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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 I
Calculating Marketing ROI
March 26, 2013
Rather than a cost center, the utility marketing department represents an essential investment opportunity for the company to expand programs that will sustain profits long into the future. Understanding the challenges to and creating a framework for calculating ROI can lead to better results.
Content type: Focus Report | Document ID: RES-F-49 | Author: Beth Hartman
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
Get Others to Do the Work for You!
Channel Your Marketing Through Existing Networks and Partnerships
January 9, 2013 | Updated: March 18, 2013
Sometimes the most effective way to reach your target customers is to let someone else do it for you. E Source has learned of several utilities that have successfully collaborated with existing networks and local organizations to spread their marketing messages.
Content type: Research Brief | Document ID: RES-RB-19 | 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
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
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
Talking Tough Topics with Small Biz: Rate Communications Channels and Strategies
September 26, 2012
What are the primary challenges to reaching out to small and midsize business (SMB) customers regarding a rate change? What are the most effective channels and outreach strategies for communicating a rate-structure change or rate increase to SMB customers?
Content type: Ask E Source | Document ID: BCO-AskES-9 | Author: Kim Burke, Rachel Cooper, Dulcey Simpkins
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
Marketing Dynamic Pricing: Three Residential Case Studies
August 1, 2012
Can utilities successfully drive enrollment in dynamic-pricing programs and help their customers succeed in them? This report contains messaging, targeting, channel-usage, and education lessons from three residential case studies: Gulf Power, Pacific Gas and Electric Co., and Toronto Hydro-Electric System. ...
Content type: Focus Report | Document ID: RES-F-45 | Author: Rob Hall
Grassroots Marketing: Tried-and-True Strategies That Never Go Out of Style
June 21, 2012
Tapping into the roots of your communities through grassroots marketing strategies is a great way to create awareness and understanding around your energy-efficiency initiatives and incentives programs. Don’t let the power of Main Street pass you by!
Content type: Focus Report | Document ID: RES-F-44 | Author: Katie Ruiz
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
Pricing Program Practices for Low-Income Customers
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
