HomeMy WebLinkAbout#14 Communications Strategy AGENDA ITEM #14
Public Utility District m
MEETING DATE: February 7, 2024
TO: Board of Directors
FROM: Alex Spychalsky, Communication Specialist
Steven Poncelet, Public Information Officer
SUBJECT: 2024 Public Information Department Plan and Communications
Strategy
APPROVED BY:
Brian C. Wright, General Manager
RECOMMENDATION:
Receive this report and provide input and direction to staff.
BACKGROUND:
In 2023, the Public Information Department updated its annual plan and presented the
board with an update and expansion to the district's communication themes,
campaigns, and overall communications plan. The six-month effort to update the plan
included significant cross-departmental engagement, including the formation of the
Communications Themes Working Group. This seven-member committee looked at the
existing 2020 communication themes, which serve as the communication priorities for
the District, and consider whether they still serve the District, or if updates should be
made to better engage our customers and other audiences.
The Communication Themes Working Group determined that the best course of action
for the District would be to change both the perspective and the purpose of the themes,
in order to both prioritize a focus on customer needs and lead our audiences to a
deeper understanding of what the District does for its community. Not only were the
themes themselves analyzed, but much time was spent discussing how we
communicate with our various audiences, both internal and external. In an industry as
technical as electric and water utilities, concerted efforts must be made to ensure that
communications are done in a way that our customers can readily understand and keep
their interest.
Through this process, a new set of communications themes was assembled with a shift
to the perspective of our customers and communities. These were formatted to
encapsulate everything the District does in the simplest way possible. They exist to
ground our communications, and provide a foundation to further build the District's
communication strategy. From there, staff determined the District's 2023
communications campaigns, which were specific marketing plans built around high-
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priority, buildable topics that have a clear and relevant takeaway. To execute these
campaigns, new planning and organizational tools were implemented to ensure that the
District's communications strategy was well-organized, timely, measurable and visible.
The 2023 Public Information Department Plan and Communication Strategy was
presented to the Board on February 1, 2023 and implemented throughout the year.
While this effort has been led by the Public Information Department, the successful
implementation involved all of us. Everyone from staff to the Board is an ambassador of
the District. We wanted everyone to feel like this is their plan, that it represents the work
they do, and that it's something they can get behind and support.
ANALYSIS AND BODY:
During this informational workshop, staff will present the updated communications plan
for 2024, building on last year's progress and updating the plan to account for new
priorities. The 2024 Public Information Department Plan is included as Attachment 1.
While the overarching communications themes for 2024 have not changed, the specific
communications campaigns have evolved and been updated in the 2024 plan. This
includes the updated/new Board strategic initiatives, along with the District's Integrated
Resource Plan (IRP) for the electric utility.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES:
District Code 1 .05.020 Objectives:
1. Responsibly serve the public.
2. Provide a healthy and safe work environment for all District employees.
3. Provide reliable and high quality water supply and distribution system to meet
current and future needs.
4. Provide reliable and high quality electric supply and distribution system to meet
current and future needs.
District Code 1 .05.030 Goals:
3. Engage with our customers and communities in a welcoming and transparent way to
identify opportunities.
4. Take the best of private sector thinking to modernize the utility and add value to our
communities.
5. Developing an inclusive culture drives organizational integration and success.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The costs for the District's Public Information and Strategic Affairs Department are
included in the approved Board FY24 budget. There is no direct fiscal impact
associated with this informational workshop item.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. 2024 Public Information Department Plan_Fina12
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TRUCKEE DONNER
Public Utility District s
Public Information Department
2024 Plan
Last Updated: February 1, 2024
Public Information and Strategic Affairs Department
Truckee Donner Public Utility District
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary.................................................................................................3
Objective ...................................................................................................................4
Missionand Values ..................................................................................................4
Mission, Vision & Values.......................................................................................4
Communication Principals......................................................................................5
Communication Landscape.....................................................................................5
CommunicationGoals .............................................................................................7
TargetAudiences......................................................................................................8
Communication Themes..........................................................................................8
Communication Tactics...........................................................................................9
Communication Opportunities.............................................................................10
Communication Channels.....................................................................................12
Communication Roles & Responsibilities............................................................15
2024 Communications Campaigns.......................................................................16
New/Improved Communication Tools.................................................................16
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Objective
Truckee Donner Public Utility District (TDPUD) strives to provide open and transparent
outreach and communication to our customers, employees, community, and stakeholders.
The objective of this plan is to connect the TDPUD mission, values, strategic plan, and
programs to our customers and community. This is accomplished by effectively raising
awareness, educating, and engaging with our customers and partners in a manner that is
most beneficial to them. The TDPUD's Public Information and Strategic Affairs Director
and Communications Specialist, as part of the General Manager's Department, manage
external and internal communications and outreach, and are dedicated to provide clear,
timely, and relevant communications, in order to:
• Raise awareness, educate, and engage TDPUD's community regarding the value
of public power and water and the critical role we play.
• Build trust and lasting relationships to understand our customers' needs in order to
tailor our communications to be most effective.
• Increase customer and public awareness of potential electric and water outages
and communicate appropriate actions to take before, during and after emergencies.
• Support TDPUD's employee's efforts to effectively do their jobs by
communicating the "why" behind current efforts in order to raise awareness,
educate, and celebrate successes.
• Leverage TDPUD's resources and successes though joint-action with other sister
electric/water utilities in order to protect local control and inform the regulatory
process at the local, state, and federal levels.
• Increase trust and credibility as a reliable and effective source of information and
news
This Public Information Department 2024 Plan will address key TDPUD
communications and outreach efforts. This includes 2024 communication themes,
campaigns and strategies, as well as an ongoing dive into the community and media
environment the TDPUD communicates in.
Mission and Values
Truckee Donner Public Utility District Mission: To provide reliable, high-quality
utility and customer services while managing District resources in a safe, open,
responsible, environmentally-sound manner at the lowest practical cost.
Truckee Donner Public Utility District Values: Staff and Board believe that TDPUD's
mission is the foundation of everything that we do, and that shared values are the bridge
that connects every action with the mission. The TDPUD values are:
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• Accountability—Own It
• Integrity—Be Honest and Ethical
• Communication— Send and Receive
• Timeliness —Responsive to Goals and Commitments
• Safety— Safety is the Way of Life
• Work-Life Balance—Work Hard, Play Hard
Public Information Department Vision: To inform and educate our rate payers and the
broader community about the District by sharing topics that are relevant in ways that are
helpful to their life and in language anyone can understand, so they can maximize their
understanding and use of our services.
Communication Principals: TDPUD is committed to clear, timely, and relevant
communications in support of TDPUD's mission, key messages, operations, and the
Board of Directors' strategic plan and policies. This is accomplished by raising
awareness and educating customers and stakeholders on the role TDPUD plays in their
lives, engaging them on essential issues and initiatives, and enabling them to manage
their energy and water needs. Effective communication is accomplished with the support
of all levels of the organization, is grounded by our established themes and tactics, and
strives for the following:
• Communicate early, clearly, transparently and often.
• Deal in facts and truth.
• Be accessible, courteous and prompt.
• Anticipate and prepare rather than react; be proactive as well as responsive.
• Communicate to all audiences using a variety of channels, tools and tactics to
ensure the widest reach possible.
• Encourage dialogue and two-way information exchange.
• Communicate by word and deed. Do what we say we will do.
• Be consistent; communicate with one voice throughout the organization.
• Support an environment that creates informed, engaged employees.
• Control messaging in times of crisis and controversy.
• Do more than just what's required.
Communication Landscape
The TDPUD communication landscape is rapidly changing due to evolving regulations,
technology, demographics, and customer expectations. The impacts of climate change are
everywhere. In addition, the political landscape remains dynamic with electric and water
utilities finding themselves in the middle of important issues related directly and
indirectly to their core business. This is true both locally, at the state level, and at the
federal level. The post COVID-19 crisis and ongoing global disruptions have impacted
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operations (supply chain, staffing obstacles, production delays, change in local
demographics, etc.) and the duration of these impacts is unknown. The current landscape
poses a variety of challenges and opportunities for effective communications.
Political Landscape: Where in the past customers did not analyze the origins of their
utility services, there is significant focus today on the various models for serving
electricity and water (investor-owned, public-owned, microgrids, etc.), as well as the
resources used. In addition, shifting customer priorities and sentiment have resulted in an
increased focus on climate change, economic diversification, housing, and social
services.
2024 is an election year for the TDPUD with three of the five total seats on the Board up
for election. Any contested board election creates the opportunity to educate the
candidates, and community, on the key operational, financial, and community forces
impacting the TDPUD. Depending on the candidates, there may be specific campaign
issues that impact TDPUD's communications.
Demographic Landscape: The average age of Truckee residents has decreased over the
last decade. In addition, due in part to the very high cost of living in Truckee, the region
is seeing a migration out of the state from long-term residents, and an influx of wealthy
residents and visitors resulting in growing income inequality. The larger number of
second homes and short-term rentals are also contributing to a change in demographics,
and these transient visitors are becoming a larger portion of overall population. The
region's substantial Hispanic population is also an important and large demographic to
consider.
Social and Technology Landscape: As is the case globally, increasing customer demand
for more information and control is forcing a change in the way TDPUD communicates
and does business. Social media and the news cycle operate 24/7/365, with information
quickly disseminated from both official and unofficial sources. Customers are demanding
real-time, digital access to information and services. However, due in part to an overload
of digital information, the attention span for communications is shrinking and
images/videos are often needed to capture attention and tell a story. At the same time,
older and less tech-savvy populations struggle to keep up with new technology, and still
require traditional communications and, in some cases, face-to-face service. To
communicate with all customers and stakeholders effectively, TDPUD must leverage
both traditional and digital communication channels.
Legal Landscape: California has detailed and comprehensive laws that define the role
and responsibilities of TDPUD, along with ensuring open and transparent
communication. This includes the Special District Act, Public Records Act, and the
Ralph A. Brown Act. In addition, both the electric and the water utility are faced with
significant new unfunded laws and regulations every year coming out of Sacramento and
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Washington, DC. Finally, the dramatic increase in catastrophic wildfires in California and
globally caused by electric utility equipment, along with the state's inverse condemnation
law, have increased the legal and fiscal risk of all electric utilities and public agencies
who operate in the state.
Regulatory Landscape: California has always been a highly regulated state, often well
ahead of federal regulations, and especially with environmental regulations. The impacts
of past droughts, the ongoing catastrophic wildfires, and unpredictable energy markets
have only increased the number and significance of regulations impacting the water and
electric utility. The California water regulation, "conservation as a way of life," includes
new stringent requirements on water loss and indoor/outdoor residential water use. On
the electric side, climate impacts, including the increase in catastrophic wildfires, have
accelerated environmental mandates and introduced wildfire safety power outages and
mitigations that are impacting electric system reliability. The California Air Resource
Board's Advanced Clean Fleets Rule is pushing electrification of TDPUD utility trucks at
an alarming rate. California's regulatory landscape is only expected to be more impactful
in the future.
Economic Landscape: The Truckee-North Tahoe region has been experiencing
explosive growth and development, but maintains an economy dominated by tourism and
service sector jobs, with a growing population of remote workers. Local economic
development efforts have focused on promoting economic diversification. The gap
between local wages and the cost of housing/living remain a structural problem creating
recruitment and retention issues for TDPUD and many others. The combination of
remote work opportunities and the influx of wealth and talent from metro areas create
some opportunities for economic diversification, but also furthers the issues of inequity.
TDPUD Internal Landscape: TDPUD has performed at a very high level for the last
decade, when measured by financial, environmental, and operational metrics. This was
again true for 2023. TDPUD remains a great place to work and a key leader in the greater
Truckee community. However, as indicated above, both the utilities business model and
overall environment are changing rapidly. After a period of leadership transitions, the
organization continues to stabilize while experiencing the normal ups and downs. This
creates the opportunity to support and grow TDPUD's culture. TDPUD board and staff
are eager for timely and relevant internal communications and are very mission-driven.
Communication Goals
Foster and enhance TDPUD's relationships with customers and community to
build upon strong past performance and a trusted brand.
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• Provide TDPUD customers and the community with access to clear, timely, and
relevant communications about TDPUD and its services, projects, performance,
and emerging issues.
• Be visible in the community and serve as a trusted source of information on
energy and water issues.
• Connect our customers and community to the incredible people who work at
TDPUD and give them a window into what we do and the great place TDPUD is
to work.
• Improve stakeholder participation in TDPUD's affairs to ensure their voice has
been heard in decision making.
• Foster customer and community engagement to optimize resource conservation,
and help customers understand how and why they should use only the energy and
water that they need.
• Achieve coordinated and consistent communications both internally and
externally.
• Grow positive relationships with all stakeholders.
• Strategically plan and execute communications.
Target Audiences
Target audiences will vary by utility, program, and specific issue. Communication
messages and channels will be tailored to meet the needs of each program's identified
target audiences. TDPUD communications will consider individuals with disabilities and
speakers of other languages. TDPUD's main external and internal customers include:
External Audiences:
• Customers/rate payers
• Community members
• Visitors
• Local businesses
• Local agencies and partners
• Local homeowners associations
• Other electric/water utilities and joint-action groups
• Legislators and regulators (local, state, and federal)
• Potential employees
• Potential Board members
Internal Audiences:
• Staff
• Board of Directors
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Communications Themes
Communications themes are the foundation for building our communications strategy.
They create a high-level outline of what we want our audience to know about TDPUD.
These broad topics center the customer experience, allowing out customers' needs to
guide our communication priorities. They encapsulate what we do for the community,
how we are a benefit to the community, and how customers can get the most out of our
services. This is meant to serve as a planning and organizational tool, creating buckets we
can organize our communication campaigns and topics under.
Communications Themes:
• We provide essential, reliable services
• We provide timely, accurate, and relevant information
• We help you save money
• We keep your community safe
• We promote sustainability
• We're built for the mountain lifestyle
• We invest in our infrastructure
• We plan for the future
• We are the TDPUD
Communications Tactics
In order to effectively serve the TDPUD mission and maximize the benefits to customers
and community, an evolving communications strategy should:
Adapt to dynamic communications trends: Traditional communication channels need
to be augmented by the effective use of new channels, formats and techniques. There will
also always be a need for effective face-to-face communications, led by TDPUD's
customer service department and supported by efforts to interact with customers and the
community through meetings, speaker engagements, and community events. This
organically extends to TDPUD's field crews who routinely interact with the public.
A balance of traditional, digital, and face-to-face provides information that is timely,
easily accessible and addresses the needs of the customer base. A well-designed, usable,
accessible and mobile-friendly website is at the foundation of our digital communications
program. In addition, the evolution of our customer engagement platform, SmartHub
provides tremendous opportunities to combine the data from modern customer utility
meters with analytics and targeted digital communications. The electric outage
management system is one key example of adapting technology to meet customer
communications needs.
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Effectively utilize social media: Social media is an effective and low-cost way to
increase awareness and understanding of programs and services, optimize customer
service, address outages/emergencies, and get immediate feedback from customers and
community. Messages must be targeted, relevant and encourage public engagement.
Timely social media communication must be balanced against the need to be an accurate,
credible source of information. When planning posts, TDPUD must have an image-first
mentality, as text-only posts do not get the same attention or engagement as visual ones.
Leverage partnerships: Partnering with other local agencies,joint-action groups, and
key influencers is a way to leverage TDPUD resources and get the maximum benefit
from communications efforts. This includes considering outside resources and expertise
where appropriate.
Solicit and incorporate customer and community feedback: TDPUD should regularly
gather data that helps evaluate and make future decisions based on customer behaviors
and preferences. TDPUD now has access to data and analytics that provide valuable
insights into customer needs. TDPUD also needs to develop more avenues where
customers and stakeholders can communicate what they think. This may include surveys,
social media direct messaging, digital forums, or other spaces that encourage that
customer and community engagement. In 2023, TDPUD leveraged the community
broadband survey data and the TDPUD Strategic Plan 2021-2024 mid-cycle review
community circle input and data.
Educate and train employees in effective communications: All staff and board
members engaged in public communications should receive ongoing training in best
practices and proper techniques for media and public interaction. Effective internal and
external communications are the foundation for effective response to almost any
situation. This includes communicating during a crisis or contentious situation. It is also
important to celebrate successes and recognize strong performance.
Deliver open and transparent communications: As a public agency, TDPUD follows
all laws and regulations and strives for transparency and open communications in
everything that we do.
Communications Opportunities
Branding: TDPUD has a strong brand based on its decades-long electric and water
services, and role as a leader in the community. This was enhanced by the
implementation of TDPUD's strategic plan, and a deliberate focus on people and culture.
There is an opportunity, given the rapid evolution of the energy and water sectors, to
raise awareness and educate the community about the value of public power and the very
strong performance of TDPUD. TDPUD's successes in delivering conservation
programs, transitioning to carbon-free resources, improving system reliability,
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maintaining competitive rates, supporting electrification, managing water resources, and
helping our employees excel are worthy stories to be told. The opportunity exists to
further create an image that is consistent with the brand and performance of the TDPUD.
Customer Engagement: Customer engagement is a key focus for almost all electric and
water utilities. This is primarily served by the "My Account" section on a utilities website
where customers can log in to their account, manage contact information, make
payments, access energy and water usage, and sign up for outage alerts. The investment
in modern electric and water customer meter systems has opened up the opportunity to
combine detailed energy/water usage data with modern analytics to help customers
understand and manage their energy usage and provide targeted communications. This is
an opportunity for growth that has not yet been attempted by TDPUD. New technology,
such as the electric outage management system, has also been deployed to better serve
customer needs.
Face-to face communication remains an important way to connect with customers in a
meaningful way. Beyond our dedicated customer service agents, TDPUD staff and board
engage with our customers at events such as Truckee Thursdays, Truckee July 4th parade,
Big Truck Day, and other events.
Employee Engagement: Every employee, board member, and retiree is an ambassador
for TDPUD, and are often asked questions from customers or the public about tough
issues. Providing the board and staff with timely, relevant, and clear communications
enables them to excel at their job and effectively represent TPDUD. Given the strong
commitment to the TDPUD mission and values, communications with the emphasis on
`why', celebrating success, building relationships, and recognizing strong performance
are a key ingredient to a world-class workforce and organization. Recent internal
communication efforts that TDPUD will continue to build on include a monthly
employee newsletter, making external communications efforts more visible to employees,
regular staff-wide face-to-face meetings, and employee recognition programs.
Stakeholder Engagement: TDPUD has a broad array of stakeholders beyond the
customer base it serves. This includes local public agencies, regional interests, not-for-
profit organizations, HOAs, sister public electric/water utilities, labor and industry
groups, and key influencers. There are also special-interest groups that are advocating for
immediate action on topics that involve TDPUD and lobbying in local public forums and
engaging in political activities like gaining seats on local boards and councils to advance
their causes.
Opportunities for stakeholder engagement include speaking directly to the stakeholder
groups, educating by proxy, and targeted social media interactions. TDPUD should focus
on educating the community and these stakeholder groups about how their causes
intersect with key issues impacting the electric and water utilities, emphasizing data,
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science and financial implications, and leaning on TDPUD's reputation as an expert in its
field.
Trusted Information Source: TDPUD is trusted and respected by many of our
customers and stakeholders. TDPUD is uniquely positioned to help our community
navigate complex energy and water issues in a way that allows everyone to become
aware, educated, and empowered to make informed decisions. This includes learning how
to conserve energy/water and save money; understanding the performance, economics,
and environmental benefits of TDPUD's operations; the pros and cons of electric
vehicles, building electrification, solar, batteries, etc.; and what is being done to manage
local water resources. Customers are also being offered enhancements or alternatives to
traditional utility services from a variety of market-based organizations leveraging new
technology and innovations. The electric and water utility of the future must be able to
communicate its value and help customers make informed decisions about new
technologies, products, and services.
Media Relations: TDPUD is committed to being both proactive and responsive with the
media so that the public has access to the information it needs. The media can be very
helpful in educating the public, however, in pursuit of objectivity,journalists will balance
our point of view with others, and as a result may not carry our message fully. The
opportunity exists to be helpful to the media by fostering strong relationships and
ensuring they understand the context and the background of TDPUD issues and/or
actions. When successful, the resulting stories are more accurate and balanced, helping
TDPUD's communications efforts by introducing an objective perspective.
The TDPUD Public Information Officer and Communications Specialist manage media
relations and are the first line of contact with the media. However, when practical,
including TDPUD subject matter experts on a given topic can be effective, as the public
trusts the people actually doing or leading the work being discussed. The PIO and
Communication Specialist facilitate media inquiries, getting journalists the answers they
need when they need them. Ideally, TDPUD's communications efforts with the media are
proactive and minimize unknown and/or reactive situations. TDPUD communicates with
the media proactively with press releases, reactively with interviews and inquiry
responses, and passively via social media, customer emails and our website, as we know
the media also scans these channels for stories.
Government Affairs: TDPUD, as a regulated electric and water utility, is subject to a
complex array of existing laws and regulations with new proposals coming out daily.
Many of the new laws and regulations are being driven by environmental concerns,
natural disasters (wildfire, flood, earthquake, mega storms, etc.), social justice, and
safety. Almost all new efforts result in unfunded mandates, meaning the cost of
compliance must be passed on to our customers and community.
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Educating and informing our political representatives locally, in Sacramento, and in
Washington D.C. regarding TDPUD's performance and the impacts of proposed
laws/regulations is critical in influencing policies impacting TDPUD's ability to achieve
its mission. Much of this work is accomplished through joint-action with sister electric
and water utilities through the California Municipal Utilities Association (CMUA),
Northern California Power Agency (NCPA), Association of California Water Agencies
(ACWA), California Special Districts Association (CSDA), Utah Associated Municipal
Power Systems (DAMPS), and American Public Power Association (APPA).
Stakeholder Input/Feedback: Understanding rapidly evolving customer (and
community) needs is critical to delivering on goals and providing cost-effective programs
and services. TDPUD is very active in the community and provides opportunities for
feedback through board meetings, community events and regular communications.
We've also involved our community in the discussion on key issues such as TDPUD's
strategic plan, water and energy resource stewardship, and preventing wildfires. There are
opportunities to increase stakeholders' input/feedback through community engagement,
surveys, and digital/social tools.
Staff Input/Feedback: Open and effective two-way communication with staff is critical
for TDPUD's management and Board's success. TDPUD conducts annual third-party
employee surveys to measure satisfaction, understand needs, and prioritize investments in
TDPUD's most important resource; our people.
Communication Channels
TDPUD will continue to utilize existing communications channels as well as implement
and explore new methods to convey its messages to its intended audiences. The below list
of channels and tactics should be viewed as a living document and modified as conditions
change.
Paid Media (Advertising): For TDPUD, this includes advertising in the Sierra Sun,
Moonshine Ink, Tahoe Donner News, The Shire, KTKE, the Truckee Insider's Guide,
and other local publications. In 2024, we will be exploring new digital advertising
channels, both with local publications and on social media. We will continue to analyze
the local media market to decide how much to invest in this channel.
Earned Media (PR): TDPUD writes and distributed press releases to encourage the
media to share our messages with their readers/viewers. Press releases are often used
word-for-word in some of the smaller publications, while larger media outlets tend to use
them to represent TDPUD's side of a story/issue or to inspire a more detailed story.
TDPUD posts all press releases to the website. TDPUD also engages in ongoing dialogue
with the media to provide awareness of potential stories and emerging issues, while
effectively responding to media inquiries to ensure balanced and factual stories. In 2024,
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TDPUD will explore new ways to engage with the media, including utilizing shorter
media alerts to draw attention to events, initiatives and projects, submitting op-ed pieces
to local media, expanding to new publications where relevant, and submitting to local
event calendars.
TDPUD Website: The website is the ultimate landing spot for customer
communications. It is critical that the website be easy to navigate, effectively organized,
visually-appealing and contain relevant content that is frequently updated. In 2023,
TDPUD focused on organizing and introducing new content to the website. In 2024,
there are plans to overhaul the website and continue to introduce new content. Ideas
include streamlining the navigation, reorganizing the homepage with customer needs in
mind, standardizing the look and content of pages across all sections, and adding a media
center and a "blog" component, to allow for the addition of more editorial content. This
effort will also include the assessment of the value of the current website and the
opportunity to either continue to invest in incremental improvement or consider a new
website in 2025.
Social Media: In 2023, TDPUD prioritized social media as a crucial communication
channel, and will continue to expand the role of social media in District communications
in 2024. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are the current social platforms utilized, and
content is shared in the various formats these platforms afford, including images, reels,
stories and text-only posts. In 2024, TDPUD will re-launch its LinkedIn presence and
will consider the value of utilizing other platforms like YouTube and NextDoor. TDPUD
will also explore new types of content to produce to get our messages across in a way that
aligns with what our audience wants to see and what these platforms prioritize for reach.
Content Creation: In this age of information overload, creating content that grabs the
audience's attention and keeps it long enough to get your message across is critical. In
many cases, words have been replaced with videos, photos, and infographics. In 2024,
TDPUD will continue to explore new ways to communicate in a visually forward way
and expand on the types on content it shares in order to stimulate interest in the District.
New ideas include quick educational videos, employee spotlights, behind-the-scenes
footage, ride alongs, infographics for dense topics, and more.
Customer Emails: TDPUD now has email addresses on file for nearly all customers, and
uses SmartHub to facilitate customer-wide and targeted emails. Typically, these emails
include a call to action regarding an initiative, but in 2024 TDPUD will explore other
ways to expand on customer emails, including a quarterly newsletter and possible format
upgrades.
Public Meetings/Workshops/Hearings: Every time TDPUD holds a board meeting
(formal) or public workshop (informal), there is an opportunity to communicate with the
public. Public meetings come in many forms and have various purposes, but are usually
used to inform the public and conduct business in an open and transparent manner. They
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are also an opportunity to receive input from participants about their thoughts, concerns
or ideas around a given topic. Depending on the type of public meeting, there may be
formal notification requirements as required by law. TDPUD also uses a local partner to
live stream video and audio of TDPUD board meetings, plus a recorded version is
available online shortly after the meeting. This community service allows citizens who
are not able to attend meetings in person to watch/listen to the proceedings and get
information
Signage: The TDPUD's main lobby, board room, and event pop-ups are places that the
TDPUD has an opportunity to display messages, provide information, and interact with
customers and community. In 2024, TDPUD will be updating its vertical banners to
reflect the new direction of our public messaging. TDPUD will also be updating its
Conservation Garden signage, re-launching its on-site digital signage, and expanding its
use of roadside digital message boards. Incorporating TDPUD's brand and messages into
these areas in a clean and compelling way is an important communications opportunity.
Community Outreach: Being face-to-face with the community at big events like
Truckee Thursday and Big Truckee Day, or with targeted audiences like Good Morning
Truckee or the Rotary Club, is an important way for TDPUD to engage with customers
and get its messaging across directly from the source. In 2024, TDPUD will continue to
explore new outreach opportunities like local career days, quarterly community
workshops and a conservation scavenger hunt.
Face-to-Face: Building strong and lasting relationships across the community is integral
to the success of the TDPUD. There will always be a place for in-person
communications and the personal touch. TDPUD's customer service department is on the
front line of this effort.
Internal Communications: Improving communications among TDPUD staff remains a
high priority for TDPUD's leadership team, and the communications team has been
tasked with helping to facilitate this. In 2023, TDPUD fully launched a redesigned
monthly internal newsletter, and also continued circulating talking points for important
initiatives, to empower all staff to be ambassadors for the District. In 2024, the
communications team will also continue to work with customer service to improve our
flow of communication with their department and be mindful of their staffing schedule
when planning external communications, create a talking points library for CSRs and all
employees to access to ensure consistent communications, have a standing meeting with
water and electric department heads to review communication needs and stay ahead of
upcoming projects, and improve the pipeline between staff in the field and the
communications specialist to gather behind the scenes content for publication.
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Communications Roles & Responsibilities
Public Information and Strategic Affairs Director: Responsible for the overall
management and execution of TDPUD's Public Information Department 2024 Plan.
Responsible for legislative and regulatory communication focuses. Manages relationship
with board members.
Communications Specialist: Responsible for the creation of the communication themes,
campaigns and strategies. Executes all stages of the communication plan. Handles the
day-to-day communication needs of TDPUD across all channels.
Executive Leadership Team: Works directly with the Public Information and Strategic
Affairs Director and Communications Specialist to review develop the TDPUD Public
Information Department 2024 Plan, share feedback, and support its implementation. The
ELT serves as key ambassadors for TDPUD both internally and externally.
Staff and Board: All representatives of TDPUD play a role in communications, so
internal communication on major initiatives and talking points should be prioritized to
ensure consistency across all departments in customer and community interactions.
Outside resources and expertise: TDPUD has traditionally relied, where appropriate, on
outside consultants to support communications efforts. This includes public relations,
communications, and design services.
Partner agencies: Sister electric and water utilities along with joint-action groups
(CMUA, NCPA, ACWA, CSDA, DAMPS, and APPA) are a source of communication
content. TDPUD staff also coordinate with local communications efforts from key
partner agencies and organizations (Town, Fire, Truckee Chamber, non-profits, HOA's,
etc.) in an effort to leverage resources and expand reach.
2024 Communications Campaigns
Campaigns are how the TDPUD will organize its long-lead, multi-platform
communication topics. Campaigns will reflect a high priority of the District, cover a topic
that is relevant to customers, have a clear goal, and be something TDPUD can build upon
to educate customers in the proper phases. Campaign goals can range from awareness to
education to a call to action. The following are TDPUD's 2024 campaigns.
• Your Money at Work - ongoing
• Living the Mountain Lifestyle - ongoing
• Electrification & Rebates - ongoing
• Wildfire Season - ongoing
• Working for the TDPUD - ongoing
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• Energy Sources & "Clean" Energy - ongoing
• Responsible Water Usage
• Integrated Resource Planning and Your Role
• Drink Tap/Water Quality (partnership with Keep Truckee Green)
• TDPUD Board Updated Strategic Initiatives
o Service Reliability and Safety
o Net Carbon Reduction
o Local Watershed Stewardship
o Community Broadband
New/Improved Communication Tools
Editorial Calendar: The Public Information Department will implement an editorial
calendar to assist in long-term communication campaign planning. A high-level annual
plan will keep important topics in view, while a more detailed monthly calendar will
highlight the District's day-to-day communications across various channels.
Asset Library: All District images and videos will be cataloged and organized in an
easy-to-access asset library.
Talking Point Library: To ensure consistent communication and understanding of
important issues across all internal departments, a library of talking points will be
compiled on the P Drive.
Website Redesign: The TDPUD website will be audited and redesigned in 2024 and
2025, to ensure that it is an intuitive, accessible platform with users' needs in mind.
Media Kit: A media kit is a quick and easy way for journalists to access information and
content for your brand. Having this on hand will help with requests for images, basic
information about TDPUD, etc.
Media Center: The TDPUD website needs a dedicated landing page for the Public
Information Department, which will be known as the media center. The media center will
include quick resources for journalists like the media kits, as well as host press releases,
blogs and other relevant communications content.
Brand Guidelines: To ensure consistency across the District, the Public Information
Department will create TDPUD brand guidelines, which will build on the existing
mission and values to further define the brand's characteristics and voice, as well as
visual elements like logos, fonts, colors, etc.
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Crisis Communications Plan: The District has an existing crisis communications plan,
but it has not been updated in a few years. The plan will be reviewed and updated to
reflect the District's current needs and potential scenarios it might face.
Operational Communications Plans: Building on the PSOM SOP created in 2022, the
Public Information Department will build out communications plans for both planned and
unplanned outages, as well as other operational needs.
Social Media Policy: The District has an existing social media policy, but it has not been
updated in a few years. This document will be updated to reflect the current landscape of
social media, and reflect reasonable expectations for employees.
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