National Grid launches new brand campaign

WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS - It’s the beginning of a new era, as National Grid launches a new brand campaign featuring the tagline, ‘The power of action.’ The campaign is designed to encourage customers to partner with National Grid and take action in making a difference by saving energy, managing their energy costs and protecting the environment.

National Grid has rebranded the former KeySpan operations in the companyÂ’s service areas in New York (metropolitan area and Long Island), New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Customers will notice the National Grid logo on bills, employee ID cards, company vehicles, office locations and elsewhere. The company expects the full conversion will be completed by the end of the year.

“This initiative comes at a great time for National Grid as we start a journey with our employees and the community on ways to address climate change and manage energy costs,” said Tom King, president of National Grid’s U.S. business. “We have worked with our customers for 20 years on energy efficiency measures and saved over $2.5 billion and 26 billion kilowatt-hours. But we want to do more. By using our new ‘The power of action.’ message across the company and in local communities we can show that if one person can accomplish a lot by the simple things they do each day, imagine what we can do collectively.”

‘The power of action.’ brand campaign complements National Grid’s recent announcement of an 80 percent target reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Under this new initiative National Grid will adopt “carbon budgets” that will limit the greenhouse emissions permitted by each part of the business. Beginning in April 2009, annual and five-year emissions targets will be established for each business and integrated into the company’s performance process alongside customer service, reliability, safety, operational and financial targets. National Grid employees will be responsible for reducing the company’s carbon footprint by identifying the most efficient and effective ways of carrying out its electricity and gas operations.

The brand strategy includes an advertising campaign beginning today in all major markets in which the company does business. The advertisements focus on smart energy choices that we all can make from conserving power to converting to natural gas to weather-proofing our homes – taking action.

“This is just the beginning, customers will continue to see and hear more from us as we partner with them on this journey. National Grid is determined to help customers recognize that their actions, along with ours, have a powerful benefit,” added King.