Rugby players, ballet dancers to carry message

Rugby players, ballet dancers to carry energy-saving message

Electricity generator and retailer Meridian Energy is enlisting rugby players and ballet dancers in the effort to help get the power saving message across to New Zealanders.

The company is including its sponsorship partners, the Royal New Zealand Ballet and Canterbury Rugby, in its publicity aimed at helping the country achieve the ten percent savings target set by the Government.

Chief Executive Keith Turner says Meridian is committing close to half a million dollars to its publicity efforts, on top of the major contribution it is making to the overall “Target Ten” campaign.

“We’re trying to be as imaginative as possible in the ways in which we get the message across. We’re doing the basic things such as sending energy savings advice out to all of our residential and business customers, but we’re also looking at how we can add impact to the message.

As well as energy-savings booklets, and incentive schemes for customers to save power, Meridian is adding energy-saving messages to publicity associated with its sponsorship activities.

Energy-saving advice will be woven into Meridian’s publicity for the ballet’s forthcoming production of the Meridian Energy Season of Romeo and Juliet.

“The idea is to surprise people with power saving messages in places where they don’t necessarily expect to see them. In that way, we expect it will make a strong impression and encourage power-saving behaviour.”

Dr Turner says spectators at rugby matches in Canterbury will also encounter the power savings message, through material distributed to young players and from Meridian representatives on the sidelines on Saturday mornings.

There are also plans to include high-profile Canterbury players in energy-saving advertisements.

“Artists and sports personalities are people whose word carries a lot of weight in the community, and by enlisting them to help carry the message, we’re confident we can make a positive difference to the power-saving effort,” Dr Turner says.

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