ATLANTA-Southern Company is launching a new national advertising campaign as part of its comprehensive brand strategy for 2000. The three-tiered approach targets the financial, policy maker and large energy user communities.

Whereas Southern Company’s last national campaign in 1998 focused on who the company was in general terms, this newest campaign delves deeper to support the Company’s focused business strategy by delivering a relevant message to specific and targeted audiences. To see an ad sample, (PDF - 18KB) click here.

"We are moving beyond the objective of building brand awareness by providing an effective tool for educating the segments of the publics we most want to reach. When people choose Southern Company as an investment for future value, an advisor in the policy arena or a provider of energy, we want them to know they can take comfort in knowing they`ve made the right choice in energy companies," said Southern Company senior vice president for external affairs Steve Spencer.

The Wall Street Journal will be used as the umbrella publication as it effectively reaches all three target audiences as well as Southern Company’s broader business audience. The multitude of the print ads, however, will be placed in the corresponding publications:

• Financial community—Placement will include Barron’s, Institutional Investor, Bloomberg Magazine and New York Times.
• Policy makers—Placements include Washington Post, and four beltway publications National Journal, Roll Call, Congressional Quarterly and The Hill.
• Large energy users—Placement will include trade publications and an Internet banner test.

The year-long print campaign of five corporate ads and four trade ads begin running tomorrow in the Wall Street Journal and in this month’s edition of Bloomberg Magazine.

In addition, Southern Company will produce cover wraps for select issues of Fortune and Forbes magazines that will be mailed to a targeted recipient list. The wraps will feature one of the print ads along with a letter from Chairman and CEO A.W. “Bill” Dahlberg on the inside cover. The first wrapped publications begin this month, and five more issues at each publication will follow.

Southern Company’s advertising agency, Shepardson Stern Kaminsky (SS+K) of New York, developed the ad campaign. Southern Company expects to spend about $8 million on this campaign in 2000.

Additionally, Southern Company will continue its sponsorship of PGA TOUR, running commercials during key golf broadcasts throughout the year.

Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is an international energy company that operates more than 48,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity worldwide. It is the largest producer of electricity in the United States and one of the world’s largest independent power producers. Southern Company subsidiaries and their affiliates serve 12 million retail customers worldwide and millions more through the wholesale market. Based in Atlanta, Southern Company is the parent firm of Alabama Power, Georgia Power, Gulf Power, Mississippi Power and Savannah Electric.

Through its Southern Energy Inc. subsidiary, Southern Company has operations in 12 countries on five continents and has a growing presence in North America with assets in the Northeast, the Midwest, California and Texas. Southern Company also provides energy-related marketing, trading and technical services in the United States and Europe and offers Southern LINC wireless telecommunications.