Jennifer Firth, executive director for the board, presented Citizens Energy Group’s 2025 communications plan on Feb. 19, highlighting campaigns that emphasize safety, conservation and customer assistance, expanded social-media activity, and a new product venture called Indie H2O.

Firth said the communications strategy builds on a 2023 planning session and 2024 research and noted that customers who recall the company’s communications score the utility 4–6 points higher in satisfaction surveys. Key campaign themes for 2025 are “ways to save,” “ways to be safe,” and assistance programs. She described a new “ways to save” winter-safety video with a 1990s-sitcom creative approach that will be distributed across broad media channels and social platforms.

Firth reviewed social-media performance, paid media plans and corporate sponsorships (including partnerships with local sports and cultural organizations). She highlighted a community resource day that drew more than 1,000 attendees and involved about 40 partner organizations.

Firth also described a new commercial product and community program, NDH2O LLC, branded as Indie H2O: Citizens has placed an order for an initial 30,000 cans from a local certified B-corporation co-packer. She said distribution will use three channels—wholesale through Office 360, direct sales, and donations for natural disasters and outages—and that a portion of proceeds will be donated to the Warmheart Warm Home Foundation. Firth said the marketing launch is set for later this month and that special commemorative cans are being considered for events tied to the Dig Indy tunneling project.

In other outreach work, the company distributed scratch-and-sniff cards that demonstrate the mercaptan odorant added to natural gas and reported positive anecdotal reactions to the effort.

Board members asked questions about media mix and research supporting the creative approach; Firth said the media buyer and agency work inform channel choices and recalled that the 4C customer research guides messaging priorities.