Challenge
Puget Sound Energy recognized that with the change in the landscape from mainstream to emerging media their customers would increasingly get information from and create dialogues on digital platforms. The company aimed to shift its monitoring and outreach efforts to make the utility’s online presence a fundamental part of its communication strategy in time for winter storm season. Peppercom was tasked with helping PSE develop a sustainable strategy and infrastructure to ensure the long-term prioritization and management of the company’s digital communication efforts.

 

Strategy & Execution 

Peppercom worked with PSE to identify crucial topics and outlets and launched a collaborative tool for monitoring what is being said about the company and key issues in their region online. The Peppercom team not only provided monitoring and response recommendations multiple times daily, but also used these reports and the monitoring system to educate PSE on how to most effectively track online conversations about key conversations in real time. The teams also addressed the necessary changes in internal planning, communication, and infrastructure to prepare for improving the utility provider’s digital presence.

 

Result 

PSE became one of only 25 percent of utility providers with a set of social media rules and guidelines for their employees. The company was highlighted at events like the 2009 Social Media for Utilities conference for the deep internal strategy the utility developed for planning digital initiatives. PSE developed an additional set of guidelines for official spokespeople commenting on PSE’s behalf in the digital space.

 

By the time PSE’s Twitter account launched, Peppercom and PSE had completed process documents for how Twitter would be used by the company for corporate communications and customer service dialogues, and the two divisions were in regular communication for planning PSE’s long-term digital presence. The Peppercom monitoring process provided PSE’s team with the tools and format for real-time monitoring throughout the day.

 

These reports fostered regular connections between the content being developed for PSE’s Ask Andy Blog and the larger online conversation taking place on energy efficiency and green power. This listening process also allowed the team to identify Twitter members to follow and particular Twitter updates for @PSETalk to respond to and share on a daily basis. Finally, this groundwork helped foster a sustained strategy for the development of the company’s revamped online newsroom to give PSE a more consistent presence across various platforms.