This multi-utilities company owns a number of residential and commercial water networks, which connect and rely on the wider water infrastructure managed by both the region’s incumbent and other independent network operators.
When the multi-utility’s customers were affected by issues on a connected network, it jumped straight into managing the incident and keeping customers informed. However, the influx of press attention was quickly overwhelming, and with the affected infrastructure owned by the region’s incumbent water company, the multi-utility struggled to get timely access to the people and information it needed. To prevent the same issues recurring in future, the multi-utility turned to Resonates to help them create a more structured, proactive approach to crisis management, PR and communications.
Operations Director, multi-utility
When an incident on a connected network significantly disrupted the water supply on a residential estate managed by the utility company, its team responded quickly to contact customers and provide updates as the incident evolved. However, it proved difficult to access the right contacts within the incumbent and to get customers the information they wanted in the timescales they deserved. The company was concerned that the incident could affect its reputation, and damage the relationship with its customers and reputation among other stakeholders.
Having worked with Resonates previously, the utility turned to us for help, using our experience of working in the water sector to access the right contacts and get communications support in the moment, and our communications expertise to strengthen the process for the future.
With so many different stakeholders involved in the utilities ecosystem and operating under a number of different regulatory models and charters, it can be complex for one entity to get information from the others when it’s needed.
As the multi-utility company’s strategic PR and communications partner, we used our sector contacts and experience to put the right people in both organisations in touch, so that information could flow on to the affected customers. We gave advice on how to tailor messaging and communications for the right channels to inform and reassure customers, and also delivered public relations support by managing enquiries and responses to press interest in the incident.
After the crisis was resolved, there was an internal conversation within the utility company. With ageing core infrastructure and growing demand across the sector, more crises could likely occur: other-network incidents causing knock-on impacts to the utility company’s own customers. The management team decided to improve their response framework, so it could deliver better service to customers in the case of any future incident.
Resonates worked with a number of key stakeholders within the utility company to develop a comprehensive crisis communications toolkit, including the director of marketing, director of regulation, and CEO. As a result, the team now has a single, clearly defined process that any member of the team can pick up and use with confidence, regardless of the nature or scale of the incident.
This includes:
The multi-utility company now has a crisis communications framework that gives anyone across the business the structure and confidence to respond quickly and consistently to any incident – whatever its scale or cause.
The toolkit is clear, practical and immediately usable. When a crisis occurs, the focus can go where it belongs: on the customers affected and on resolving the issue as efficiently as possible.
“Once we’d decided to futureproof our crisis communications process, we knew Resonates had the right people for the job. They helped us identify the right stakeholders and contacts, as well as the right times and channels to use for messages. Having the process and materials defined clearly and available to anyone in the business gives us reassurance that we can efficiently deal with anything that’s thrown at us in the future.” Marketing director, multi-utility company
