Increasing Awareness, Demand for Natural Gas Services Through the Strategic Implementation of Advertorials

Case Study – LANGD Advertorials

Services

Client Industry

Challenge

Lake Apopka Natural Gas District (LANGD), a public utility company that provides the direct distribution of natural gas to customers in Central Florida cities such as Apopka, Clermont, Winter Garden and neighboring areas, has been a client of Curley & Pynn (C&P) – The Strategic Firm – for over half a decade.

Over that time, the natural gas industry has faced challenges as our country’s sustainability conversation has continuously evolved to include discussions of the best alternatives for a clean energy future, with the movement known as “electrification” gaining serious momentum and even posing a threat to the future of natural gas.

In response, Curley & Pynn has worked with LANGD to develop and distribute monthly community paper articles, or advertorials, to local media outlets in order to communicate to homeowners the many benefits of natural gas as an energy source, as well as the dangers in heading toward a “one-size-fits-all” all-electric energy approach.

Objectives

Our overarching objective advertorials is simple: reach current and potential natural gas customers with important information and facts about the benefits of natural gas in order to grow demand for our client’s product.

Solution

Each advertorial that The Strategic Firm produces is done with the intent to position LANGD as the preferred energy provider to consumers within its service area.

To do this, we consistently highlight the benefits of natural gas, such as its cost-saving capabilities compared to electric alternatives, its reliability (even during storms that cause power outages) and more. We also aim to add validity to these advertorials, often referring to third-party sources, such as the U.S. Department of Energy, trusted magazines or other respected outlets that conduct research and provide relevant data that supports our mission.

In order to make these advertorials feel more relevant to readers, topics are often centered around current events. For example, around the holiday season, we produce advertorials focused on using natural gas to cook and save money, while during the late-summer months, we highlight natural gas’s reliability as a benefit to consumers who can’t afford to lose power to their homes or business. We also take full advantage of key awareness dates such as Public Natural Gas Week or Natural Gas Utility Workers’ Day to tell our story.

Results

By combining the above strategies, Curley & Pynn’s advertorial efforts have received an overwhelmingly positive response from both readers and LANGD. In 2022, LANGD welcomed over 1,000 new customers as C&P helped secure over 55 advertorial spots in local newspapers, generating over 430,000 total impressions. These stories are also often shared on social media, where the District can reshare and continue to spread its message to its online followers, further improving the reach and impact of its message.

Today, in 2023, the District has expanded to a customer base of over 27,000, and has grown by an incredible 38.5% over the past five years, making them the fourth-fastest growing municipally owned natural gas system in the state of Florida.

Curley & Pynn continues to identify new ways to share LANGD’s story and call attention to the many benefits of natural gas through the use of these advertorials. By dispelling myths, referring to outside sources and highlighting benefits, we can continue to spread our message and encourage homeowners to make the switch to natural gas.

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