WebN'R A:  Toronto Hydro Talk Box
Electronic & Interactive Program
Thursday, December 11, 2008, 2:00 p.m., ET

BUSINESS CASE

Toronto Hydro is committed to developing electricity conservation programs that deliver kilowatt savings and educate customers. To achieve its 2007 goal – reduce the City's peak load by five per cent – the utility launched integrated marketing and communications campaigns. And to reach Torontonians at a grassroots level, Talk Box was introduced, encouraging conversations about conservation.

TARGET AUDIENCE

As Toronto Hydro distributes electricity to 602,000 homes and 85,000 businesses, Talk Box promoted conservation programs to both sectors.

OBJECTIVES

Toronto Hydro created a memorable, portable and effective tool, enticing Torontonian's to be energy-conscious. Could an animated, inanimate object visiting a host of events, actually stimulate discussions, convey information, gather data and promote Toronto Hydro as a leader in electricity conservation, with the following messages?

• share your bright ideas – how you and the city can be energy-conscious
• give us your opinions – tell us who in Toronto is energy efficient and who is not

Discover how this interactive kiosk and the hired feet on the street ambassadors armed with Toronto Hydro publications enrolled their audiences to become more energy efficient.

RESULT

Did the Toronto peak in the summer of 2007 or did interactive programs such as Talk Box, help Toronto Hydro save megawatts?

BIO: Catherine Parry, Marketing, Communications and Public Affairs Director, Toronto Hydro-Electric System Limited

Catherine Parry, Director of Marketing & Communications, has been with Toronto Hydro-Electric System Limited for six years. She holds a BA in Economics from the University of Waterloo. Prior to joining the company, Catherine spent over 12 years in progressive marketing & communications roles in the financial services, telecommunications and advertising industries.

While responsible for corporate communications, marketing, public relations, media relations, employee communications, market research, graphics and the web, Catherine and her team develop, execute and provide communications support for Toronto Hydro's industry-leading mass market and commercial electricity conservation programs.

Winning multiple national and international awards for marketing and public relations programs, Catherine has helped to promote Toronto Hydro as one of Canada's Top 100 Employers; a Top 10 Family Friendly Employer; and a Top 10 Green Company.

BIO: Blair H. Peberdy, Vice-President, Marketing, Communications and Public Affairs, Toronto Hydro-Electric System Limited

Mr. Peberdy has an extensive background in the corporate communications field, having worked in advertising, public relations and in senior administrative positions throughout his career. Mr. Peberdy is a graduate of Concordia University's Communication Arts program, and has continued his education by completing the Executive Development Program at Queen's University, the Advanced Program in Managing Strategic Change at the University of Toronto Rotman School of Business, and modules in the MIT/Harvard Public Disputes Program.

Mr. Peberdy is an Accredited Member of the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) and is Vice President-Treasurer of the national board of directors of CPRS. He was named CPRS Toronto Mentor of the Year and was previously President of the Ontario Forestry Association (OFA). He remains a member of the board of directors of OFA. Mr. Peberdy is a member of the board of directors of the Canadian Centre for Ethics and Corporate Policy, and a member of the board of directors of the Ontario Energy Network. He also sits on the advisory committee for the Public Relations program at Seneca College.

WebN'R B:  STU (Saint Thomas University) Survival Guide
Electronic & Interactive Program

BUSINESS CASE

With continuous, excessive drinking running rampant at St. Thomas University and complaints from community residents about adverse behaviour, Moosehead Breweries instigated the STU Survival Guide. This program was designed to deliver responsible-drinking messages to Fredericton university students in an entertaining and informative web-based format, without preaching.

TARGET AUDIENCE

In 2006/07, St. Thomas University enrolled 2,600 students. Of this number, 540 were first-year, first-time students: the core audience.

OBJECTIVES

How was Moosehead able to encourage students to visit this website? Could the site, stusurvivalguide.ca, provide first year students:

• a believable micro-site that was student-focused/driven (not influenced by the Administration)
• common sense advice to educate and change their habits
• a range of campus-life information including moderation messages delivered in unrehearsed and unscripted video clips from their peers
• a comfort zone knowing people appearing on site were actual students seen on campus

RESULT

You will marvel at the number of visits to the website and the status of the rowdy behaviour. Did students think the site was contrived or did humour take the edge off touchier subjects? And did the STU campaign survive?

BIO: Joel Levesque APR, FCPRS, Vice President, Public Affairs, Moosehead Breweries Limited

Joel Levesque is Vice President Public Affairs for Moosehead Breweries Limited. Over the past three decades, Joel has enjoyed what he calls one of the most fascinating careers in New Brunswick. He has worked for a regulated monopoly, for a civic government, as a communications consultant with a large regional firm, and most recently for one of Canada's most celebrated beverage companies. His work as a communications professional has put him in front of many of the region's leading newsmakers and business personalities.

Joel is an award-winning, accredited member of the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS). In 2004 he was appointed to the CPRS College of Fellows, and in June of 2008 he received the Society's prestigious Shield of Public Service for his volunteer work. Joel is a frequent lecturer on public relations issues and donates much of his free time to community organizations.