Presented at the TWCA Fall Conference 2014 www.twca.org

1. PR Panel
Matt Phillips-BRA
Denise Hickey-NTMWBD
Anne Hayden-SAWS
Ronda Trow-SJRA

2. B r a z o s R i v e r A u t h o r i t y
Legislative Issues
• Brazos River Authority:
– Matt Phillips, Government and Customer
Relations Manager

3. B r a z o s R i v e r A u t h o r i t y
(click to add name)

4. B r a z o s R i v e r A u t h o r i t y

5. B r a z o s R i v e r A u t h o r i t y

6. B r a z o s R i v e r A u t h o r i t y

7. B r a z o s R i v e r A u t h o r i t y
(click to add name)

8. PR Toolkit
Page 8
The Utility PR Toolkit
• San Antonio Water System:
– Anne Hayden, Communications Manager

9. How to develop best results
PR Toolkit
Page 9
The Utility PR Toolkit
• Don’t wait for a crisis or major event
• Know your stakeholders and what their
deadlines/needs are
• Sweeps
– (next-10/30 – 11/26)
• Have your messages ready

10. How to develop best results
PR Toolkit
Page 10
The Utility PR Toolkit
• Develop speaking points ahead of time
• Keep them on your desk and
near your phone

11. How to develop best results
PR Toolkit
Page 11
The Utility PR Toolkit
• Start letting key media members know of an
event as you are developing it
–They may have feedback on other events that may
impede coverage
• Consider non-traditional media
–Blogs, forums, web publications
• What about other areas in the region?

12. How to develop best results
PR Toolkit
Page 12
The Utility PR Toolkit
• Keep the press release short
–One page, no longer
• Be a go-between for your bosses
–Talk about what people want to know in language
they can understand
–Avoid acronyms!

13. PR Toolkit
Page 13
The Utility PR Toolkit
How to develop best results
• Big picture
• Just enough to get them
interested

14. The Utility PR Toolkit
How to develop best results
• And then there’s this…
• Accidents happen despite our best efforts
• That’s when media relationships really pay off
PR Toolkit
Page 14

15. Campaigns-Spokesperson
 San Jacinto River Authority Public Relations
Department:
 Ronda Trow, Public Relations Manager
 Michelle Simpson, Public Relations Specialist

16. FLUSH Campaign-Patty Potty
 Challenge:
 develop a public education
campaign about
remedying a disgusting
problem that no one wants
to talk about in “polite
company.”
 Compounding the
problem:
 Increase of convenience
productions marketed for
every personal and
household cleaning task,
as flushable.
• Image is disgusting
• Cause is equally
unpleasant
• Solution involves
education

17. FLUSH Campaign-Patty Potty
 Why Patty?
1. Relatability-People tend to
relate to product
spokesperson for a variety
of reasons:
 A pleasing appearance, sharing a
common interest, their passion
for the topic, or overall
credibility.
2. Attention span-The first
trick of advertising is to
make people pay attention.
 People will often pay more
attention to a humorous
delivery rather than a
serious one.

18. FLUSH Campaign-Patty Potty
 The overarching
message: No Wipes in
the Pipes!
 The secondary message:
Purchase and properly
use products that are
sewer-safe.
 No Wipes in the Pipes
Program:
 Potty Talk
PowerPoint/Flash Video
 Article
Announcement/Article
 Radio Spots
 Bill Inserts
 Kids Program

19. Water Conservation
Media Campaigns

20. Water Conservation
Success:
NTMWD’s Water Awareness
Campaign

21. NTMWD
• Regional Wholesale Water Provider
• North Texas – Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex
• Member of Region C Water Planning Group

22. Major North Texas Water Providers

23. NTMWD Service Area
• 1.6 million
• 9 counties
• 13 Member Cities
• Over 57 Customers - Cities,
Towns, Water Supply
Corporations, and Municipal
Utility Districts

24. Water Conservation
Media Campaigns
• Funding
• Identify specific need
• Drought stage
• New ordinance example: no watering between 10AM –
6PM
• Other
• Test creative messages with direct audience
• Hold focus grmessageoups
• Ensure you are reaching audience with correct
• Survey direct audience
• Qualitative result
• Quantitative result

25. Drought
2005 – 2007
• Lavon Lake hardest hit in region
• Drought Measures Implemented
• Customers did know water source
• Need to Know Lavon as water source
• SO…. NTMWD turned to the newly developed
state’s awareness campaign for assistance

26. 2006

27. 2007

28. 2008

29. 2009
2009 Print Ads

30. 2010
Stage: Reprieve from drought conditions
Goal: Work harder converting water wasters in
North Texas
Focus: Evolving mindsets – water conservation
is a way of life
Strategy: Wasting water is a bad habit that needs
to be stopped.
Relationships: Wasting water ranks up there with other
socially unacceptable bad habits:
• Playing sports in house
• Feeding pets on counter
• Leaving the faucet running
• Ignoring broken sprinkler head

31. 2010
House of Bad Habits
“Drop at least one
bad habit ------
Please don’t waste
our water”

32. 2011 - 2012

33. 2012 - 2013

34. 2014

35. KNOWLEDGE
of Water Source
IS KEY
to Conservation

36. Water IQ: Know Your Water
NTMWD Financial
Commitment
• 2006 Campaign $2.0 million
• 2007 Campaign $1.8 million
• 2008 Campaign $1.6 million
• 2009 Campaign $1.0 million
• 2010 Campaign $1.2 million
• 2011 Campaign $1.2 million
• 2012 Campaign $1.2 million
• 2013 Campaign $1.2 million
• 2014 Campaign $1.1 million
• 2015 Campaign $1.1 million
• 2015 Kids Campaign $100,000

37. WIQ Success
Knowledge of water source has
increased from 28% statewide in 2004 to
51% in NTMWD service area
Annualized water reductions of 12-15%
since 2006
Reduced Peak Summer Demands since
2006
Reduction of GPCD (as currently
measured)

38. Water IQ:
Know your water
• Research Based
• Qualitative
• Quantitative
• KEY to use research for success
• Use as Drought and Evergreen Campaign

39. Water IQ
State’s Branding Umbrella