Community outreach campaign turns the lights on for those in need.
“We are pleased to have served more than 56,000 households to date with this year’s program. While the state is down in applications this year due to the warmer winter, Milwaukee County is continuing to increase the number of households served by this program. We are very proud to provide this service to ease the burden of utility bills for our residents in need.”
Kane helped to ensure more eligible households in Milwaukee County were aware of the Energy Assistance Program through this integrated communications campaign that utilized community events, elected official relations, digital and traditional advertising and more.
The Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) administers the Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program (WHEAP) in Milwaukee County. The Energy Assistance Program provides qualified Milwaukee County residents with a one-time annual payment to make energy (heating and electric) bills more affordable.
Kane Communications Group partnered with the energy assistance program in this initiative, helping the team to increase communications and outreach to its target audiences with a focus on new applicants and engaging with County Supervisors, encouraging families to apply.
SOLUTION
We developed an integrated communications plan to expand program outreach to drive eligible families and individuals to apply for energy assistance and attend kickoff events. Our plan included:
Integrated strategic communications strategy
Ongoing social media support and execution
Content marketing
Event support
Public relations outreach
Video productions
Design: advertising, promotional and marketing materials
Website maintenance
Consistent partner and provider communications
Advertising recommendations and facilitations
Media buys
RESULTS
The energy assistance season ran from September to May. By March the program provided 56,000 households with Energy Assistance compared to 49,864 households in the previous year. One in every six households were new applicants to the program. In total, more than 62,000 applications were submitted.
