The Ilmatar case
A national topic through active media communication
Ilmatar is one of the first wind power project developers in Finland, but as an industry player it was still unknown to the general public and even within the energy sector in autumn 2019. The company was about to grow from a project developer to an energy company. The first step towards this was the launch of Piiparinmäki, Finland's largest wind farm, and an agreement to sell 60% of the electricity generated by the farm to Google. Ilmatar then started selling its own electricity to consumer and corporate customers.
The aim was to use active media communication to raise awareness of Ilmatar among consumers and energy professionals, to profile the company as a renewable energy expert, to support sales and to stimulate discussion about the importance of building domestic renewable energy.
Starting point
Solution
The media work was prepared with media coaching for Ilmatar's management, crystallisation of core messages and a comprehensive Q&A battery. After a successful start, Korner built a comprehensive long-term media plan for Ilmatar that took into account reaching Ilmatar's key target groups at national and local level. Through systematic media communication, we built Ilmatar's profile as an expert in the wind energy sector.
In addition to the media relations partnership, Korner has produced articles and other content, and has been responsible for the design and production of Ilmatar's Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn content.
Results
Ilmatar has spoken about topics important to it in the nation's largest media (Helsingin Sanomat, Iltalehti, Ilta-Sanomat) and in the business media (Kauppalehti, Talouselämä). The employer's image has been reinforced by appointment announcements and by actively reporting on the growth of the energy sector and the need for experts.
The case of Piiparinmäki and Google made very prominent headlines: they were featured in more than 100 online news outlets and 40 print newspapers, and were interviewed by several media outlets across Finland, including MTV News' live TV news broadcast.
Ilmatar's reputation in the field has grown and the company has established itself as Finland's wind power expert. Systematic visibility in earned media has strengthened the company's position among key stakeholders and supported the sale of wind power to both corporate and private customers.