Volume 2, Number 11

Case Study: Georgia Natural Gas "Gas Guy" Mascot Relaunch
During the 1998 deregulation of Georgia's natural gas market, consumers were for the first time presented with a wide array of options for service, as well as some unfamiliar industry terminology. Natural gas companies like Atlanta-based Georgia Natural Gas (GNG) had only a short time to grab consumers' attention and win them over. To help accomplish that objective, GNG enlisted ad agency BBDO South, who created Gas Guy®, GNG's official "spokesflame."

Gas Guy helped consumers make sense of the process and convinced over 30% of them – greater market share than any other provider – that GNG was their best choice. A friendly, approachable and knowledgeable character, Gas Guy added levity, as well as clarity, to an otherwise confusing situation for consumers.

In 2004, GNG decided to once again give Gas Guy a prominent role in its marketing efforts, and asked see see eye to be part of a relaunch team that included BBDO, PR agency Fitzpatrick & Lewis, Harland Company's direct mail marketing division and event planner Aspen Productions. GNG needed a multifaceted campaign and asked see see eye to incorporate Gas Guy into the consumer Web site we redesigned and produced for them in 2003.


Our Solution: Make It Fun!
see see eye and the Gas Guy team brainstormed relaunch ideas that would tie the Web site to the rest of the campaign. To encourage visitors to browse through and return to GNG's Web site, as well as to keep Gas Guy and the GNG name in front of consumers, the team decided to offer free desktop art. see see eye designed and produced campy Gas Guy desktop wallpaper and icons for both Macs and PCs, and wrote accompanying copy.

see see eye designed and produced new Gas Guy content for pages throughout the site. We also designed and produced a new Gas Guy section that featured the downloadable wallpaper and icons and allowed visitors to listen to Gas Guy's radio spots and find out about scheduled public appearances, as well as learn all about Gas Guy by reading his life story. see see eye wrote copy for the section and also for the "Gas Guy Field Guide," a manual establishing guidelines for the Gas Guy character.

The time frame within which the team worked was challenging: the campaign was to launch just 10 weeks from the time we were invited to participate. With each participating agency handling a portion of the effort, as well as coordinating and sharing resources with one another, Gas Guy's comeback was on time and in style.

A good Web site has become an essential component of corporate communications. Clients, shareholders, employees and future stakeholders are more likely than ever to make your Web site their first stop when searching for information on your company. Does your site effectively communicate your important messages? Is it clearly organized so visitors can easily find what they need? Has it been developed with standards that ensure it works well for a variety of users?

see see eye understands the power of the Web, as well as its potential pitfalls. Since 1996, we’ve helped companies large and small communicate with stakeholders and prospects via Web sites, intranets and other electronic means. To find out how see see eye can help your organization make the most of its online presence, contact Lawson Cox.

About Us

see see eye is an award-winning graphic design firm that helps Fortune 1000 companies and other organizations build stakeholder confidence. The firm uses strategic creative design and effective message development to produce annual reports, branded collateral programs, Web sites and other communications targeted to investors, customers, employees and community members. Additional information can be found at the company's Web site, www.seeseeeye.com.