Following five bronze wins for its 2019 sustainability report and One Meralco Foundation initiatives during COVID-19 at the prestigious 2020 International Business Stevie Awards, Meralco came away with an additional two bronze trophies at the recently concluded 2020 Asia- Pacific Stevie(R) Awards.
The Stevie(R) Awards are the world’s premier international business awards program, and the Asia- Pacific competition pits the best communications campaigns and business innovations from 29 nations in the Asia-Pacific region.
One of Meralco’s wins was for a communication campaign called, Energy Efficiency, a Mandate: Understand. Comply. Profit, a narrative on the utility’s understanding of its role in nation-building and sustainability beyond power distribution. Meralco has evolved into an end-to-end energy solutions provider via services offered by its subsidiaries like solar and energy efficiency solutions.
To recall, greater attention on energy efficiency and clean energy came with the passing of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Law (RA 11285), which mandated operationalizing and institutionalizing energy efficiency across industries; and the United Nations’ renewed call on its 16 Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), which included universal aspirations for affordable and clean energy, identified as UN SDG 7. Meralco then launched a comprehensive campaign encouraging enterprise customers to make energy efficiency an integral part of operations, and also began an expansive electrification program of unserved areas with clean energy sources.
Meralco’s second award was for its digital publication, with entry title, Power Club: Brighter Partnerships for Tomorrow.
Started as a quarterly print magazine distributed to its enterprise customers in 2011, Power Club went online (https://www.powerclub.com.ph/) on October 2018 as part of the utility’s digital shift.
As the pandemic severely restricts physical movement, Power Club has proven indispensable in communicating Meralco’s COVID-19 operations and initiatives, particularly with helping customers understand their bills during the long quarantine period. It continues to publish news on prevailing trends in the energy sector, stories of successful partnerships with notable enterprise partners, and posts articles and videos intended as a blueprint of what a Meralco partnership may contribute to businesses.
Winners in the seventh annual Asia-Pacific Stevie(R) Awards were announced last July 2020. The list of Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Award winners is available at http://Asia.StevieAwards.com.
In spite of the pandemic and the resulting restrictions in movement, Meralco, the Philippines’ largest electric distribution utility, has been relentless in communicating the relevance and benefits of energy efficiency solutions in the form of webinars and virtual meetings and digital platforms, such as Power Club.
“We are both honored and humbled for all the Stevie recognitions of our efforts,” said Meralco Senior AVP & Head – Marketing Edeliza T. Lim. “As a provider of an essential utility service, we realize the need to create programs that bring customers and Meralco together to work towards a common vision – particularly during this year.”
“Our economy has been challenged enough by the pandemic, causing tremendous strain on many of our partners. The Stevie Awards acknowledges that a customer-first approach still has a place in any business operation. And we hope that any insights our customers can glean from our initiatives can help resuscitate their businesses and bring the economy back on track,” she closed.