Ashley Nicholls

Recent Posts

KSV POV Customer Video Series: Award Winning

Posted by Ashley Nicholls on November 11, 2016 at 9:30 AM

At KSV, we've got experience winning awards for our clients and the work we do together.

In fact, we've been honored over the past few years to have our work and our clients be recognized by Chartwell, The Bell Ringer Awards, The Webby Awards, the w3 Awards, and others.
 
 
We're honored and humbled to announce that our KSV POV Voice of the Customer Video Series is now our Award Winning Video Series. 
 
Our series was selected as a silver winner by the w3 awards for excellence in online video. And, even more important is that we've been honored to hear from many of you that you find the POV videos insightful, provocative, and helpful. 
 
 
For the past two years, we've hit the road all over the U.S. to talk to people about their homes, their businesses, energy, appliances, how they make decisions and prioritize investments, challenges to participating in energy efficiency, utility communications, and more.
 
In fact, we're about to hit the road for our next road trip (want to add a question to our conversations? Have a topic you're trying to tackle and need some insights? Get in touch, we're writing our discussion guides right now).
 
So for today, we're celebrating in all of KSVs offices, and we thought we'd share with you our top 5 most viewed KSV POV Voice of the Customer Videos.
 
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Topics: Customer-Centric Marketing, Utility Communications, Data and Analytics, Digital Transformation and User Experience, Innovation, Marketing Strategy and Best Practices, Audience Segmentation

An Energy Revolution... and the Millennials Who Demand It

Posted by Ashley Nicholls on November 4, 2016 at 9:30 AM

Last week we shared with you some of the biggest takeaways from our time at the BECC conference, this week we're highlighting some of the comments we heard during the KSV session on millennials and energy.

There is a revolution happening in the energy space.

And in addition to all the disruption and transformation that this new dawn is bringing, it also brings a new kind of customer. A younger customer. A customer who is increasingly aware there are choices and opportunities when it comes to their energy provider. 

It’s up to you, utilities, energy companies, and smart home providers, to make them comfortable, confident and educated in what you can or do provide them.

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

#BECC2016: Nudging for Good

Posted by Ashley Nicholls on October 28, 2016 at 9:30 AM

Last week at the BECC Conference in Baltimore, KSV had the great honor and privilege of being asked to speak on three different topics.

If you want to talk about millennials, marketing, or the voice of the customer, reach out and we'd be happy to share our decks with you. 
 
But of all the talks we saw, the opening keynote held so many takeaways and thought provoking moments, we just had to share three key opportunities that you can begin implementing into your marketing TODAY.
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Topics: Customer-Centric Marketing, Utility Communications, Data and Analytics, Digital Transformation and User Experience, Innovation, Marketing Strategy and Best Practices, Audience Segmentation

New Customer Video: On Energy Efficiency, Communications, and What Matters Most

Posted by Ashley Nicholls on October 21, 2016 at 9:30 AM

Hello from Baltimore! 

A contingent of KSVers have spent this week at the BECC Conference, learning about Behavior, Energy, and Climate Change and how we can utilize "nudges" to help people make better choices. 
 
And boy, do we have a lot of takeaways.
 
In fact, next weeks blog will be devoted to some of our key takeaways from the BECC Conference (you can also check out our twitter feed for some additional insights).
 
For today, we thought we'd share with you one of the videos we presented at BECC. We had the fun and honor of being asked to speak on THREE different topics, including our voice of the customer video series, personalization and segmentation, and a favorite, millennials and energy. This video was for a lightning round on marketing, and features residential, large c&i, small business, and trade allies, on energy efficiency, communications, connected products, priorities, and what matters most to them:
 
 
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Topics: Customer-Centric Marketing, Utility Communications, Data and Analytics, Digital Transformation and User Experience, Innovation, Marketing Strategy and Best Practices, Audience Segmentation

New Customer Video: Part 2: On Communication and What Customers REALLY Want

Posted by Ashley Nicholls on October 14, 2016 at 9:30 AM

Last week we introduced you to customers who were kind enough to talk to us about energy, their homes and businesses, efficiency and renewables, and communication in the first of a 2 part KSV POV Video Series.

And we've saved the best for last. 

(Well, not last really, we've saved the best for... SECOND!).

This week, we'll take a look at the second video and the last 2 of our Top 5 Takeaways from this KSV POV Video Series. (Miss the first video and takeaways? Check them out here.)

Worth noting: all of the customers featured in this video are customers of a single utility. 

Watch the video and hear from customers on the communications they get today, and what they actually WANT to hear from their utility: 
 

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

New 2 Part Customer Video Series: Does Energy Efficiency Matter? And Do You Hear About It?

Posted by Ashley Nicholls on October 7, 2016 at 10:45 AM
At KSV, we believe there is incredible power  in the voice of the customer. 
 
An instant point of view.
 
So we hit the road, all over the U.S., to talk to people about energy, their homes, their businesses, and what matters most to them.
 

And in this two part video series, shot this summer, we asked people a series of questions about energy, energy efficiency and renewables, utility communications and their preferences. 

Worth noting: all of the customers featured in this video are customers of a single utility.

This week, we'll be sharing the first video and the first 3 of our Top 5 Takeaways from this KSV POV Video Series. Tune in next week for the next two takeaways and the next video in this series.

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

Market Transformation Meets the Real World: A Small Business Owner Reflects on Energy Management

Posted by Ashley Nicholls on September 30, 2016 at 9:30 AM
One of the big pieces of the KSV approach is our connection to the voice of the customer, and trying to keep a pulse on the priorities, challenges, and realities that they face.
 
In fact, we often say to clients and prospects that while so many firms out there do "research", so few seem to really understand the reality of what customers are facing.
 
 
So we hit the streets to talk to real customers, real people who use energy and hear from them how it fits into their everyday lives, and how it doesn't.
 
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Topics: Customer-Centric Marketing, Utility Communications, Data and Analytics, Digital Transformation and User Experience, Innovation, Marketing Strategy and Best Practices

Market Transformation: Three Lessons on Sustainability, Brand Building, and The Power of Communities

Posted by Ashley Nicholls on September 23, 2016 at 9:30 AM
We spend a lot of time writing, and talking, and thinking about energy, demand response, C&I audiences, and helping energy companies and utilities get customer-centric and undergo digital transformation.
 
But today, we're not going to talk about energy. 
 
Today we're going to talk about eggs.
 
And kindness.
 
And new moms. 
 
And condoms. 
 
Yes, I said condoms.
 
Buckle up.

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

New Customer Video: Renewables, the Environment, and Aspiration

Posted by Ashley Nicholls on September 16, 2016 at 9:30 AM

All decision making is emotional. 

As marketers, we know that to get someone to act, you must inspire a feeling.

Even for B2B marketing.

And yet, so often we see marketing, particularly in the energy category, that is hyper-rational, fact-focused, and often loaded down with product or program details.

Does 0% financing inspire a feeling in you?

We didn't think so.

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

How a Leading Energy Company Used Hyper-Targeted Marketing to Drive Business Results: A Q&A Session with National Grid

Posted by Ashley Nicholls on September 9, 2016 at 9:30 AM
 How do you drive awareness and engagement of a complex product in one of the worlds most expensive and crowded media markets?
 
National Grid, an electricity and natural gas delivery company that connects nearly 7 million customers to vital energy sources through its networks in NY, MA and RI, has long known that segmentation in marketing can help to create relevancy for customers.
 
But in 2015, there was an opportunity to take segmentation much deeper.

And yesterday, we co-presented on this topic with our partner from National Grid at AESPs Brown Bag webinar "Learn How Hyper-Targeting Drives Business Results". We specifically presented on a test we did in Brooklyn and Staten Island, the lessons we learned, and how we are deploying those insights into a new demonstration project in MA: demand response.

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