GE hydropower

GE’s hydropower division, GE Hydro, provides over a quarter of the world’s installed hydropower capacity, over a wide array of applications: from individual installations to full-fledged power plants.

GE Hydro came to Definition’s video production specialist team, to help them make a documentary series with Swiss explorer Bertrand Piccard, as he travelled 1,000 kilometres across Switzerland in an electric vehicle powered by renewable energy. They asked us to help promote it. Following video production, our B2B social media team launched a three-month campaign in October 2022.

We needed to target multiple audiences with the campaign. GE Hydro wanted to promote hydropower and its benefits to political stakeholders and investors across Europe but also needed to reach the general public and raise awareness of hydropower’s role in fighting climate change. They particularly wanted the attention of gen Z, the most climate-conscious generation, so that they could act as a key driver of change.

Our energy PR experts worked closely with our video team to develop a new brand for the campaign – to set it apart from the commercial objectives of GE and inspire action – and launched brand-new social media channels under the name ‘Driving the Future’.

Working with the International Hydropower Association (IHA), our integrated PR and social media campaign launched on the inaugural Global Hydropower Day.

We created bespoke content to support key messages that would resonate with different audiences, including super short documentary video edits, new memes and graphics. Our multifaceted, channel-focused, organic and promoted social media strategy ensured we could serve the right content directly to key audiences, dependent on their platform usage. A series of high-profile, quality interviews and thought leadership opportunities we secured with key international and industry media, added credibility to the campaign.

In just ten weeks, we grew Driving the Future’s social media following from zero to over 1,200 followers and delivered a PR reach of 121m in various major global trade and broadsheet publications. The campaign was far-reaching on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, generating 7.2m impressions and 3,600 interactions.

• PR reach of 121m through major global industry publications
• 2m social media impressions
• 3,600 interactions social media interactions

“Definition helped us develop an integrated, multi-channel promotional programme of activity to highlight the benefits of hydropower – the forgotten giant of renewable energy – to policy makers and the broader public across the world. The team did exactly what they said they would, securing high-profile media coverage alongside a well-planned social media campaign to inspire discussion and movement. They did an amazing job!”

Waldemar Oldenburger, Head of Hydropower Global Communications & Public Affairs at GE Renewable Energy