Division A - Public Relations Programs
Category 6 - Internal
LCEC Ride the WAVE Informational Event
LCEC Public Relations, WAVE Core Team
Golden Image Award
Judges' Award
Research/Situation Analysis:
To manage electric customer requests, LCEC field employees are assigned
daily work schedules. Research indicated that declining service
standard statistics and customer comments began to point to a problem
with the work management process. Projected growth throughout the
service territory and the age of the existing work management system
indicated the critical need for an updated system. Research also showed
that delays occurred when paperwork was misplaced. Additionally, the
time it took to complete a job from start to finish was often prolonged
due to manual transfer of paperwork between departments. After a needs
analysis and cost benefit comparison, members of the operations
department believed the process time could be reduced with an automated
mobile system. Implementation of a new work management system would
involve nearly every employee within the company so the first step
toward achieving positive results would be to secure employee buy-in by
communicating the benefits of the project. One-on-one interviews
indicated that the workforce was hesitant to begin implementation of a
major three-year system implementation on the heels of a recent
challenging two-year billing software implementation. The Public
Relations department was called in to help develop a communication
plan. An integral part of the plan was a pre-project informational
event where employees could learn about the proposed project, its
benefits and implementation. Research of past successful LCEC projects
indicated that employees were more likely to embrace a project when
information was presented in a fun and enlightening manner and did not
take them away from their busy schedules for too long. The target
audience for the event was LCEC employees from multiple departments and
the management team.
Objectives: (1) To communicate needs analysis
results, project benefits and details in a positive, fun, interactive
way to a diverse group of employees at an event lasting less than two
hours in duration. (2) To familiarize at least 1/3 of employees with
the project name and its major components. (3) To introduce employees
to the core project team in a way that encourages input and support.
(4) To provide information geared toward a variety of employees with a
budget of less than $1,000 prior to officially kicking off the project.
Implementation: LCEC public relations and the core
project team brainstormed themes for the project that would easily
communicate its value and be fun at the same time. The group decided on
“WAVE” to stand for Workforce Automation Vision Enablement. This would
also be utilized as the theme for the informational event. The team
researched surfing lingo, decoration ideas, promotional items and
options for presenting information in an interactive way opposed to a
long drawn out technical presentation. An interactive game show which
incorporated technical information would keep employees interested and
hands-on displays would provide examples of project benefits. Using a
Jeopardy game show theme, a PowerPoint presentation was developed and
the project sponsor, who also had a great personality, became the host.
Employees received an email invitation and the event was promoted on
the intranet. Upon arriving at the event, employees registered for
prize drawings by writing what the acronym WAVE stands for. A WAVE pen
was given to each employee and they were encouraged to jot down clues
from informational displays that could possibly be the answers for the
Jeopardy game. Prior to beginning WAVE Jeopardy, employees were invited
to munch on tropical treats and peruse displays nestled among surf
boards, palm trees and miniature surf-mobiles. The palm tree
decorations were re-used from a prior event and the surf boards were
crafted out of scrap foam core left over from another project. The WAVE
core team, donning beach attire, was available to answer questions,
initiate conversation, and show off their positive attitudes about the
project. A brief introduction emphasizing the needs assessment and cost
benefit analysis led up to the introduction of the core team. A
life-size photo where team members’ heads had been graphically placed
on the bodies of well-fit surfers generated a lot of conversation and
employees were very interested in who was on the core team. After 20
minutes, employees were encouraged to participate in Jeopardy with a
“Surfing Joe” prize for anyone giving a correct answer. Core team
members were prepared to answer if employees didn’t, but that was never
the case. After Jeopardy, employees were invited to revisit displays
and ask questions of the core team. The atmosphere and core team
accessibility made it easy for employees to ask even the simplest
questions. Prize drawings winners were announced through email.
Evaluation: (1) In just under two hours,
employees were able to familiarize themselves with all aspects of the
project through multiple mediums - displays, positive interaction and a
memorable game. 2) Just over 1/3 of employees attended the event and 87
percent of those who attended entered the prize drawing by correctly
identifying the name of the project. The name of the project was
reinforced during the event and the interactive game. Three department
heads asked if the presentation could be given at upcoming staff
meetings which would reach an additional third of employees (3)
Attendees interacted with the core team and were introduced in an
unforgettable way that showed they were approachable and believed in
the project. Many employees stayed after the event to talk to the core
team. (4) The event provided multiple mediums geared toward all types
of employees. The event was held two weeks prior to project kick-off
and total cost was below budget.
Budget: Display materials (produced in-house)
$10. Event invitations $0. Game development (produced in-house) $0.
Food $126.79. Promotional items/prizes $287.48 Total: $414.27. Public
Relations and core team staff time: 30 hours for planning and
execution.