Project: WEC Outage Restoration Video

August 14, 2018 By Zach Moore

Background
On July 22, 2018, Wiregrass Electric Cooperative’s system suffered an outage that affected nearly 1,000 of its members. Fortunately, servicemen were able to reroute power to 84 percent of the affected meters in much less time while the damage was being repaired. However, due to the complicated nature of the outage, full restoration took nearly six hours.

Project
WordSouth created a 10-minute video outlining the timetable for WEC to share with its members on social media. The video explored the location of the fault and explained the switching process, as well as the many challenges and safety precautions that vary from location to location.

Results
WEC has an evergreen educational video that effectively communicates the complexities of outage repair to enhance its members’ appreciation of the work involved.

Project: WEC Lineman Appreciation Day

June 14, 2018 By Zach Moore

BACKGROUND

Wiregrass Electric Cooperative has always actively communicated appreciation of its linemen as part of the cooperative’s identity. Because of this, the communities in WEC’s service area have a high awareness and support of WEC linemen as well.

PROJECT

In 2014, WEC held its first Lineman Appreciation Day luncheon. Since then, the luncheon has become a popular annual event. Co-op members, local politicians and families of the line crews are invited to come celebrate and are encouraged to show their support on social media with the hashtag #ThankALineman. The event is also covered by local press.

RESULTS

WEC linemen are reminded regularly that they have the support and the thanks of the community as well as cooperative management. Additionally, WEC receives excellent public relations for the event through a number of different news outlets, word of mouth and social media.

Project: ‘StoryConnect: The Podcast’

May 15, 2018 By Zach Moore

BACKGROUND
The WordSouth team realized that there was a need for an intimate, easily accessible way to let communicators share their stories and successes with others who might find them useful.

PROJECT
StoryConnect: The Podcast was launched as an extension of StoryConnect: The Conference so that communicators would have access to an ever-expanding pool of ideas. In addition to remote and in-person interviews, the podcast also features episodes recorded live from conferences and conventions nationwide.

RESULTS
StoryConnect: The Podcast is a permanent resource available to anyone at any time, free of charge. Listeners have the opportunity to adapt the experiences of dozens of other rural utilities in order to tell their own stories. The podcast recently celebrated its 100th episode.

Project: The Peoples Connection — Speakeasy Coffeehouse

April 13, 2018 By Zach Moore

BACKGROUND

Peoples Telephone Cooperative in Quitman, Texas, periodically features a small business in their Connection magazine. Small-business features highlight members from the community and help tell their stories, such as how they were founded or their areas of expertise.

Aside from helping build community through storytelling, features can often attract new customers to a business as well.

PROJECT

The March/April edition of The Peoples Connection featured Speakeasy — a coffee shop in downtown Quitman. In addition to an interview with the owner, Kelly Kieke, WordSouth shot images of various drinks, the shop and its patrons for use in the article.

RESULTS

During the month that followed magazine publication, Kieke reported a 12 percent overall increase in their sales. On one occasion, tourists from a neighboring town who had received the magazine by accident decided to visit the establishment after reading the article. Kieke also reported near-daily autograph requests. Such a response from the community further established Peoples Telephone Cooperative as a friend of small business in their community.

Project: WEC Silent Heroes Of The Wiregrass

March 23, 2018 By Zach Moore

BACKGROUND

Wiregrass Electric Cooperative created the Operation Round Up Charitable Foundation to fund scholarships, community programs, charities and more. The foundation is voluntarily funded by members’ whose bills are rounded up to the nearest dollar each month.

PROJECT

Through Operation Round Up Charitable Foundation, WEC teamed up with local television station WTVY to create a new program: Silent Heroes of the Wiregrass. Each month, one good Samaritan who’s actively working to improve his or her community is chosen from a pool of nominees and recognized in a televised segment on WTVY. They also receive a $1,000 check to help fund their charitable projects. WEC then further promotes the winner and their charity through video content in an ongoing social media campaign, along with recognizing winners in its statewide magazine and monthly bill insert.

RESULTS

WEC was able to continuously demonstrate — across multiple platforms — its commitment to helping those in the communities it serves, while promoting charities across its service area. The Silent Heroes campaign earned WEC national recognition for Best Use of Social Media in the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s Spotlight on Excellence program.