Nuclear branding was a proactive initiative to place positive messages in the media highlighting activities and accomplishments of Entergy’s plants in the South, with a goal to brand Entergy as a nuclear leader. To capitalize on an industry environment known as the “nuclear renaissance,” we wanted to educate decision makers and other key audiences on nuclear’s many benefits, from cost to reliability to environmental impact. Public relations through news releases, community meetings, plant tours, and advocacy helped us achieve our goals and resulted in improving third-party analysts’ favorability scores from 48 percent to 72 percent in one year.
Claiborne Works!
Claiborne Works! was a collaborative effort between Entergy and Claiborne County, home of Grand Gulf Nuclear Station, signaling an improved working relationship between the company and area leaders. The initiative established an economic development office in the county aimed at attracting new industry and increasing tourism. “Entergy and Claiborne County: Partnering for a Stronger Community” won a 2010 Communitas Award from the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals.
National Nuclear Science Week
National Nuclear Science Week was created by our team as a way to promote nuclear power’s positive effect on the environment. Launched in conjunction with Earth Day, we incorporated two worldwide awareness events under the tagline, “Entergy observes Earth Day every day.” The purpose was to tout Entergy’s record as an environmental advocate and a leading producer of nuclear power. Since then, promotion of National Nuclear Week has become a key component of the communications strategies for energy companies around the globe.
News Release
Power Path to Nuclear Energy
Power Path to Nuclear Energy was developed to spark students’ interest in the field of nuclear energy. The curriculum was provided to Mississippi public schoolchildren in grades 7-12 through a unique partnership between Entergy Nuclear, Entergy Mississippi, the Mississippi State Department of Education and EnergySolutions Foundation. The launch and distribution of the materials, along with classroom presentations during National Nuclear Science Week, resulted in media coverage from a variety of sources, including television and print. Power Path also was cited as a key contributor to improved customer-satisfaction scores for Entergy Mississippi. Power Path to Nuclear Energy won a Platinum Award in the Corporate Social Responsibility Category of the 2010 MarCom Awards.
Introduction
News Releases
We’re What’s Next
We’re What’s Next involved the reorganization of Entergy Nuclear in its plan to spin off two groups and form them into new companies. The strategy was unprecedented in the utility industry and represented a bold step by Entergy to capitalize on its expertise as a world-class nuclear operator. “We are the future of nuclear energy” became the tagline of the branding strategy, highlighting how nuclear would play key roles in Entergy’s and in America’s energy futures. Nuclear communications coordinated all-employee meetings in which Entergy’s chief nuclear officer visited 10 Entergy sites in the South and Northeast to provide updates on performance and future direction. The communications staff produced multi-media presentations, scripts and messaging and also handled logistics and AV support. In post-meeting surveys, more than 76 percent of Entergy Nuclear South employees and more than 82 percent of Entergy Nuclear Northeast employees either agreed or strongly agreed that meetings “provided useful information about the company and Entergy Nuclear operations.” Regulatory reviews began in the Northeast, where Entergy owns and operates several merchant plants. After encountering setbacks with New York regulators, Entergy leaders felt that longstanding opposition to nuclear power in the state and throughout the region would ultimately prove too difficult to overcome. Entergy withdrew its plans to reorganize.
Video
Posters
Nuclear in 60 Seconds
Nuclear in 60 Seconds was an evolution of the 2009 We’re What’s Next video podcasts. Videos were intended to provide an internal grassroots brand, letting employees tell plant success stories in their own words. Podcasts were filmed in work environments and voiced over by employees who were subject-matter experts for each topic. The series helped put a human face on technical issues, reinforced Entergy’s key messages and engaged all levels of the workforce.
Business Plans
For years, plant business plans lacked a consistent format and theme and did not address community involvement. In order to present a one-fleet approach, it was important for business plans to reflect an overall vision and mission that united all sites and nuclear headquarters. Beginning in 2010, the nuclear communications team launched business plans for each site and headquarters that had a consistent look and format and connected plant goals to overall Entergy Nuclear goals. Each business plan also contained a section for community relations that highlighted employee-led initiatives such as food and toy drives, beautification projects and volunteer work with local schools.
