Annual Report - 2023

CREATIVE ASSETS & SERVICES 

• Ad awareness research continued to show an increase in member-owner satisfaction –nearly 8% higher for those who recall the ad messages.
• National media buy delivered more than 230 million impressions, advancing awareness of your Touchstone Energy Cooperatives and leading to increased member satisfaction.
• Released seven animations on Beneficial Electrification, Solar, & Power Restoration to liven up your social media.
• Released four advertising campaigns (video, social, print and radio) that can be locally branded to your cooperative: We’ve Got You, Smarter, Community: Where We Live, and Safety Runs Through Everything.
• Released Digital Media Playbook giving member cooperatives tools to strengthen your online presence.
• Hosted 12 episodes of monthly SEVEN ON 7 podcast.

2023 Co-op Web Builder Highlights: 

• Upgraded all member accounts to Co-op Web Builder (CWB) 3, improving site navigation and the user experience.
• Launched Accessibility AI-powered platform to provide continuous WCAG 2.1 AA compliance for all member websites.
• Migrated 500 websites to Pantheon, our new premier hosting platform.
• All 500 sites received a significant boost in speed with the application of edge caching.
• Implemented multiple risk-free sandbox testing environments for each website.
• Actively monitored and protected 500 sites daily using a co-op-managed security platform.
• Created a new website template for economic development and magazine projects.
• Performed 72 design consultations for members to enhance site design and usability.
• Beta-tested the ACSI® Website Satisfaction Survey for ten member sites.
• Completed 2,611 support tickets for members on time.
• Hosted monthly town halls, providing regular training and support to more than 400 CWB co-op site managers.

EFFECTIVE MEMBER COMMUNICATIONS & ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS

• 84 members joined Touchstone Energy’s Branded Pre-Paid Credit Card program.
• Touchstone Energy Social supported 108 member Facebook and Instagram profiles, reaching more than 240,000 unique users.
• The iconic hot air balloon flew 52 days in 36 communities to increase member engagement at special events. Mascots made 57 trips.
• The Co-op Connections® program supports more than 9,300 local small businesses.
• There were over 50,000 Co-ops Connections smartphone app users and more than 239,000 member-owners with active accounts.
• Hosted nearly 45 national businesses and energy managers at the NEXT Conference & Energy Manager Summit.
• Provided member co-ops with 40,850 energy-efficiency print brochures and 40 banner-up rentals.

RESEARCH, BEST PRACTICES & BENCHMARKING TOOLS

• Released the 2022 National Survey on the Cooperative Difference (NSCD), which included the insights of nearly 8,900 member-owners from 39 co-ops in 12 states.
• The NSCD included members’ views on electric vehicles, service reliability, energy efficiency, and their ownership of smart home devices.
• 15 co-ops in 12 states participated in five online focus groups, providing valuable insights on residential solar, new and young adult members, commercial member perceptions and more.
• Co-sponsored the study “Customer Satisfaction and the Smart Grid,” conducted by the Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative.
• Published the 2023 Trends & Tactics Report – an at-a-glance look at a year’s worth of quantitative and qualitative market research.
• 341 American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI®) scores received by 214 distribution co-ops and cooperative affiliates in 39 states. In 2023, Touchstone Energy member co-ops averaged an ACSI score of 85.1.
• 20 cooperatives received an ACSI score through the ACSI DIY or ACSI CWB survey offerings: two free, convenient program participation options launched in fall 2023 for Touchstone Energy members.
• Nearly 50 cooperatives from 17 states received the top 5 ACSI scores of 88 to 95 from April through December.
• Updated 23 fact sheets on solar and electric vehicles and made them available to members in English and Spanish.
• Made available a new resource, “Ten Simple Tips: Saving Energy and Money in Homes” / “Diez Sencillos Consejos: Ahorrar EnergÍa Y Dinero En Los Hogares.”
• Provided 16 Questline articles, infographics, and videos on energy efficiency, safety, and technology at no cost to Touchstone Energy members to embed in their social media pages and websites.

TRAINING & EDUCATION

• Hosted 1,604 participants in Service Excellence training across 13 states.
• Admire & Acquire Library reached 82 articles on member engagement best practices.
• Hosted 17 educational webinars and seminars with co-op employees.
• Hosted 10 in-person Member Engagement Workshops with co-op employees.
• 6,800 LinkedIn Learning users viewed 331,202 videos.
• Hosted nearly 45 national businesses and energy managers who engaged with over 350 co-op professionals at the NEXT Conference & Energy Manager Summit.

On November 24, 1998, Touchstone Energy® Cooperatives came to life with the approval of the iconic “Three Amigos” by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. 25 years later, we kicked off the celebration on Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 2022, and continued the year-long recognition.

• Featured the 25th Anniversary at CEO Close-Up, Directors and Connect Conferences.
• Launched the “We’re Just Getting Started” video.
• Celebrated with over 35 of our largest national key account business members at the NEXT Conference.
• Donated and assembled over 25,000 Meals in our annual Community Service Project.
• Featured the NFL’s first round, 25th draft pick Tim Tebow as keynote speaker at NRECA’s PowerXchange.
• Published a community service playbook, “The Power of Service: 25 Inspiring Ways to Help In Your Community.”
• Celebrated with co-op communicators and marketers at TIAA Bank Field at the Connect Conference.