Today’s consumers are navigating a complex landscape of energy messages that may at times feel overwhelming. Messages on a variety of topics are being delivered by their electricity providers, the government and retailers, to name just a few sources, and through many channels (e.g., email, TV, social media, mail and radio). In this landscape, which messages are most likely to resonate?
To learn more about consumers’ awareness of and interest in energy messages and what leads them from awareness to engagement, the Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative (SECC) recently released the “Modern Energy Messaging: Transactions to Relationships” report, which was based on an online survey of 1,500 Americans who are responsible for household energy decisions.
In this month’s blog, we share three takeaways from the new research that demonstrate the ideal energy-related message to effectively reach the greatest number of consumers:
1. Consumers want messages to come from their electricity providers.
As we explored in last month’s blog, consumers are most accepting of energy-related messages coming from their electricity providers. They find them easier to understand, and they believe that the messages are relevant and trustworthy, particularly when compared to other sources. When explicitly asked who they want to hear energy-related messages from, about half of respondents said their electricity providers, significantly higher than any other response – eight percent said friends and family, and another eight percent said government (state or local). However, 12 percent of respondents weren’t sure who they want to hear messages from, and the younger, tech-savvy Connected Pragmatists segment were far less likely to say their electricity providers (34 percent), suggesting providers may have some work to do building trust with younger consumers.
2. Consumers prefer email and bill inserts, but other channels still matter.
With electricity providers being the preferred source of messages, it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise that both email and bill inserts are consumers’ preferred channels. Both channels are preferred by about one-quarter of consumers (24 percent), with bill inserts being more favorable to the older demographic. Thirty-four percent of consumers over 55 years old prefer this channel. However, the survey results confirm the importance of a multi-channel communications strategy. TV and website were preferred by around 10 percent of respondents, and the Green Pioneers and Connected Pragmatists – who are younger, tech-savvy and more likely to engage – show some preference for digital channels, namely social media, online ads and text messages.
3. Saving money resonates best, with environmental benefits and comfort close behind.
Considering the economic challenges that many consumers are facing today, it’s no surprise that messages focusing on saving money now and in the future were of the most interest to survey respondents – “will help you save money over time” and “will provide instant cost savings” were consumers’ top statements out of a list of 15. That said, today’s consumers have a wide range of values, and statements about improving air quality, making the home more comfortable, protecting the environment and improving the reliability of electricity were also favored. Environmentally focused messaging was particularly of interest for the Simply Sustainable and Green Pioneers but were, predictably, very unpopular with the Comfort Seekers, especially the statement that explicitly refers to “climate change”.
Given the diversity in consumers’ values, preferences and motivations today, personalization is more important than ever before. However, to maximize reach to the most customers with a single campaign, the ideal energy message is delivered by the electricity provider via email and bill inserts, supported by digital channels, like social media and online ads. The content of message should focus on saving money first – both near-term and long-term savings – but also highlight additional benefits, most importantly benefiting the environment or improving home comfort.
