When folks in the San Juan Islands need electricity, they turn to the member-owned, non-profit cooperative OPALCO. And when the co-op wanted to add broadband to the services they provide, they turned to EnviroIssues to create a complete branding and outreach campaign. To fund the capital infrastructure needed for broadband, the co-op knew they’d have to ask members to invest, and they asked for our help in determining how best to keep people informed along the way.
We worked closely with OPALCO management and staff to lead a branding process that resulted in a new logo and a tagline reflecting the organization’s long record of service while establishing the new direction that broadband services would represent. We worked closely with OPALCO’s web designer to create a new company webpage that became a one-stop shop for co-op members to gather the information they needed. They could provide feedback on the site and even sign up for broadband service! And we didn’t stop there: in order to ensure OPALCO had all they needed for the rollout of the broadband initiative, we developed and implemented a community outreach plan with collateral materials branded with the new visual identity and key messages and talking points. As broadband service continued to evolve for OPALCO, the brand and communication materials we created served as the foundation for the co-op’s ongoing conversation with their members about how to bring high-speed internet service to the San Juans.