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Identifying and Improving Key Moments of Truth
March 30, 2012
Identifying and improving key moments of truth is an important component of customer experience management that can have positive impacts financially as well as on customer satisfaction and brand loyalty. Gain insights in this area from Duke Energy and a transportation and business services company.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: ECM-RB-1 | Author: Sarah Fiebiger
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
Efficiency Beyond Widgets: C&I Behavioral Program Options
February 7, 2012
This review of behavioral program options for the commercial sector helps demand-side management program managers view the lay of the land for programs that focus on changing how people think about and use energy, rather than on installing efficient devices.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: EDRP-RB-22x | Author: Dulcey Simpkins
Don’t Let Fairness Concerns Derail Your Smart Grid Business Case
December 27, 2011
Utilities lack sound intelligence on pricing-program implications for verified hardship customers—those whose households meet some poverty level measure and qualify for bill assistance. Regulators' fairness concerns about pricing programs can be addressed with the strategies outlined in this report. ...
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: IGS-RB-10 | Author: Dulcey Simpkins
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
Utility Marketing Industry Insights
Results from the 2011 Utility Marketing Survey
May 27, 2011
How do utilities organize their marketing departments? What are the most effective marketing channels? What metrics do utilities use to measure the success of marketing efforts? To find out, in January 2011 E Source surveyed marketing staff at our member organizations.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: RES-RB-9 | Author: Alexandra Behringer
Geek Speak Takes a Back Seat
PEV Messaging for Mass Markets
January 14, 2011
Plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) are now arriving in showrooms across the U.S. How are utilities in early roll-out regions identifying early-adopters and communicating on critical issues? This brief addresses these questions with profiles of three utilities operating in PEV-ready regions.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: UCS-RB-10 | Author: Bryan Jungers
Smart Meter Messaging Comes of Age
December 2, 2010
The messaging that utilities use to educate customers, address questions and concerns, and manage expectations about smart meters influences the overall success of the system deployment. We examine the key messages that utilities are using to effectively convey information about smart meters.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: UCS-RB-9 | Author: Kim Burke
Nashville Under Water
Crisis Communications During a Flood
July 23, 2010
In the spring of 2010, Nashville, Tennessee was hit with a powerful storm that flooded the city and created widespread electricity outages. Laurie Parker of Nashville Electric Service (NES) shares with us how social media helped NES communicate to customers and the media during the crisis.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: UCS-RB-12 | Author: Stephanie Spalding
Social Marketing Insights from the Experts
Highlights from the E Source Let’s Get Social Conference
July 14, 2010
We highlight the social marketing presentations from the 2010 E Source Let’s Get Social conference. Speakers discussed innovative social marketing campaigns, how market research informs successful branding and program execution, and how to measure energy savings from behavior-change programs.
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Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: RES-RB-4 | Author: Kim Knox
Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting and Communication
April 2, 2010
How are utilities reporting and communicating to the public about their corporate social responsibility efforts?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: UCS-AskES-12 | Author: Stephanie Spalding
The State of Social Media Marketing
March 31, 2010
Corporate use of social media took off in 2009. But although its popularity has grown over the past year, there are still many questions surrounding social media and its benefits for utilities. We answer your most pressing questions based on our analysis of a large social media marketing study.
Content type: Best Practice | Document ID: UCS-BP-7 | Author: Stephanie Spalding
Launching Energy-Efficiency Programs: Ten Lessons for Success (and One for Failure)
An E Source White Paper
January 13, 2010
Following several demand-side management program design best practices can help utilities build successful programs; a few other practices will almost guarantee disaster. Learn how new social marketing methods can influence the potential success or failure of a new program.
Content type: White Paper | Document ID: ES-WP-9 | Author: Courtney DeWinter
Marketing Demand Response to Residential Customers: A PG&E Case Study
December 3, 2009
Can you provide a short case study on the methods used by Pacific Gas and Electric to promote the utility’s residential demand-response programs?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: RES-AskES-11 | Author: Alexandra Behringer
Communicating Energy Prices to Your Large Industrial Customers
November 24, 2009
What are some effective ways to provide energy price communications to large industrial customers? Do you have any examples of how price communications have positively influenced customer satisfaction?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: BCO-AskES-5 | Author: Alexandra Behringer
How to Measure Your Advertising Efforts
November 2, 2009
How do utilities measure the effectiveness of their advertising?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: UCS-AskES-8 | Author: Matthew Joyce
Building and Selling a Social Media Strategy
How Avista Utilities Tamed the Wild West of Online Communications
October 23, 2009
Social media presents daunting internal and external challenges for utilities. Dan Kolbet, social media communications manager for Avista Utilities, shares insights on why and what he did to push social media into a primetime communications channel at Avista and what results he’s seen so far.
Content type: Best Practice | Document ID: UCS-BP-5 | Author: Matthew Burks
Planned Outage Communications
October 12, 2009
How do utilities communicate planned outages to their customers?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: UCS-AskES-10 | Author: Stephanie Cary
2009 Review of North American Electric and Gas Company Web Sites
September 17, 2009
In this, the fourth installment of the E Source benchmark review of U.S. and Canadian utility web sites, we analyze the reviews of 31 features and functions on 100 different web sites, including 4 features tested on mobile devices.
Content type: Benchmark Study | Document ID: EBiz-BMK-Web-09 | Author: Florence Connally and Stephanie Cary
Monitoring Online Social Media
September 11, 2009
I created an account for the E Source online social media tool and want to monitor our company mentions in online mainstream news, blogs, and Twitter. How do I get started?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: UCS-AskES-5 | Author: Stephanie Cary
The Cost of Pay-per-Click Advertising
August 19, 2009
We want to include pay-per-click advertising in our campaign. How can we estimate the cost?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: RES-AskES-7 | Author: Stephanie Cary
Communicating with Customers About AMI Deployment
July 20, 2009
We are planning an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) deployment. What’s the best way to tell our customers about AMI?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: UCS-AskES-6 | Author: Alexandra Behringer and Matthew Burks
How Utility Marketers Can Succeed in a Rapidly Changing Media Marketplace
Results from an E Source Roundtable Discussion
July 6, 2009
Utility marketers must increase customer enrollments in efficiency and conservation programs, as mandated by regulators, and cheaply. Digital social media may be a solution. This Roundtable report summarizes four digital social media presentations from the 2009 E Source Utility Marketing Conference.
Content type: Focus Report | Document ID: RES-F-33 | Author: John Egan
Communicating About AMI Deployment on Utility Web Sites
June 16, 2009
How should utilities best communicate messages about the deployment of advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) to customers through their web sites?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: IGS-AskES-6 | Author: Sarah Weldon
Web Site Consumption
May 27, 2009
We feel like we’re doing a good job attracting customers to our web site, and although we always want higher conversion levels, we’re wondering: Is there a next step after conversion?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: EBiz-AskES-2 | Author: Matthew Joyce
Marketing AC Cycling Programs to SMB Customers
May 13, 2009
What messages do utility air-conditioning cycling programs use in marketing to small and midsize business (SMB) customers? Do any programs adapt the message for different SMB sectors?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: SMB-AskES-6b | Author: Alexandra Behringer and Chad Garrett
Utility Crisis Communications: Why You Need to Practice Your Plan
An E Source Roundtable Discussion
April 6, 2009
After Memphis Light, Gas & Water was blindsided by a political scandal and media firestorm, it took the unusual step of holding crisis-communications drills for its communications team. It also changed the way it worked with the local news media. The result? Better, more balanced news coverage.
Content type: Focus Report | Document ID: UCS-F-6 | Author: John Egan
Marketing Appliance and HVAC Protection Plans
Results from an E Source Roundtable Discussion
March 16, 2009
Many utilities have found success by offering residential customers service contracts or warranty plans for appliances and HVAC equipment. Such products can provide residential customers with peace of mind by preventing unforeseen expenses, which can be valuable during financially troubled times. In ...
Content type: Focus Report | Document ID: RES-F-32 | Author: Alexandra Behringer
Viral Marketing
Creatively Promoting Load-Management Programs to Your Business Customers
January 15, 2009
Creative marketing channels can empower people to inform others about your business’s load-management program. By tapping into the existing social networks of business operators, you can give your marketing efforts a life of their own.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: SMB-RB-1 | Author: Chad Garrett
SMB Communications Performance
December 1, 2008
Which utilities do the best job of communicating with their small and midsize business (SMB) customers and what are their common best practices?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: SMB-AskES-7a | Author: John Egan
