The Evolution of a Brand

Natural Gas has gone from an Amazing Energy, At Home At Work Everywhere to an energy source that New Brunswickers can Take Comfort in.

Since Enbridge Gas New Brunswick took the first steps in characterising natural gas, the brand has been through almost a decade of evolution.

Shortly after Enbridge Gas New Brunswick introduced natural gas to the province, they launched a campaign which showcased natural gas as “Amazing Energy”. It highlighted the compelling benefits that natural gas offered such as comfort, convenience, savings, reliability and environmental friendliness.

At the time, the campaign was successful in attracting customers and peeking interest about this exciting energy solution available to New Brunswickers.

In 2007 the brand evolved once again and the tagline “At Home. At Work. Everywhere.” was born.

As more and more consumers were switching to natural gas, Enbridge Gas New Brunswick wanted to promote the fact that natural gas was being widely used in homes, offices, schools, churches, hospitals and other familiar settings throughout its service areas.

As Enbridge Gas New Brunswick and natural gas became more familiar to the public, it was important for the company to establish a deeper connection with New Brunswickers. This was done by reintroducing themselves to the province through a new and inspiring positioning of natural gas.

Enbridge Gas New Brunswick entered a new phase of the brand evolution in 2009 with the branding campaign “Take Comfort in the Future” (more recently shortened to “Take Comfort”). It was aimed at creating a strong, emotional connection between New Brunswickers and natural gas.

Robin Hawkes, Enbridge Gas New Brunswick’s manager of marketing and sales, says that each evolution was essential in getting the brand to the point where it’s at today.

“In the early years, it was necessary for our brand to focus on introducing natural gas to New Brunswick but now that we are more established, we want to focus on rekindling interest and inspiring New Brunswickers to choose natural gas,” he said.

“At the end of the day, by increasing New Brunswickers comfort level, it shows that we play a valuable role in building a sustainable natural gas industry that provides a clean and economical source of energy in the province.”

In March, Enbridge Gas New Brunswick launched a marketing campaign to strengthen its presence around the province and to peak the public’s curiosity for learning more about natural gas.

The advertisements showcase natural gas as a versatile energy source for homes and businesses in New Brunswick through print, radio and online mediums.

“With this direction, we really want to set natural gas apart from other energy sources by presenting all the benefits natural gas has to offer in a more approachable and friendly way,” describes Hawkes.

“The advertisements feature exaggerated situations where people who don’t have natural gas wish they did. To demonstrate the benefit of endless hot water, for example, a frozen little boy turns to ice as he attempts to take a cold shower after someone used up the hot water.”

Ads can also be seen on Enbridge Gas New Brunswick vehicles and city transit buses in the Moncton, Saint John, and Fredericton areas and will run across the province until November 2010.

Enbridge Gas New Brunswick has over 10,000 customers and services nine municipalities in southern New Brunswick, including Dieppe, Fredericton, Moncton, Oromocto, Riverview, Sackville, Saint John, St. George and St. Stephen. Enbridge Gas New Brunswick is regulated by the New Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board and has a distribution network that includes over 750 kilometres of natural gas pipeline.

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