POWERGRAMS

41 Serving the state and its people is in Alabama Power's blood. That's the crux of the company's new advertising strategy, "In Our DNA." The campaign, which rolled out on April 10, serves to remind customers that the company is still the same reliable partner they have counted on for years. "The campaign leverages our archives and history so our employees, customers and stakeholders recognize that we remain the focused partner that we have been throughout our more than 100 year history," said Public Relations Vice President Stephanie Cooper. The campaign will feature two 30-second television spots, along with print and digital ads, and will focus on the company's role in the lives of Alabamians both yesterday and today. This message is told through a "then and now" creative execution of the campaign. The ads share stories of how the company has partnered through the years in the areas of education, economic development, innovation and environmental stewardship to elevate Alabama. Building a beer tomorrow has always been part of Alabama Power's DNA, said Leah Rawls Atkins, company historian and author of "Developed for the Service of Alabama." "Alabama Power's founder Tom Martin believed in innovation," Atkins said. "He believed that tomorrow's world could be beer than today, and encouraged his employees to look for beer, faster, more efficient and safer ways to do things. Oentimes, new ideas for doing things came from an emergency situation when a generator or turbine broke, and they had to get it online as quickly as they could with the spare parts they had there. From the beginning, employees were encouraged to be innovative and look to the future." The messages are vividly conveyed through the juxtaposition of black and white and color images. For instance, one ad reminds people that Alabama Power has supported education and encouraged students to follow their dreams as far back as 1923, when the company hired its first female engineer. A true trendseer, Maria Whitson was the first woman to receive an engineering degree from Auburn University, then known as Alabama Polytechnic Institute, and became the first councilwoman in her hometown of Talladega a few years before her death in 1974. The ad then describes how female engineers at Alabama Power are sharing their knowledge and expertise to help inspire girls interested in engineering through the company's iCan program. Alabama Power's longstanding commitment to economic development is also highlighted in the ads. In 1920, the company established the New Industries Division, making it the first and, for a long time, only entity in Alabama commied to aracting and recruiting industry. This move provided job opportunities and increased the number of Alabama Power industrial customers, allowing the young company to generate additional electricity and pay for its new plants more quickly. Side by side with this historical view, the ads reinforce that today the company is still commied to economic development and the overall progress of the state. It supports programs like Alabama Works and Go Build Alabama, which encourage young people to consider a job in skilled labor. Additionally, customers are reminded that the company's first priority has always been to provide safe, reliable electricity. It now goes even further by offering electric water heaters, heat pumps and other products to make homes more comfortable and energy efficient. INNOVATION In Our DNA By Carla Davis COMPANY, EMPLOYEES HAVE BEEN ELEVATING STATE FOR OVER A CENTURY

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