811 Safe Digging Campaign

CLIENT

SEMCO Energy

CAMPAIGN

811 Safety Awareness

INDUSTRY

  • Energy

SERVICES

  • Branding, Design & Copywriting, Digital, Strategic Marketing, Video & Photography
A digital-first campaign reminded Michigan residents to contact 811 before starting a digging project.

SEMCO Energy wanted to raise awareness of a simple but important step before any digging project: call 811 or submit a ticket. Whale developed a coordinated campaign built around a clear reminder: Call 811 before you dig. Every dig. Every time.

Campaign Objective

Create awareness of the need to contact 811 before starting a digging project.

The Approach

Whale ran digital ads across Meta, Google Display, Nextdoor and geofencing, then extended the message through YouTube video, door hangers and information cards. The creative encouraged residents to call 811 or scan a QR code to request a ticket.

Most digital tactics reached 103 SEMCO ZIP codes. Geofencing focused on ZIP codes with the most underground utility damage in 2025, including nearby home improvement retailers and county buildings.

Services Provided
  • Campaign strategy and creative development
  • Digital advertising on Meta, Google Display and Nextdoor
  • Geofencing in priority ZIP codes
  • YouTube video advertising
  • Door hangers and information cards
  • Performance tracking and reporting
The Results
  • More than 3 million impressions across the campaign to date
  • Over 25,000 link clicks across the campaign to date
  • 900,000+ YouTube impressions at a $10 average CPM, compared with a $15–$20 benchmark
  • 56-second average YouTube view time
The Impact

The campaign gave SEMCO a clear, consistent way to remind residents to contact 811 before digging. By pairing approachable creative with outreach across digital, video and print, the message met people in multiple places and made the next step easy to understand: plan ahead, contact 811 and dig safely.