Don't worry, we're here to talk policy, not politics. 

Just like everyone else in the country (the world?), at KSV we've been paying a lot of attention to the election of Donald Trump as our 45th president, and all of the implications that will come along with this era. 

 

 

And just a week ago, we had an interview with a promising job candidate ( we're growing, by the way), and he asked a great question:

 

"Are you worried about the business prospects of an agency focused on energy and sustainability under this administration?"

 

The short answer: no. 

Topics: Customer-Centric Marketing, Utility Communications, Data and Analytics, Digital Transformation and User Experience, Innovation, Marketing Strategy and Best Practices, Audience Segmentation

Perhaps you noticed the headline from Inc.com in your feed:

Elon Musk Takes Customer Complaint on Twitter From Idea to Execution in 6 Days

Attention business leaders: This is how it's done. 

The short story here is this: A Tesla user in CA needed to charge his car and stopped at a charging station only to find that all the charging stations were occupied by fully charged cars, whose owners had left their cars to charge while they went and enjoyed one of the other businesses nearby (including a coffee shop, a gym, and a Whole Foods). The out-of-juice user tweeted at Elon Musk, who responded, and essentially said, Yup, this is an issue and we're aware of it and we're going to fix it.

Topics: Customer-Centric Marketing, Utility Communications, Data and Analytics, Digital Transformation and User Experience, Innovation, Marketing Strategy and Best Practices, Audience Segmentation

How many times do you want to hear from a brand in a given month, week, day? 

 

What about your cable company? Or cell phone provider? 

 

Now, how about your energy company?

 

Without structured oversight you may be more of a nuisance to your customers than a trusted advisor. 

 

 

The problem: Ineffective CRMs + Redundant email tools + Siloed Organizations

Topics: Customer-Centric Marketing, Utility Communications, Data and Analytics, Digital Transformation and User Experience, Innovation, Marketing Strategy and Best Practices, Audience Segmentation

One of the inspiring parts of working in the energy vertical is all of the innovation, disruption, and incredible minds that are working to create solutions.

Enter Elizabeth Palchak.

A few months ago KSV had the opportunity speak at the BECC Conference and present on millennials, and got to hear a great presentation by Elizabeth Palchak at UVM (Elizabeth also does work for VEIC because she's a rockstar). 

Elizabeth has been studying (among other things) the impact of in-home displays on energy efficient behavior and awareness in a renting millennial crowd, and her findings were fascinating.

So today, Elizabeth is joining us on EnergyWire, and sharing some of the results of her research with you.

Topics: Customer-Centric Marketing, Utility Communications, Data and Analytics, Digital Transformation and User Experience, Innovation, Marketing Strategy and Best Practices, Audience Segmentation

Just kidding! 

We wanted to send you an energy themed holiday treat from KSV. Enjoy!

 

 

But really, we've got some great stuff on tap for 2017. 

 

We've been asking you what you wanted more of out of Energy Wire, and we heard you loud and clear.

 

We'll be featuring even more case studies, voices of industry, research, voice of the customer research, and povs on energy, with content from some of the most compelling voices in energy today, including perspectives on energy storage, IoT, audience segmentation and hyper-targeting.

 

Want to contribute content to EnergyWire in 2017 or be featured in an article? Reach out, we'd love to work with you. 

 

And until 2017, KSV is wishing you a happy, healthy, energized, and sustainable New Year.

 

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    Download the brief now.

Topics: Customer-Centric Marketing, Utility Communications, Data and Analytics, Digital Transformation and User Experience, Innovation, Marketing Strategy and Best Practices, Audience Segmentation

What do energy customers care about?

What messages will resonate with b2b energy and sustainability decision makers? With residential customers? Trade allies?

How can utilities, energy services companies, and energy innovators communicate in a way that breaks through the noise and is actually relevant to their audiences?

Last month KSV and National Grid partnered to deliver a webinar for an ESource crowd on how to create messages that actually resonate for energy customers.

For years, utilities and energy efficiency organizations in the U.S. have been touting the same messages. 

Topics: Customer-Centric Marketing, Utility Communications, Data and Analytics, Digital Transformation and User Experience, Innovation, Marketing Strategy and Best Practices, Audience Segmentation

Ease of Doing Business and Amazon Dash

Customer satisfaction. Favorability. Net Promoter. Trusted Advisor.

 

We've all been chasing KPIs, for ourselves, for our clients. 

 

And lately, many of our clients have been talking about ease of doing business as a KPI that matters to them. And in the energy business, or in the b2b space, the idea of "ease of doing business" is particularly challenging. 

 

Enter Amazon.

 

Topics: Customer-Centric Marketing, Utility Communications, Data and Analytics, Digital Transformation and User Experience, Innovation, Marketing Strategy and Best Practices, Audience Segmentation

At KSV, we've spent the last two years talking to residential, trade ally, and C&I customers, every month, about what matters most to them to gain a better understanding of their perceptions, barriers to entry, buying decisions and motivators. 

And what we've heard might surprise you. 

In our conversations and research, 83% of research participants correlate “energy efficiency” with a long and uncertain payback period. 

Topics: Customer-Centric Marketing, Utility Communications, Data and Analytics, Digital Transformation and User Experience, Innovation, Marketing Strategy and Best Practices, Audience Segmentation

 At KSV, we're all happily settling into a holiday haze and enjoying a day of rest, and we hope you are too.

So much is made of the Black Friday consumer activity, but did you know that 2015 had the lowest Black Friday participation since 2011?

 

In fact, fewer people shopped on Black Friday, Thanksgiving itself (we're going to go ahead and say this is a good thing), and over the whole weekend last year.

 

But you know what has been steadily growing, year over year, resulting in 2.98 BILLION in sales last year? 

 

Cyber Monday.

Topics: Customer-Centric Marketing, Utility Communications, Data and Analytics, Digital Transformation and User Experience, Innovation, Marketing Strategy and Best Practices, Audience Segmentation

The energy efficiency industry is ripe with opportunities.

To connect with customers.

To create a message with one clear voice.

Yesterday we presented an E Source webinar with our partner Lori Acker from National Grid on why creative testing matters.

At KSV we know the only way to get customers to take action is to create seamless advertising across all programs that resonates with them.

Topics: Customer-Centric Marketing, Utility Communications, Data and Analytics, Digital Transformation and User Experience, Innovation, Marketing Strategy and Best Practices, Audience Segmentation