rising Costs
Touchstone Energy Cooperative’s 2007 National Survey on the Cooperative Difference shows that engaging members in a dialogue about rising energy costs helps demonstrate that co-ops are looking out for the members’ best interests. This study documents efforts of two electric cooperatives that excel in communicating to their members about the impacts of rising costs while achieving top American Customer Satisfaction Index Scores.
Highlighting Cooperative Benefits to Engage Members
Cooperatives are increasing their communication efforts to let members know that they are looking out for them and reinforcing the cooperative’s goal to provide energy at the lowest possible cost. One way they provide evidence of this core ‘cooperative difference’ is to return money in the form of a member dividend or capital credit. This study looks at two co-ops who have succeeded in using this to achieve high levels of member satisfaction and engagement.
Attracting Web Visitors
Achieving a high rate of Web usage is an important objective of every cooperative. Touchstone Energy Cooperative’s 2007 National Survey on the Cooperative Difference measured internet access and Web usage among fifty cooperatives nationally. This study examines what four best-in-class co-ops are doing to draw attention to their Web sites.
Co-op Connections Fast Facts
Touchstone Energy Savers Magnets Available for Purchase
Touchstone Energy co-ops are invited to order the popular Touchstone Energy $avers magnets online. The magnets promote the Touchstone Energy $avers Web site and are a great way to remind co-op members of the residential energy efficiency resources available to them through their co-op.
Editor, Erin Keogh
erin.keogh@nreca.coop
703.907.5572