National Grid - Summer Friday

Client

Services

Branding
Campaign strategy and planning
Creative development
- Video
- Social
- Email
- Direct mail
- Experiential creative

Multinational utility company National Grid has always provided volunteer and service programs throughout New York State. But they were looking to make an even bolder statement — with a reinvigorated commitment both to the clean energy transition and to the communities they serve.

When National Grid first came to us, we understood the need for a campaign that moved beyond reach. One that involved giving back, engaging community members and enhancing brand sentiment.

But — let’s face it: Audiences are rarely enthusiastic about utility brands. And they’re unlikely to engage with their utility service provider’s content. That’s why the message was every bit as important as the medium. Summer Friday began by building an identity for Project C — a cohesive campaign that not only provided positive messages about the company’s commitment to the community, but also connected with audiences before invoking the National Grid name.

power to the people

Since the campaign launched in 2021, we’ve worked hand-in-hand with National Grid to amplify their values and commitments through every available channel: organic content, user-generated content, paid campaigns, partnerships, murals, local competitions and more. At every turn, we’ve prioritized lifting up the voices of the people over the brand itself, and making sure every dollar spent works for the benefit of the community.

Highlighting the impact of community organizations, local artists and employee service efforts has allowed us to celebrate the unique character and culture of the neighborhoods National Grid serves and reinforce that they’re more than a utility company — they’re part of the community.

results

We made sure to build a strong foundation for Project C on organic channels, exceeding National Grid’s email open rate goal by 55% and consistently performing over engagement benchmarks across social channels.

Then we expanded into paid channels, where we’re not just delivering on campaign benchmarks, we’re driving meaningful engagements and interactions with the communities National Grid serves. Our CTV ads boast an impressive 98% video completion rate and our statewide Week of Service netted a 96% positive social media sentiment — in a category that typically struggles with audience engagement.

The content we’re creating for Project C does more than just make an impression, it tells a story, sparks emotion and — if we’ve done our jobs properly — inspires an action. Summer Friday is proud to be a part of the future that National Grid is helping to rewrite, with Project C at the heart of it.