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Challenge:
Tennessee’s electric providers want to build a relationship with their customers beyond bill inserts while also sharing information about additional programs and services. But with limited time, they weren’t sure how to create engaging content.
Solution:
Working through the Tennessee Municipal Electric Power Association, several pioneering utilities partnered with Pioneer to create Tennessee Connections magazine, a quarterly, consumer-facing publication. Three years later, 13 utilities pair shared messages with local features for 208,000 consumers across the Volunteer State.
With budgets and staff stretched thin, Utility Pioneers in Tennessee have a problem: How can a utility cut through advertising clutter to build engaging consumer relationships?
Tennessee Connections magazine, published by TMEPA, delivers shared content and lower mailing rates to help utilities tell their stories. Each quarterly issue highlights regional getaways, Tennessee food trends, statewide personalities and industry news.
Engaging consumer-facing communications are one of the benefits TMEPA offers to the association’s 60 municipal and county-owned electric utilities.
“We’ve optimized the business case for the magazine,” says Brian Solsbee, TMEPA’s executive director. “A lot of our utilities use it to not only talk about electricity, but also their water, wastewater, broadband and natural gas services. As more people choose paperless billing, the magazine is something customers can put on their coffee table and create a new level of engagement to promote the value of public utilities.”
Launched in 2022, the magazine’s grown from seven to 13 utilities served, reaching more than 208,000 homes.
“As utilities across the state tell their stories, the content helps to educate, engage and entertain customers,” says Pioneer Editorial Director Chasity Anderson. “Great storytelling connects us to one another. Watching Tennessee Connections grow is very rewarding.”
Engaging Content
For some Utility Pioneers, Tennessee Connections eliminates the difficulties sometimes found with bill inserts.
“With our bill inserts, we found that customers read the bill, but threw away the newsletter with the envelope,” says Kelly Lapcyznski, communications specialist for Tullahoma Utilities Authority. “With bill insert costs dependent on the different services for each customer (internet, phone or television), we’re coming out better with the quarterly magazine.”
Tennessee Connections showcases local faces and places to catch and keep readers’ attention. The magazine delivers two kinds of content:
- A custom cover and utility-branded pages, unique to each edition, share anything from utility news to stories of local people and businesses making a difference locally.
- Shared statewide stories highlight community heroes, travel and food. Consumer education features on energy and broadband industry trends, written by Pioneer’s team of experienced industry writers, are included in all magazine editions.
To draw readers, Ripley Power & Light Company features local stories on the cover and throughout each edition. Staff stories are sprinkled in, too.
With custom covers to catch attention, CDE Lightband uses local pages for consumer education—positioning staff as experts with Q & A columns, sharing efficiency tips and warning against scams. The magazine is a natural extension of CDE Lightband’s Power Partners efficiency program.
A mix of custom covers, community news and water-efficiency and Wi-Fi tips can be found in the Tullahoma Utilities Authority local pages.
To help connect with its customers, Erwin Utilities uses the local pages to spotlight employees and share important updates.
“We’ve shared everything from our employees participating in the Tennessee Valley Lineman Rodeo, to giving a manager’s message on Hurricane Helene,” says Brittnee Bryant, public relations specialist. “We did daily social media updates, but with the magazine our CEO poured his heart out to share his experience after 40 years of storms. You can’t do that online.”
More Time, Better Stories
The shared magazine content process means Kelly and her Tullahoma team focus on other communications tasks.
“Our small communications department is dedicated to a wide variety of responsibilities,” says Kelly. “We’re trying to fill 24 hours of content to run a television station with cooking, news and talk shows. Our time to research and write energy articles is very limited. The benefit of Pioneer’s magazine writers brings a level of quality and efficiency to our communications.”
With more room to share impactful messages and build relationships, the magazine has become a proven communications tool.
“Tennessee Connections is our most effective avenue to reach over 15,000 residential customers with key information, updates, new initiatives and events,” says Jody Wigington, Morristown Utility Systems general manager/CEO.
To engage electric, water, wastewater and broadband customers, Morristown Utilities uses Tennessee Connections to showcase staff members as industry experts. An ongoing survey helps the utility know what kind of stories readers value.
“The customer engagement has made a positive impact to better build our relationships with those we serve,” Jody says. “It is a win-win.”
As some print communications decline, data from Pioneer’s 2024 magazine readership survey demonstrates how great content can be the difference-maker for great customer relationships.
“Readership surveys show overwhelming loyalty and support with a vast majority of readers spending 30 minutes with each issue,” says Leon Espinoza, Pioneer’s senior vice president of content. “For utilities, the penetration rate is 100%. The true power of print is the sense of discovery. At a time when local newspapers are vanishing, Tennessee Connections provides a powerful community service.”
Ready to learn more?
Learn more about Tennessee Connections and the other magazines we partner on with our members at pioneer.coop/publications, or email Chasity to schedule a meeting.