My electric company puts out ads showing their employees going to work. That was literally the commercial I just saw for my electric company and then they show their logo in the corner.
What is the purpose of this? It’s not like they have a competitor and this ad might make me switch back to them or stay with them.
So what’s the point in making these ads?
For PR. They’re trying to shape public perception of themselves in order look less like the bad guys, either for recruiting purposes or in order to hopefully receive less public or regulatory backlash over whatever the next shady stunt they’re planning on pulling is.
I see a lot of “For the PR” comments. This is only a fraction of why ads are purchased by utilities, large companies, and other entities with whom you never directly do business. The overarching reason they purchase ads is to have influence over narratives by those networks.
Source: used to develop software in the energy sector for a multinational; my employer and their corporate customers regularly bought ads to help bolster energy efficiency initiatives. These initiatives and interventions are frequently countered and opposed by exactly the corporate dickwads you think would oppose reduced consumer energy consumption.
I bet the local energy provider is owned by a large conglomerate, and they want you to think that the company is locally managed and any profits they make go back into the community, instead of to the Corporate Overlords…
This can be particularly important for heavily regulated industries, as their profits are contingent on the local politicians continuing to like them. So while I am sure a significant portion of their budget goes to greasing palms to make sure politicians like them, they also need to make sure the voting population is not hostile to them, so that they don’t get some grass roots movement going that elects hostile politicians.
Hmm…that’s an interesting point. They don’t claim to be a local entity, they’re known to operate for almost half of my state as a corporation. But where I see your point is that this may be a corporation trying to make their image feel more down to home. “We’re not like those other big, bad corporations. We’re your friends!”
I never thought of that before.
A bunch more of this advertising started on my area after the local city council started considering making their own public option for power.
Is your electric company requesting a rate increase from a public utilities commission?
Not that I’m aware of. I’ve gotten letters like that for my trash collection and I think gas company, but nothing for the electric company.
if you think they care about you, are doing a great job, and are spending your money well - you won’t seek to make them perform better as a regulated monopoly by contacting your public service commission or your legislative representative.
Are you sure there’s no competition? I’m aware that competition is allowed in my market but their marketshare is so tiny I doubt anyone knows it exists.
Not in my area because I would take it in a heartbeat.
The only competition is solar, if you consider that a competitor. Other than that, you use them or you have no electricity.
Employer branding. To attract skilled laborers, engineers, any type of profile that is not easy to find.
Often the utility is required to do some PR. Power line safety ads for example is something the regulators require. Energy conservation - they make money the more energy you use (except at peak times!) so conservation is not in their interests - but the regulators require a lot of such programs.
Yeah we do get those too, like “avoid downed power lines” which I can understand why they’d have ads for that, for public safety.
Just seemed weird to just tell people you exist when we have no choice but to have you. But other comments seem to provide good reasons for that.
