Communication Strategy to make responsible energy consumption a behaviour Quebecers would value, adopt, and champion.
Hydro-Québec's 2035 decarbonization plan depends on getting Quebecers to change how they consume energy. Yet energy remains largely invisible, taken for granted, and evaluated through one lens only: the monthly bill. Our mandate: develop the communication strategy that would make responsible energy consumption a shared behaviour, turning the 2035 plan into something Quebecers genuinely wanted to be part of.
We shifted the conversation from saving money to protecting something valuable. Instead of framing energy as a utility people consume, we reframed it as a shared resource Quebecers collectively safeguard, connecting it to values already deeply rooted in the province: autonomy, prosperity, and stewardship of its natural wealth. To make the behaviour socially meaningful, we replaced financial incentives as the primary motivator with social value. The platform gave Hydro-Québec a clear communication role: part trusted expert, part motivating coach. A simple principle - Oser dire vrai - helped cut through environmental fatigue by addressing tensions and frustrations honestly rather than avoiding them.
The result was more than a campaign. It was a behaviour-change platform built around three stages, Confidence, Interest and Action, designed to help Hydro-Québec turn responsible energy consumption into a new social norm and support the long-term success of its 2035 decarbonization plan.
