Portraying a Positive Brand Image Through Community Outreach Events

Case Study – FPL Open Houses

Services

Client Industry

Challenge

A Curley & Pynn (C&P) – The Strategic Firm – client looking to expand its operations across multiple counties in the state of Florida wanted to give local neighborhood stakeholders the opportunity to learn more about its projects as part of the local/regional approval process. Our client tasked C&P with delivering exceptional community outreach experiences at nearly a dozen events throughout the year around the state.

From planning logistics to providing training to staff members and traveling to execute the events in person, we had to ensure open houses provided neighbors with a space to have their questions answered and concerns heard, all while leaving a positive image of the brand and its mission.

Objectives

In order to ensure our events were effective, informational and successful, we set multiple objectives, including:

  • Created an opportunity for community input to support project approvals.
  • Helped our client establish beneficial relationships with neighbors in order to identify issues and solve potential problems.
  • Ensured consistency of message across project teams.
  • Ensured the process is repeatable and consistent across counties, keeping in mind that we will host several events throughout the year.
  • Positioned our client as more than a business, but rather a neighbor to the community.
  • Ensured neighbors leave with a positive outlook on the client and its mission.

Solution

  • In the months leading up to each event, C&P staff researched the area to identify and secure appropriate venues, as well as local food and A/V vendors.
  • We hosted regular meetings with client teams in the weeks leading into each event to ensure that everyone was on the same page with regard to messaging, sharing a comprehensive message guide that provides responses for common issues/concerns.
  • To ensure customers left each event with a positive outlook on the organization and its mission, we spent a considerable amount of time planning for the most efficient setup, complete with educational boards, banners and monitors that illustrate our objective. We communicated our message and answered questions before they were even asked.
  • Since this is not a “one and done” situation, we established a repeatable process to ensure each event was consistent across counties.

Results

After many successful events across much of the state, Curley & Pynn has helped the client boil its open house process down to a science.

Today, the client anticipates extreme growth, and as such, many more community outreach events. By building on past experiences, our staff has been able to turn this into a repeatable, checklist-driven process.

Through training about how to respond to questions and document comments, and through strategic planning and training, the client’s mission of leaving a positive and lasting image on the community has been a success.

Overall, the client has seen positive feedback from these communities and, in the process, has learned quite a bit about its operations and how to better suit customer needs.

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