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One-Page Marketing Plan
Nine Simple Steps to Writing a Powerful, Customer-Oriented, Actionable Plan
April 17, 2013
We often receive questions about developing a utility marketing plan, so we’ve updated our nine-step process for creating a simple one-page template to help guide you in creating a customer-oriented, actionable plan for all your marketing campaigns.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: RES-RB-26 | Author: Beth Hartman, Matthew Joyce
Are You Wasting Money on Marketing? Part II
Current Utility ROI Measurement Solutions
March 26, 2013
Although marketing measurement solutions in use among utilities vary widely, overall, those that make an effort to evaluate results are able to generate a higher return on investment. Using tools such as Google Analytics, Salesforce, and Excel, utilities can improve marketing results.
Content type: Focus Report | Document ID: RES-F-50 | Author: Beth Hartman
Are You Wasting Money on Marketing? Part III
Outside Industries and Future Opportunities
March 26, 2013
There are several innovative marketing strategies from outside industries that utilities could apply to their own campaigns to more effectively calculate return on marketing investment (ROMI). Also, utilities are uniquely positioned to build higher ROMIs by leveraging smart grid data.
Content type: Focus Report | Document ID: RES-F-51 | Author: Beth Hartman
Carrotmob in Boulder County, Colorado
Forget the Stick—Use the Carrot to Spark Energy-Efficiency Action
March 18, 2013
In Boulder, Colorado, the county's EnergySmart program and students in the Colorado Public Interest Group at the University of Colorado worked together to launch a Carrotmob event in the Colorado town to raise awareness about and encourage participation in the program.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: RES-RB-25 | Author: Katie Ruiz
Reinventing the Utility Brand Experience: Starbucks or Just Plain Coffee?
February 21, 2013
Utilities are in danger of losing brand value as other industries become more important in peoples’ lives. But by following the path of successful brands both inside and outside the industry, utilities can revitalize their brand for the emerging market.
Content type: Focus Report | Document ID: ECM-F-3 | Author: Bill LeBlanc
Who Participates in Residential Energy-Efficiency Programs?
A Look at the Key Drivers
February 12, 2013
E Source’s investigation of energy-efficiency program participation drivers, based on one of the most robust sets of data in the industry, provides utilities with some of the tools and information necessary to achieve better marketing traction and to accelerate program participation.
Content type: Focus Report | Document ID: RES-F-48 | Author: Kim Burke, Rachel Cooper
HEAL Program: Employers Alleviate the Pain of Energy-Efficiency Financing
January 30, 2013
HEAL, a project of the Clinton Climate Initiative, was developed to facilitate commercial retrofits and, at the same time, help residents access capital for home energy improvements.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: RES-RB-24 | Author: Melanie Wemple
Stormy Weather’s Silver Lining: Opportunities to Accelerate Energy Efficiency After Disasters
January 30, 2013
Natural disasters have the potential to wreak massive financial damages to properties and unquantifiable emotional and personal losses, but program administrators at ground zero are uniquely poised to help victims rebuild or renovate their damaged homes and businesses to be more secure, affordable, and ...
Content type: Focus Report | Document ID: EDRP-F-46 | Author: Melanie Wemple, Rachel Reiss Buckley, Dulcey Simpkins
Internal Communications at Utilities
January 24, 2013
What channels and strategies do utilities use to communicate to their employees?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: ECM-AskES-2 | Author: Felicity Tucker
Fun and Games: Using Facebook Apps for Marketing and Customer Engagement
January 14, 2013
Utilities that meet their customers on social media channels can achieve dramatic results in marketing and customer engagement. Online and mobile applications for games, sweepstakes, trivia contests, and other fun social activities abound and can be used to increase interest in energy efficiency.
Content type: Focus Report | Document ID: RES-F-47 | Author: Beth Hartman
Daily Deals Increase Program Participation: Leveraging Networks Like Groupon
January 9, 2013
CenterPoint Energy and Xcel Energy in Minnesota were looking for a way to get more people interested in a visit from the Home Energy Squad. Turning to a strategy employed by many other businesses, the utilities used an online deals network to spread the word.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: RES-RB-21 | Author: Beth Hartman
Community Rewards by New Jersey Natural Gas
Referrals Spread the Word and Earn Cash for Community Organizations
January 9, 2013
The New Jersey Natural Gas Conserve to Preserve Community Rewards program uses the power and reach of nonprofit networks to help drive enrollments for its online dashboard. Each successful enrollment that is referred by a registered nonprofit earns a referral reward for that community group.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: RES-RB-23 | Author: Dulcey Simpkins
Puget Sound Energy’s Green Power Rewards Program
January 9, 2013
Puget Sound Energy developed a unique value proposition around its green power program by creating a community that ties together participating households and businesses. An exclusive rewards program provides households with discounts to green-powered businesses.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: RES-RB-22 | Author: Katie Ruiz
Efficiency Beyond Widgets: Residential Behavioral Program Options
December 18, 2012
Behavior-change programs for the residential sector have proliferated rapidly over the past few years, evolving more quickly than virtually any other energy-efficiency program offering. What elements drive successful residential behavioral approaches?
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: RES-RB-46 | Author: Dulcey Simpkins
Residential Revenue-Generating Products and Services: Six Ways to Boost Utility Earnings
November 29, 2012
As technologies, policies, and consumer preferences evolve, utilities are finding new ways to adapt their business model by offering products and services that extend beyond energy sales.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: RES-RB-20 | Author: Katie Ruiz
Listen to Your Business Customers, and They’ll Listen to You
Get Smart Through Business Advisory Panels
August 30, 2012
Would you like to better understand the needs of your business customers and strengthen your customer relationships? Look no further—business advisory panels can help you achieve these goals!
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: BMS-RB-12 | Author: Katie Ruiz
Great Minds Think Electric: Highlights from the 26th Annual Electric Vehicle Symposium
August 28, 2012
The electric vehicle (EV) has finally come of age. Or at least, that’s what EV industry insiders are all abuzz about.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: TAS-RB-55 | Author: Bryan Jungers
Social Media for Outages and Beyond
How Utilities Can Respond to Emergencies and Improve Customer Communications
August 9, 2012
Increasingly, emergency management organizations are turning to social media to help with more-effective crowd-sourced communications during disasters. Utilities can use this approach to help better manage their own communication strategy during power outages and to build customer relationships.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: ECM-RB-3 | Author: Beth Hartman
Best in Show: Georgia Power's Creative Canine Ad Campaign
July 25, 2012
Can you provide some behind-the-scenes details about Georgia Power’s creative ad campaign featuring dogs as energy auditors and energy-efficiency educators?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: RES-AskES-21 | Author: Katie Ruiz
Online Rate Communications: Best Practices and Messaging
July 19, 2012
What are best practices in rate communications? Can you provide examples of utilities that have effectively used the web and other electronic media to educate customers about the electric ratemaking process and pending rate cases?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: ECM-AskES-1 | Author: Stephanie Spalding
Multicultural Marketing and Outreach
How Engaging Key Ethnicities Will Grow Utility Program Participation
June 6, 2012
Over the past decade, utilities have realized that to succeed in a multicultural marketplace, they need effective marketing tactics that establish trust and loyalty among their ethnic customers and that result in increased program participation and customer satisfaction.
Content type: Focus Report | Document ID: RES-F-43 | Author: Paula Aven Gladych, Chris Connolly
Outage Communications for Business Customers
Doing It Right Can Drive Satisfaction Higher
May 2, 2012
Engaging in proactive outage communications is one of the key ways to keep business customers satisfied. This report looks at the primary methods that utilities are using to communicate successfully with large, key account customers and small-to-midsize business customers.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: BMS-RB-3 | Author: Kim Burke
How 50 Top Utilities Use Social Media
Key Findings from the E Source 2012 Social Media Survey
April 18, 2012
Utilities continue to realize the value in social media as a marketing, communication, and customer service channel. This report analyzes the results from our 2012 Utility Social Media Survey, the most comprehensive survey in our industry.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: ECS-RB-2 | Author: Stephanie Spalding
Do They Qualify? Trade Ally Screening Practices
April 16, 2012
Trade allies frequently help deliver efficiency programs. See how efficiency program administrators make sure trade allies are qualified to participate.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: EDRP-RB-24 | Author: Todd Camnitz and Kim Burke
Attention-Getting Ads to Boost Your EV Program
March 7, 2012
How are you going to get your message regarding electric vehicles out to customers? These sample advertisements designed by E Source can provide inspiration.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: EVG-RB-1 | Author: Jay Stein
Residential Energy-Use Study 2012
March 2, 2012
Who are your residential customers? To find out, E Source partnered with The Nielsen Company on Nielsen’s 2009, 2010, and 2011 annual market research surveys of 32,000 U.S. households.
Content type: Market Study | Document ID: RES-MRS-EnergyUse-12 | Author: Rachel Cooper
Will California’s Global Warming Policies Drive Up Electricity Prices 20 Percent by 2020?
February 17, 2012
How will cap and trade affect the cost of energy in California? Electricity bills in California are projected to rise 20 percent over and above inflation and other naturally occurring price increases, according to models of the state's carbon regulations and renewable energy standard.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: CEMC-RB-3 | Author: Dulcey Simpkins, Todd Camnitz
SMB Segmentation: Your Customers and Employees Will Thank You
January 9, 2012
Utility marketers will learn the direct effect that segmentation has on corporate goals – customer satisfaction and program participation – and the indirect effect that it can have on employee engagement.
Content type: Focus Report | Document ID: BCO-F-1 | Author: Jenny Field
Gaining Efficiencies Through Residential Product Bundling
December 19, 2011
Today’s consumers are well accustomed to product bundles, and they expect meaningful value from them. As some utilities try to capitalize on this customer desire, they’re finding that product bundling not only helps meet consumer expectations but also helps achieve program administrator goals. ...
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: RES-RB-12 | Author: Melanie Wemple
Gap and Priority Benchmark 2011
A Survey of Utility Large Business Customers
December 16, 2011
The 2011 Gap and Priority Benchmark surveyed 1,428 large business customers to assess how well utilities and account representatives are satisfying the needs of their business customers, and to identify steps utilities and account reps can take to better serve these important accounts.
Content type: Benchmark Study | Document ID: BAM-BMK-GPB-11 | Author: Kim Burke, Alan Seltzer
