NW Natural
NW Natural is a publicly traded utility in Oregon working as a natural gas distributor. NW Natural delivers more energy in Oregon than any other utility. Customers use their gas for their homes and businesses. This accounts for 6% of Oregon’s greenhouse gas emissions. NW Natural believes today’s challenge is climate change—an imperative that requires our collective action. And they’re committed to reducing the carbon impacts of the energy they deliver.
The Challenge
Their mission is to work with all their stakeholders, from producers to policymakers and regulators to customers, on a voluntary carbon savings goal: 30% by 2035.
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They needed help from their employees to spread awareness and help promote more action for their low-carbon, renewable-energy goal. NW Natural needed Outreach Experts’ help to design, build and launch an employee ambassador program. The goal of the program is to empower employees to tell the story of NW Natural, RNG and our low-carbon future by giving them the resources they need and keeping them engaged.
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The NW Natural Ambassador Program is designed to engage and empower ambassadors, employees and retirees to share the benefits of Renewable Natural Gas (RNG), promote the Low Carbon Pathway and highlight NW Natural’s commitment to a renewable-energy future. The program will provide training for and share knowledge with ambassadors so they are able to advocate for natural gas and renewable natural gas as part of an overall local, regional and state carbon reduction and climate action strategy.
The Solution
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Conduct small focus groups to better understand ambassador views and needs
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Develop a program structure to meet the program goals and support the needs of ambassadors
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Improve the knowledge and enthusiasm of NW Natural employees
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Build tools that make it easy for ambassadors and employees to engage externally
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Recruit and prepare ambassadors to be leaders with ongoing guidance, training and recognition
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Ambassador profiling: The program needed to recruit and train leaders, so that they can educate other employees and their community. The ideal ambassador is an employee who is highly motivated, satisfied with employment at NW Natural and knowledgeable about the company’s natural gas initiatives. Ambassadors are not only executive level employees; strong ambassadors will be living and working in communities that benefit from the company’s energy innovations and programming.
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The ambassadors were asked to do the following advocacy actions for the program:
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Social Media Posts
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Sign a Petition
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Submit a Letter to the Editor: Draft and submit a letter to a local publication highlighting the benefits of NW Natural initiatives and how the local community can support NW Natural goals.
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Attend a Community Event: Attend an event during the Spring and Summer months when NW Natural sponsors tables at safety, emergency or other community events and ambassadors can engage community members about the Low Carbon Pathway.
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Participate in a Public Meeting
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Design an action website for the program
The Ambassadors
Employee Profile
The ideal ambassador is an employee who is highly motivated, satisfied with employment at NW Natural and knowledgeable about the company’s natural gas initiatives. Ambassadors are not only executive level employees; strong ambassadors will be living and working in communities that benefit from the company’s energy innovations and programming. The criteria for a participant should include all current and former (retired) employees who are:
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Highly motivated
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Knowledgeable on natural gas and RNG
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Knowledgeable on NW natural community efforts
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Following Northwest Natural’s social channel(s)
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Engaged on social channel(s)
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Involved in company programming within NW Natural
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Knowledgeable and involved in issues within their community
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Formally recognized by NW Natural or their community for leadership efforts
Surveys & Interviews
After a NW Natural employee receives an invitational email, they are followed-up with a phone discussion and then a survey to discuss their background, advocacy experience, digital experience, employment experience working at NW Natural, their knowledge about the NW Natural program and RNG (Renewable Natural Gas), and their willingness to participate in certain advocacy activities.
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From the interview and surveys, Outreach Experts was able to obtain a better understanding of individual needs and what to include in the in-person training to prepare employees for use of advocacy tools and to get comfortable with taking action. Overall, participation expectations, a program structure and communication program to meet the program goals and support the needs of ambassadors would be developed.
Ambassador Activities
The ambassadors were asked to do the following advocacy actions for the ambassador program:
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Social Media Posts: Use content cultivated from the Low Carbon Pathway messaging to share on their personal social channels why these innovations are important to them.
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Sign a Petition: Add their name to a digital petition that will be sent to regulators or decision makers concerning an issue related to NW Natural Low Carbon goals.
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Sending Communications: Send email communications or text messages to their personal and professional networks about the work they are doing and how they are supporting NW Natural’s low carbon reduction goals, which may include links to informational materials or advocacy actions.
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Submit a Letter to the Editor: Draft and submit a letter to a local publication highlighting the benefits of NW Natural initiatives and how the local community can support NW Natural goals.
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Attend a Community Event: Attend an event during the Spring and Summer months when NW Natural sponsors tables at safety, emergency or other community events and ambassadors can engage community members about the Low Carbon Pathway.
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Participate in a Public Meeting: Submit a public comment on the record in-person or in writing to share the benefits of NW Natural carbon reduction goals and to counter misinformation about the energy industry.
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Brainstorming Program Name
The affinity mapping concept was used to brainstorm program name.
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A group of words and ideas were organized in three categories: Possible titles, words to use, ideas/concepts. Our team brainstormed a name for the program by producing a set of ideas and words. The set of words and ideas displayed on the wall then were used to ideate potential titles for the program name.
The final program name decided was NW Natural Liaison Program.
Tools & Resources
The Outreach Experts team developed guides and tools that the ambassadors used to support their advocacy actions. The intent of these materials is to present information in an organized and digestible way to support advocacy using their own voices and in a way that they feel comfortable expressing themselves.
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Advocacy Guides
Advocacy guides explain the how-to and outline the elements of a specific action type, including the following actions:
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Toolkits
A toolkit is one stop access to potential ways an ambassadors can promote an initiative or action important to NW Natural. Some early subjects to promote using a toolkit include the following:
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The Results
Through surveys, we found that NW Natural ambassadors and employees found the program very valuable and easy to follow. Many were able to better understand the program and confidently share it with their network. They also all enjoyed the convenience of being able to have all the resources at their fingertips.