Transcript

Achieving the “Holy Grail” of Communicating

and Convincing the Value of Water

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Presented by Samantha Villegas, APR

President, SaVi PR, LLC

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

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20+ years in communications

12 in water

Accredited

Environmental focus/social marketing

Agency, government, corporate

*Why keeping quiet hurts your

reputation

How to conduct outreach that yields financial results

Why communicating “at” customers will not incite support

and can, instead backfire

Why achieving widespread understanding is elusive, and

how to get it

What changes to business operations can improve your

communications success

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Why achieving widespread

understanding is elusive, and how to

get it What changes to business operations can improve your communications

success

Problem 1 – Defining Value

Solution – Messaging with Context

and Relevance

Problem 2 – Strategic Approach

Solution – Following Diffusion Theory

Why achieving widespread

understanding for VALUE is elusive, and how to get it

Problem 3 – Meeting Customer

Needs

Solution(s) – Hiring for attitude, phone

technology, cross training, mobile-

ready, 21st century bill pay.

What changes to business operations can improve your communications

success

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Why achieving widespread

understanding for VALUE is elusive, and how to get it

Please make me pay

more for something I

need every single day,

without a noticeable

change in quality or

service

Said No One Ever.

val·ue noun \ˈval-(ˌ)yü\

something (as a principle or

quality) intrinsically valuable or desirable

a fair return or equivalent in

goods, services, or money for something exchanged

the monetary worth of

something: market price

relative worth, utility, or importance <a good value at the price>

a numerical quantity that is assigned or is determined by calculation or measurement

Context Relevance

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Why achieving widespread

understanding for VALUE is elusive, and how to get it

Context

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System Failures

Droughts Economy

Woes

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*Transparency

Accountability

Efficiency

Local Control

Why achieving widespread

understanding for VALUE is elusive, and how to get it

Relevance

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Specificity Connection Solution

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Community

Consequences

Partnership

Local Control

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Why achieving widespread

understanding for VALUE is elusive, and how to get it

Strategies

Email

Broadcast media

Snail mail

Newspaper advertising

Awareness Interest Evaluation Trial Adoption

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I Innovators

Early Adopters

Early Majority/Majority

Laggards

Awareness

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Why achieving widespread

understanding for VALUE is elusive, and how to get it

Awareness Interest Evaluation Trial Adoption

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Awareness Interest Evaluation Trial Adoption

3-6 Months 3-6 Months 3-6 Months 3-6 Months 6+ Months

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What changes to business operations can improve your communications

success

*Communicating value has

everything to do with:

Water is on. Pressure is good. Tastes ok. Smells ok.

Calls are answered fast.

Money is refunded fast.

Water is tested fast.

Questions are answered completely.

Info is available 24-7 where they are (mobile)

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24-7 Access

Bill Payment

Call Center

Field Service

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• 24/7 Access

• Bill Payment

• Field Service

• Call Center

Training/

technology

Hire for attitude

Mobile/

social

21st century

standard

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Define value as your audience does

Communicate with context and relevance

Be deliberate and thoughtful in use of strategy, it’s not volume but the approach

Meet their needs FIRST

Investments in mobile, social, training, technology and hiring for attitude

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