Rushmore Electric Power Cooperative

Analytics + Creative + Digital Marketing + Media + Pubic Relations + Websites

Key Takeaways

Used a unified creative platform to tell a consistent story across nine distinct cooperative service areas
Shot new video content featuring real members and businesses to build authenticity and pride
Delivered integrated digital and social campaigns that exceeded KPIs across the board
Increased recognition, engagement and traffic to each cooperative’s landing page
Reinforced the cooperative model as neighbor driven, reliable and central to community life

Overview

Rushmore Electric Power Cooperative serves Western and South Central South Dakota, working with nine member cooperatives from its Rapid City headquarters. Their mission is simple but vital: deliver reliable, affordable energy to the communities that depend on it and support the people who make those communities strong.

Challenge

Rushmore Electric wanted South Dakotans to better understand what makes their local cooperatives so unique, characteristics like the community ownership, the reliability, the local investment and the fact that co-op members are truly at the center of everything. Research showed that awareness varied, and the cooperative model often felt “invisible” in everyday life. The goal was to bring that value into focus, build recognition among members and encourage deeper engagement both online and in their communities.

Strategy & Approach

We started with audience insight. Women 25-54 had the lowest understanding of what cooperatives do and why they matter, so our media plan zeroed in on where they were already spending time.

To tell the story well, we needed the real people behind it. A two-week statewide shoot captured members, businesses and energy teams across all nine cooperatives. The early part of 2025 relied on existing “Owning It” creative, a reminder that members aren’t just customers, they’re owners. Once production wrapped, we introduced the new “Connection” campaign anchored by the message “This Is Co-op Country” to highlight how deeply cooperatives are woven into local life.

Each cooperative received its own pair of videos (15 and 30 seconds), for a total of 18 unique pieces. In 2025 these ran across digital, CTV and social in two eight-week flights from August through December, supported by monthly performance reviews to keep optimizations tight. “Connection” will also be featured throughout 2026 during a total of four eight-week flights.

Execution

The “Connection” campaign came to life through personal, place-driven storytelling. Real members, familiar faces and everyday moments grounded the message in authenticity. Digital and social channels expanded reach and delivered consistent visibility, while localized videos made each cooperative feel seen and celebrated.

Results

The most recent “Connection” campaign outperformed KPIs across all major social and digital metrics. Member feedback was overwhelmingly positive because people recognized friends and neighbors in the videos and felt a renewed sense of pride in their cooperative. Traffic to the new “This Is Co-op Country” landing pages climbed, and the campaign helped reinforce Rushmore Electric’s role as a trusted, community-focused energy partner.

Summary

By blending data, storytelling and a whole lot of local heart, Rushmore Electric’s campaign helped members see themselves and their communities in the cooperative story. The work not only boosted awareness and engagement, it strengthened the bond between members and the cooperatives that power their lives. When the message feels personal, it sticks.