Energy communicators have been working overtime. First the earthquake in Japan. Followed by ensuing issues at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. Then the East Coast was hit with an earthquake and Hurricane Irene.
How many companies encourage their customers to use LESS of their product? Utilities are in a unique position — a position that leads to interesting communications challenges.
Communicators know it is critical to define an issue early — before someone else does it for them. Once an issue has been publicly framed, and the public and the media have bought into that perspective, it can be very difficult to change. The debate over fracking is a perfect example.
If you’re like many marketers, struggling to keep up with the racing pace of change in communications, hold on to your hat because there’s something else on the horizon.
Between the earthquake and Hurricane Irene, phrases like stay safe and hunker down were repeated over and over in social media dialog over the past few weeks. Government officials and the news media wisely encouraged caution and warned against the risks associated with getting out in the storm. But does the same logic apply in with your company?