Operation Round Up® - Begin a Program

Begin an Operation Round Up program for your members

If you are a member of the cooperative family and would like to begin an Operation Round Up program for your members, Palmetto Electric is pleased to share information with you. You'll find that good communications with your employees, your customers and your public are crucial in starting such a program in your own service area. To help you do so, we've prepared the brief "how-to" guide below for electric cooperatives to establish their own Operation Round Up fund:

• Employee Communications
  Because your employees serve as informal good-will ambassadors to the public, it is important to involve them in the early stages of your Operation Round Up plan. At Palmetto Electric, a series of internal communications from President and CEO G. Thomas Upshaw alerted employees to the new program, explained its benefits and how it would work. We then solicited employee support in promoting Operation Round Up throughout the community.
  
• Public Relations
  The power of the press cannot be underestimated. To help publicize your new program, the media can be your best friend. Palmetto Electric utilized a comprehensive public relations campaign that included press conferences, press releases and media pitches. Pre-publicity will promote interest in your campaign before its kick-off and promote positive word of mouth.
  
• Consumer Advertising
  Palmetto Electric developed an informative brochure about Operation Round Up that was inserted as a bill stuffer. This included a reply card for those who did not want to sign up for the program. Our introductory campaign also included newspaper and radio advertising.
  
• Member Communications
  Keeping your members informed about Operation Round Up reminds them of the good they're doing within their own community. At Palmetto Electric, we include an explanatory Operation Round Up insert in new member packages. We also run periodic updates on the status of funds in our consumer publication, Living in South Carolina, and we notify the media of status reports through press releases. In addition, Palmetto Electric employees make regular appearances at community organizations and civic groups to discuss the impact of Operation Round Up in our community.

More Information

If you need more information about the Operation Round Up program, please call Palmetto Electric at 1-800-922-5551.