Hydromania may sound like a music festival in the Gorge, but it’s a free summer camp for fourth and fifth graders from Umatilla Electric Cooperative. Weston Putman shares the camp's origin story and how it is building the next generation of co-op members.
How much of the publicly-shared interactions with utility staff is trolling versus investigative reporting by concerned citizens who have a right to hold the utility accountable? We're talking to Ryan Hall about “Getting Out of the Gotcha Moments” at NWPPA’s Northwest Innovations Conference in Idaho.
A content planner brings all of your communication channel planning into one place (website, social media, magazine, newsletter, on-hold message, bill insert, etc.). We packed our 2025 guide with important industry dates (both broadband and electric topics) and handy tips for finding and sharing your story next year. Enter your email and we’ll send you […]
How do you boost your take rates and cut churn after you've built broadband? OEC Fiber’s Erin McKnight shares her storytelling tactics, including a three-tiered marketing approach by zone and her subscriber stories series. Tune in for fresh ideas!
Pumpkin spice is stocked, leaves are turning gold... hellooooooo, fall. Are you ready to celebrate cooperatives? Consider us your cozy co-op sweater, ready to wrap you up in storytelling tools and ideas for October's National Cooperative Month. Download our Keep It Cooperative campaign today!
What You’ll Learn We’re gearing up to celebrate the United Nations’ International Year of Cooperatives in 2025, so we’ve invited co-op cheerleader Adam Schwartz onto the podcast to help Utility Pioneers brainstorm how to tell our co-op stories in fresh, engaging ways. Guest Speaker Adam Schwartz Show Notes Transcripts have been lightly edited for clarity […]
While parents focus on back-to-school shopping each fall, Utility Pioneers search for fresh ways to engage students all year long. We pulled highlights from four episodes of “The StoryConnect Podcast” to share how your peers start young and keep connecting, create hands-on learning moments and let students lead and train teachers, too. Use these school engagement ideas to help your utility make the grade this year!
Power your storytelling with a three-prong approach: Know why it matters, spark action and keep it clear. Get highlights from Megan McKoy-Noe's session at NWPPA’s Women in Public Power conference, with practical tips to help utility stories (emails, team meetings, community engagement) resonate with target audiences.
Grab your camera and start snapping! Pioneer's Content in the Wild contest celebrates the creativity of Utility Pioneers. Send us a picture posing with your storytelling content for a chance to win a $50 co-op gift card!
What You’ll Learn Employees at Columbia REA are allowed to bring their pets to work. CEO Scott Peters says it’s a beneficial policy as long as you “paws” to think about the guidelines first. Guest Speaker Scott Peters Show Notes Transcripts have been lightly edited for clarity and readabililty. Intro: A production of Pioneer Utility […]
What You’ll Learn Storytelling is a HUGE component of broadband marketing. But how can you make a technical subject engaging and memorable for your community? Kelly Burns, marketing manager at CTC in Minnesota, tells us how Bigfoot, its own Gig A. Byte monster, Taste of Technology events and Broadband in a Box keep people interested […]
Stories of financial strength, record returns, steady leadership and celebrated peers shined at Pioneer Utility Resources’ 2023 Cooperative Member Meeting on June 20. Twenty-four new members joined the co-op, and a record-setting $729,577 in co-op member credits will reach Utility Pioneers in July. Get highlights from the meeting at pioneer.coop.
