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Anyone remember 2020? It wasn’t my favorite. Many of us—me, I mean me—felt overwhelmed. Conferences were canceled or moved online. I missed seeing my Utility Pioneers family. How did I cope? I pitched a selfie contest.
To get an always-helpful proof of concept, I asked several friends to send me selfies with something we’d made together. Content in the Wild was born!
What started as a selfie contest to help us feel connected during a hard cultural moment became a celebration of utility storytellers and our evolving content channels.
You can spot creative content everywhere:
- QR codes on utility trucks leading to energy-efficiency videos.
- Social posts that spark community conversations.
- Websites sharing career paths to attract new talent.
This fall one lucky Utility Pioneer’s selfie wins a $50 REI gift card every Thursday, from September through October—it’s one way we celebrate National Co-op Month.
Magazine selfies reigned supreme last year, with winning shots featuring Ruralite, Louisiana Currents, Tennessee Connections and KIUC Currents. We also saw selfies with a cereal box, social careers campaign, websites and snazzy letterhead.
This year’s contest reflects how far we’ve all come. Your content isn’t just surviving in the wild—it’s thriving. What content will YOU catch?
The Rules:
First, find content in the wild! It could be banners, yard signs, a podcast, a magazine, social content, efficiency kit, community booth, vehicle wrap. You get the picture—literally and figuratively.
Take a selfie showcasing a print and/or digital project created with support from Pioneer and/or one of our family of service partners: Powerful, Efficiency Services Group, General Pacific and NewsData.
- Post it on social, and tag us @UtilityPioneers or
- Email the selfie to hello@pioneer.coop. Include:
- Pictured person’s name, title and utility.
- A short description of the content and how it helps share your story.
- Email address and telephone number.
- Type “I captured content in the WILD!” in the subject line.
- Send digital JPEG or PNG files.
- Photos should be horizontal, or landscape format, and at least 300 dpi at 6 inches tall.
- Our server hates files larger than 10 MB. We’ve sent it to server therapy, but we’re still waiting for a breakthrough. Act accordingly.
You’re entered into a random drawing every Thursday from Sept. 4 to Oct. 30.
Each week we will send one winning Utility Pioneer a $50 REI gift card! Nine folks will win, but we’re all winners when we share content ideas and support cooperation.
Sharing Selfie Love
Here’s what your selfies taught us: Great utility content doesn’t hide. It shows up confidently in mailboxes, on screens and in conversations. Your photos prove utility communicators aren’t just pushing information out, you’re creating content that earns its place in people’s busy lives.
The hunt begins in September. The content is out there. Are you wild enough to find it?
Contest runs September through October. Weekly drawings every Thursday. Full rules and expedition tips are at pioneerutilityresources.com/wild.