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field staff. They provided thorough training and developed resources such as FAQs and bill comparisons to help them respond to questions confidently, accurately, and consistently. They also instituted a customer response SWAT team consisting of two designated individuals who handled escalated inquiries 6 . Tailor And Focus The Message In a world where consumers are bombarded with an endless stream of news and information from multiple devices, a relevant and focused message is the only kind that resonates. Utility managers can break through by knowing their audiences and tailoring every message. Elected officials may be most concerned about the long-term impact to the financial and physical condition of the utility, compliance with regulations, immediate impact to the financial condition of the utility, and affordability when deciding whether to raise rates, according to a recent survey conducted by the Environmental Finance Center at University of North Carolina 7 . Business and community groups might care most about economic development. Utilities can prepare by providing clear information on individual bill impacts and how customers can reduce bills, or demonstrating how a rate increase, or lack thereof, will affect the utility's ability to deliver reliable water service. It is also important to be transparent. Though the issue of rates may be complex, utilities can seek ways to offer clear explanations rather than assuming an issue is too complicated for the customer to grasp. Create Or Curate High Quality Content Every communications strategy should be supported by a content strategy, or the planning, creation, delivery, and management of the words, images, and multimedia used to deliver a message. A content strategy enables an organization to tell a consistent story across multiple channels, communicate what the organization stands for, and allow employees and partners to participate. While not every utility has the resources to develop multimedia assets such as infographics or enlist a professional to develop the perfect sound bite, developing engaging content doesn't have to be cost-prohibitive. Fact sheets, FAQs, simple videos, or blog posts can help deliver the information customers need. Industry organizations are also pooling resources to create high-quality and adaptable content for utility use. The Alliance for Water Efficiency has produced consumer-friendly messages that can be adapted to support a rate restructuring, as well as a video that helps explain utility services and costs, available at www.FinancingSustainableWater.org. Utilities can also be content curators. Collecting and sharing valuable content, while adding local flavor and insight, can help utilities become trusted, authoritative, and helpful in the eyes of customers. Organizations such as the U.S. EPA, the American Water Works Association (AWWA), and the Value of Water Coalition, the latter a new national effort to raise awareness of water issues, aggregate educational materials and videos to communicate the importance of water. Think Outside The Bill Finally, utilities should consider how they will get their message out. It is becoming harder to reach customers given the shift to electronic bills and auto-pay; utilities need to be present where customers are and deliver messages repeatedly. The majority of people need to hear a message three to five times before they absorb it 8 . Owned channels that the utility has control over, such as their website, email newsletters, and blogs can be the most cost-effective way to disseminate new content. Participating in social media communities such as Facebook and Twitter enables utilities to open up a two-way dialogue that is more authentic than traditional communications. D.C., for example, has recently used Twitter to humanize its three tunnel boring machines, named Lady Bird, Lucy, and Nannie. Each machine has a Twitter account to educate local residents about work to revamp the sewer system and converse in a friendly, humorous, and approachable way about neighborhood issues. The media can also be an asset and can help direct public opinion when utilities engage editorial boards and explain a rate change early in the process. Utilities cannot begin to tackle the challenges of the 21st century as silent providers of a misunder- stood service. Fortunately, utilities also have access to 21st century tools to tell a compelling story and change customer perceptions. Even without a rate increase on the horizon, the time is now to begin developing a relationship with customers. It is only through greater awareness that customers will begin to understand that our water service is worth paying for and begin to trust their water providers to make the right decisions for their community. References 1. Columbia University, America's Water: An Exploratory Analysis of Municipal Water Survey Data, 2013 2. Michigan State University Institute of Public Utilities, Trends in Consumer Prices for Utilities Through 2014, 2015 3. The Nature Conservancy, More than Three-Quarters of Americans Don't Know Where Their Water Comes From, 2011 4. Albuquerque Water Utility, 2013 5. Alliance for Water Efficiency, Conservation Helps Limit Rates Increases for Colorado Utility, 2014 6. Alliance for Water Efficiency, Cobb County, Georgia, Successfully Implements Efficiency- Oriented Rate Structure and Educates Customers through Targeted and Strategic Public Engagement Effort, August 2014 7. UNC Environmental Finance Blog, The Power of Words: Survey Results on Communicating the Need for a Water Rate Increase Part 2, March 2015 8. Edelman goodpurpose study, 2012 wateronline.com ■ Water Innovations CONSUMEROUTREACH 19 Megan Chery is a manager with the Alliance for Water Efficiency, where she manages communications efforts and the Financing Sustainable Water Initiative. About The Author For utilities, communication pipelines build support for real pipelines.