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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 stage … er, page.
TikTok, Instagram, YouTube: Orcas Power & Light Cooperative has social storytelling down to an art form, often featuring its resident power pup, Pepper. But getting the same information to members on several small islands was hard, and trust in online news is falling. According to Reuters’ 2024 Digital News Report, 72% of Americans are concerned about what is real and what is fake online.
OPALCO opted to bank on the trust and direct targeting a utility gets through a print magazine. In fact, Pioneer has helped more than half a dozen utilities and broadband providers from Northwest Washington to Indiana to East Tennessee launch new print magazines in the last two years.
“With digital content or social media, it’s a wild card to know who actually receives your message,” says Krista Bouchey, OPALCO manager of communications. “We target our content and work with the algorithms as much as possible, but you can never guarantee who sees it. A print magazine is different.”
Print With Personality
Since 2023, OPALCO has mailed Ruralite magazine to 11,600 members each month. The magazine features eight pages of local content, including:
- Program testimonials
- News on capital credits, elections and scholarships
- Pepper’s column
That’s right—instead of a CEO or manager column, OPALCO has its four-legged energy influencer, Pepper, share his perspective on energy-saving programs, utility updates and his never-ending love of treats.
In the first issue of the magazine, Pepper explains his choice as spokes-pup.
“Not to brag, but I’m pretty much a viral star on social media. I’m the first canine energy influencer—follow me on TikTok @orcaspower—but my peeps tell me not everyone is on social media. They say it’s important to give members real stories, useful tips and fun stuff like recipes that they can really use. There were promises of a peanut butter dog treat recipe,” Pepper writes. “With the rising cost of power and the challenges of getting carbon-free energy resources, it can feel like a dog-eat-dog world out there. As a co-op, we’re stronger than what we face.”
Pepper’s influence can be seen throughout the magazine, from pet-wise outage tips to pups in electric vehicles.
Shared stories fill the rest of the magazine, highlighting regional places, personalities, foods, outdoor activities and industry news.
Ruralite’s shared content helps OPALCO easily address energy topics and better connects members spread across the San Juan Islands.
“OPALCO customizes its content as much as possible,” says Pioneer Senior Editor Jennifer Paton, CCC. “As an example, with an article on energy-efficient windows, OPALCO didn’t just talk about windows. They showcased the people behind the topic to explain why this home improvement is so important.”
There’s also the benefit of longer content compared to short social media posts.
“We don’t want to produce something that won’t be read,” Krista says. “The idea that print media is dead isn’t true. It’s nice to have more room for long-form content in the magazine to tell our story.”
Cross-Channel Content
Two years after adding the magazine, Ruralite drives the communication strategy for OPALCO to ensure it reaches its members in all possible ways. The co-op offers a digital version of the magazine, too.
“Because of the magazine, we can cross-pollinate that information across the different communication channels,” Krista says. “We still do a lot of work online, through social media and with local newspapers, but they’re honestly very expensive, and the magazine is well priced for our return on investment.”
With unique content members can hold in their hands, Ruralite gives OPALCO and all participating utility partners a strategic communication advantage.
“We know members are looking through it and really spending time with the material,” Krista says. “We’re all so inundated with different communication messages and ads. The magazine adds a lot of value because it’s one consistent platform, and you can guarantee it’s going to end up in their mailbox.”
Ready to Add Print to Your Toolbox?
Don’t have a dog (or cat) that needs a new platform? That’s OK. Pioneer helps utilities reach consumer-members with custom local pages and shared regional and electric and/or broadband industry news. Visit pioneer.coop/publications, or email hello@pioneer.coop to learn more.