Carmella Case Studies

Q-TILITIES: Coming Out with Power

Launching Alberta’s First Queer-Owned Energy Provider

Turning Everyday Bills into Acts of Activism

Alberta queer-owned energy provider

Intro

Background

Energy Service Provider / Social Enterprise in the Utilities Sector

Founded by Chris Cann, Q-TILITIES is Alberta’s first independent queer-owned energy service provider.. Backed by UTILITYnet’s 40+ years of expertise, the company offers competitive energy service with a social enterprise model: reinvesting surplus profits into Alberta’s 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. More than a utility provider, Q-TILITIES positions itself as a movement by turning everyday bills into year-round acts of activism and support.

The

Challenge

Q-TILITIES entered Alberta’s deregulated energy market with a bold idea: what if paying your utility bill could also fuel community change? As the province’s first independent queer-owned energy marketer, their mission is to reinvest surplus revenue into 2SLGBTQIA+ programs, fighting rainbow-washing and making Pride a year-round commitment. The challenge was introducing this disruptive concept to Albertans in a way that built awareness, trust, and excitement. Q-TILITIES needed to clearly communicate its social enterprise model while standing out against well-established energy brands. Timing was critical: the launch was aligned with Calgary Pride 2025, and Carmella was tasked with bringing this story to life across multiple channels.

Our

Approach

Carmella developed and executed a comprehensive launch campaign designed to capture attention, spark conversation, and connect with both allies and the queer community.

Launch Blog & Storytelling: We crafted a feature blog, Coming Out with Power, to introduce Q-TILITIES to the public. The piece highlighted the founder’s story, explained the reinvestment model, and positioned the brand as an authentic alternative to corporate energy providers.

Email Campaigns: Two sets of launch emails were created: one targeting potential customers and allies, and another directed at community organizations. Both emphasized Q-TILITIES’ values of authenticity, transparency, and year-round impact.

Social Media Content: Carmella designed a full Pride-aligned content calendar with grid posts and stories that showcased Q-TILITIES’ personality: bold, joyful, and unapologetically queer. Messaging reinforced the idea of bills as activism: Every switch fuels Alberta’s queer and trans communities.

Reel Campaigns: We produced launch-day and evergreen reel concepts to humanize the brand and engage Pride audiences. Formats like “Finish the Sentence: ‘Pride is…” and “Show Us Your Power” invited community participation.

Event Collateral: To ensure visibility at in-person activations, Carmella designed two branded pull-up banners. These event pieces carried Q-TILITIES’ bold colours, values-driven messaging, and launch visuals, reinforcing the campaign identity and creating an eye-catching presence at Calgary Pride and beyond.

Community-Driven
Brand Launch

Authentic
Pride Engagement

Purpose-Led
Growth & Awareness

The

Results

The campaign gave Q-TILITIES a strong, differentiated voice at launch:

Successful Pride 2025 Debut: Q-TILITIES “came out” during Calgary Pride with an unmistakable presence across digital and live channels. To date, Q-TILITIES sits at 25% above initial projections when it comes to customer acquisition.

Authentic Community Engagement: Reel formats and Pride-aligned social storytelling created high engagement and resonance with queer and ally audiences.

Clear Differentiation: Campaign messaging positioned Q-TILITIES as a new, go-to energy company, while also highlighting a movement driven by purpose.

Event Impact: Pull-up banners created a professional, polished presence at events, boosting awareness and brand recognition.

Early Partnerships: Outreach emails initiated conversations with local organizations, opening doors for sponsorships and community collaborations.
Community-Driven
Brand Launch

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