Case Studies

Challenge: For community-owned utilities, social media has become a primary communication channel, especially during outages, storms and emergencies. Consumers expect timely, accurate responses at all hours. But for many communications teams, that expectation collides with reality. Peace River Electric Cooperative in Florida and Flint Energies in Georgia both faced the same challenge: small communications teams stretched […]

Challenge: WK&T faced a common problem in today’s fast-paced marketing world—how to keep their brand message the same while using content from different sources. The marketing team needed to balance quick content needs with longer-term campaigns. Without a cohesive story, they risked sending mixed messages that could confuse members and weaken the brand. Solution: WK&T […]

Want more people to opt in for paperless billing? Jones-Onslow EMC Coordinator of Graphic Services Linda Mathiasen transformed a common promotion into a communitywide effort to fight childhood hunger. She shared her idea at StoryConnect 2025’s Idea Exchange, one of the highest-rated sessions of the event. Miss it? Here’s her story. The Challenge Moving more […]

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 […]

CLtel Marketing & Sales Manager Vernon Johnson shared his infographic ah-ha moment at StoryConnect 2025 during the Idea Exchange, one of the highest-rated sessions of event. Missed it? Here’s his story. When I would share early drafts of articles or blogs internally, I would hear, “OMG, this is long. I mean I like it, but […]

What do ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and other artificial intelligence tools mean for your job? Discover four ways Utility Pioneers are using A.I. to streamline content creation, learn about the power of prompts, and brainstorm how to be smart when leveraging A.I. to meet utility goals. Webinar recorded by the Northwest Public Power Association on Feb. […]

The Challenge: Orcas Power & Light Cooperative needed new ways to reach members across several islands in San Juan County, Washington. The Solution: To create a new community storytelling channel, OPALCO partnered with Pioneer to customize Ruralite— a print magazine mailed directly to members and community leaders. Pepper, the co-op’s social media star, took center […]

The Challenge: Coosa Valley Technologies wanted a fun way to introduce broadband labels to new subscribers as its response to Federal Communications Commission mandates. The Solution: To help consumers understand how to get a daily dose of fiber, the co-op partnered with Pioneer to design three cereal boxes, one for each broadband plan offered. Grab […]

Need to know more about the people you serve? Dive into the possibilities with our marketing research partners at Pulse Research in this webinar, recorded on May 30, 2024. Get Market Research Solutions

The Challenge: When a building boom turned a rural electric cooperative into one of the fastest-growing utilities in the nation, Fannin County Electric Cooperative needed a new look and storytelling tools to match its evolving story. The Solution: The Texas Utility Pioneers partnered with Pioneer to conduct focus groups and set a strategy for the […]

Challenge: The Utility Pioneers at Cordova Electric Cooperative (CEC) look at challenges a bit differently. No roads lead to the remote Alaskan electric system, perched between mountains and the sea near the Prince William Sound. When storm after storm hit the isolated community in 2006, the 2,700 member-owned cooperative opted not to look up, but […]

This article originally ran in February 2023’s edition of RE Magazine, a publication of NRECA. We loved teaming up with Pioneer Member Wiregrass Electric Cooperative to create this campaign, so we’re sharing it here, too! By Erin Kelly, NRECA At Wiregrass Electric Cooperative in Alabama, the safety posters hanging in the lineworker meeting room are hard […]