Developing design projects that attract the eye and engage the brain drives projects developed by Hoosier Energy’s Pardue
March 2021
When Trina Pardue joined Hoosier Energy 28 years ago, she couldn’t foresee how drastically her job would change. Starting as a division secretary and transitioning to an associate in Financial and Corporate services, Pardue had become the go-to person for designing presentation materials.
“I was always asked to make things look pretty,” she said, explaining that her accounting degree was beneficial during the early years at Hoosier Energy, but she had to teach herself complex software when given the opportunity to design materials for a marketing campaign. “That was a crash course in Adobe software, but I love designing and I love what I do.”
After her first successful marketing project, Pardue transitioned into a position as communications coordinator for events and graphic design, through which she regularly creates expansive marketing campaigns that include website banners, social media graphics, bill stuffers, three-fold brochures, rack cards, newsletter advertisements, and much more – essentially, anything needed to brand and market a program.
Pardue starts each project by meeting with members or managers to gain full understanding of their vision and expectations, and then she begins researching the topic to learn as much as she can. Once she understands the program and concept, she’s able to navigate the project in the right direction and design all the necessary elements.
In recent months, Pardue has been working on three simultaneous, all-inclusive marketing projects with other departments – Emerging Energy Resource’s electric vehicle program and Energy Management Solution’s HVAC Tune Up Pilot and the Electric Lawn Equipment Pilot Project, all of which were being rolled out to members in February.
“We are all working together toward the common goal to serve our members,” Pardue said. “We not only represent Hoosier Energy and its departments, but also the members, as print pieces and social media posts get passed on to the member-consumer. It’s just the cooperative vision.”
Energy Management Solution Manager Blake Kleaving said if members are interested in launching new marketing campaigns with professional-grade results, they should reach out to Hoosier Energy’s communications team.
“Our marketing department has been overly impressed with the efficiency and brand consistency of transitioning from outside consultants to now utilizing our internal communication design and writing team,” he added.
Having worked in so many different capacities throughout the past three decades, Pardue found her creative calling in Communications.
“I love being able to transform something to make it different or to make it new,” she said. “To be able to get people’s attention, to be creative and colorful, to not just use words, but send a message. I want to be able to tell a story.”