Heartland Energy earns communications awards

Heartland Energy was among 23 public power utilities and utility organizations to earn Excellence in Public Power Communications awards from the American Public Power Association this year. The awards were presented in November during APPA’s Customer Connections Conference in Louisville, Kentucky.

This year, Heartland Energy earned three awards, one in each category:

• Award of Excellence in the Video category for the Build Electric with Heartland Energy campaign
• Award of Excellence in the Print & Digital category for the 2023 Annual Report titled Creating Opportunities
• Award of Merit in the Web & Social Media category for the 2024 Community Spark campaign

The APPA Excellence in Public Power Communications Awards honor public power utilities and organizations that excel in telling their stories through impactful video production, engaging web and social media strategies, and clear and compelling print and digital materials.

Promoting electrification with Build Electric

The Build Electric with Heartland Energy video, winner of the Award of Excellence, educated homeowners about the benefits of building and living in an all-electric home. Featuring the story of Jordan and Ann Youngberg, who built a home with electric appliances and electric heating and cooling in Colman, SD, the video highlighted the efficiency, safety and reliability of electricity as an energy source.

The video is part of Heartland Energy’s larger effort to promote electrification and energy efficiency in our customer communities. It allows us to connect with our audience in a meaningful way, demonstrating how electric living can positively impact daily lives.

Watch the video here: Build Electric with Heartland Energy

Annual Report highlights customer opportunities

The Creating Opportunities annual report, which also earned an Award of Excellence, showcased Heartland Energy’s 2023 achievements, including financial performance and community development initiatives. Designed as a user-friendly digital experience, the report featured infographics and links to external stories for added depth.

Transparency and communication are at the core of our mission. Every annual report we produce not only highlights our financial performance, but also illustrates the many ways we’re supporting our customers. Our 2023 report specifically focused on how Heartland created opportunities for customers throughout the past year to help their communities thrive.

The report can be viewed on line here.

Celebrating small businesses with Community Spark

The Community Spark campaign, which received the Award of Merit, highlighted Heartland Energy’s dedication to supporting small businesses in our customer communities. Each year, Heartland  seeks nominations for the Community Spark in an effort to recognize small businesses who make a positive impact on their community. This year’s award recipient, Gaylen’s Popcorn of Madison, SD, was celebrated during National Small Business Week.

The campaign had multiple purposes. First, the goal was to create excitement about the award and encourage nominations.  Second, it aimed to promote the value of shopping local supporting small businesses. Finally, the campaign recognized the award winner and their impact on the community. 

All metrics related to Community Spark posts were much higher than average, including producing Heartland’s top three performing posts on our Facebook page for 2024. With thousands of engagements across social media platforms and gains in followers, the campaign demonstrated the strength of Heartland’s digital outreach. 

Commitment to excellence

This year’s Excellence in Public Power Communications Awards were judged by Will Coffman, Partner, Bullhorn Creative; Ruben Musca, Head of Production, CRAFT Media/Digital; and Cindy Simpson, Corporate Relations Manager, Urgent Care Association.

Heartland Energy is honored to receive these awards, which reflect our commitment to delivering clear, engaging and impactful communications.

A complete list of winners is available here.