GSW Gemeinschaftsstadtwerke GmbH is a regional energy supplier serving customers in the shareholder municipalities of Kamen, Bönen and Bergkamen. Its core businesses include the environmentally friendly and safe supply of electricity, gas, water and heat, as well as the operation of these supply networks. In addition, the municipal utilities operate indoor swimming pools. Two new pools will be opened in Kamen and Bergkamen in the coming year. The company currently has around 200 employees.
The Task: Creating Trust.
The municipal utility company developed the Big Picture to explain its role in the community and the region. This visual concept serves to rebuild and consolidate the trust of citizens after challenging times, especially in the context of the energy crisis. In the past, performance in customer dialog had slipped into the background, which is why the Big Picture is now intended to help strengthen customer trust again.
The Big Picture answers the following questions:
- What is the purpose of public services and what tasks does the municipal utility company (GSW) perform?
- Where is GSW involved? (for example, in GSW Kamen Klassik, schools and associations)
- Where and for what are the GSW contact persons?
The Big Picture is intended to vividly present the diverse tasks and commitment of the municipal utilities and to illustrate the importance of their work for the citizens and the region.
The Implementation:
Andrea Wellerdiek and Mareike Füllner, the contact persons at GSW, give a brief insight into how the project was implemented with Big Pictury:
“From the first contact to the completion of the explanatory graphic, we experienced a pleasant, goal-oriented and professional collaboration with the Big Pictury team. The Miro board, an online whiteboard tool, proved to be a helpful and easy-to-use tool for exchanging feedback. The biggest challenge of the project was to sketch our diverse range of tasks in meaningful images – and that for three municipalities that form our service area. The initial ideas and further concepts that we requested during the development process were implemented quickly and efficiently by the Big Pictury team. The exciting and creative exchange, shaped by both sides, led to the creation of a Big Picture that was perfect for us. We are thrilled with the detailed representation of our work and our facilities. This means that not only our employees and business partners, but also (new) customers and interested citizens can quickly find their way around our supply area and find their bearings.”
CLIENT: GSW Gemeinschaftsstadtwerke GmbH Kamen, Bönen, Bergkamen
SCOPE: Development of a big picture for use in print and digital
PROJECT TIME FRAME: 6 months
BUDGET: five-digit range
Find out More About How GSW Uses Big Pictures in its Communications:
The Big Picture will help the municipal utility company to promote understanding and acceptance of its daily activities. It also highlights the social commitment of the municipal utility company, such as donations to associations, support for educational institutions and sponsorship of major events, and shows how these activities enrich the region. The explanatory graphic is used in a variety of ways:
- As a mural in the customer center
- On communication materials such as flyers, posters and billboards
- On a presentation wall at events
- For company presentations
- On the vehicles of the municipal utilities
- In discussions with business partners, employees and potential new employees
- For company introductions
- For competitions, for example as a hidden object search for children
- On the website, in social media and for press releases
The wide range of possible applications means that the Big Picture will convey the messages and commitment of the municipal utilities in a vivid and memorable way.
“With the Big Picture, we can bring the diverse (working) world of our municipal utility to life in a simple and appealing way. The big picture vividly illustrates what we stand for, the work we do every day in our supply area, and the challenges we will face in the future with regard to the energy transition. The Big Picture supports us in a variety of ways: in our communications – with customers, business partners or potential new employees, as a playful way to address children, and in our image cultivation.”