Intersectional Environmentalism: What it is and Why it Matters

Posted by Jackie Demers and Abby Goudey on August 27, 2020 at 1:29 PM

The fight for a more sustainable future in the age of the coronavirus and Black Lives Matter has uncovered an important truth: protecting vulnerable communities is critical to taking action against climate change. It's long overdue, but going forward, brands looking to fight for climate change will need to ensure social justice is a component of their climate action plan. 

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Topics: B Corporation, Climate Change, Inspiration, Branding and Brand Value, Sustainability Marketing, In the News, Audience Segmentation, Climate and Social Justice

Industry Expert Interview Series: Matt Daigle, CEO and Founder of Rise

Posted by Shaina Kaye on June 25, 2020 at 3:38 PM

We’re back with the next installment of our Industry Expert Interviews, a content series that keeps the community spirit alive and well (and selfishly, gives us the opportunity to talk to some truly incredible people). These will be longer installments, so we encourage you to grab a cup of coffee, sit back and enjoy “meeting” someone new.

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Topics: Customer-Centric Marketing, B Corporation, Climate Change, Social Media Strategy and Best Practices, Audience Segmentation

The Solar Customer Experience Consumers Want

Posted by Dave Treston on October 10, 2019 at 10:00 AM

In the spring of this year, solar installations in the US surpassed two million, just three short years after the solar industry completed its millionth installation, a milestone that took 40 years to reach.

Policies spurred by ambitious state renewable energy commitments have helped speed up the adoption of renewables in general, but the growth of solar is also driven by enormous consumer demand. 

At KSV, we have seen this firsthand.

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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

3 Lessons Utilities and Solar Providers Can Learn from Their Local Farmers Market

Posted by Dave Treston on September 5, 2019 at 9:47 AM

According to the USDA, the number of farmers markets in the country has nearly doubled in the past 10 years. And the number of U.S. households growing food at home or in a community garden has increased 200 percent from 2008 levels, according to the National Gardening Association.

Why? 

Consumers’ purchasing decisions are being driven by their key values. 

Independence. Resilience. Self-reliance. Local. Sustainable. These values are shifting consumer behavior and increasing demand for specific types of goods.  

Why should utilities or solar providers care? Because we see these very same values come into play when we talk to consumers about solar.

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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

Millennial Homeowners + Energy Costs = EE Solutions

Posted by Abby Goudey on July 19, 2019 at 10:14 AM

This year, millennials will overtake baby boomers as the largest living adult generation in the United States, growing to 73 million people. We’ve discussed what this means for new technologies and customer experience in the energy space, but what does it mean for homeownership? Furthermore, what does it mean for energy companies?

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Topics: Customer-Centric Marketing, Utility Communications, Innovation, Energy Efficiency, Clean Energy, Social Media Strategy and Best Practices, Smart Technology, Marketing Strategy and Best Practices, Audience Segmentation

The Unofficial Start of Summer Round Up

Posted by Shaina Kaye on May 23, 2019 at 3:40 PM

Ah yes, the Thursday before a long weekend. Project deadlines are still looming, but for even the most diligent of workers, the lure of a long weekend and the unofficial start to summer may be enough to allow the mind to wander, even if it is just for a little while.

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Topics: Customer-Centric Marketing, Utility Communications, Clean Energy, Climate Change, Inspiration, Sustainability Marketing, In the News, Audience Segmentation, Climate and Social Justice

Climate Change is Your Fight. Social Media Should Be Your Ally.

Posted by Shaina Kaye on January 10, 2019 at 4:07 PM

In 2014, the Guardian dedicated an entire article to this question: Why aren’t brands using social media to take a strong stance on climate change?

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Topics: Customer-Centric Marketing, Utility Communications, Innovation, Clean Energy, Climate Change, Social Media Strategy and Best Practices, Inspiration, Audience Segmentation

3 Ways Social Media Can Save Utilities

Posted by Shaina Kaye on November 15, 2018 at 9:40 AM

If you’re a utility and you’re not already on social media, you’re late to the table. Three billion active social media users around the world log on to at least one social media platform on a regular – if not daily – basis. That means utility companies have countless opportunities to reach consumers where they are in their day-to-day journeys.  

But just because your utility has a presence on social media, and you’re posting on Facebook every day, doesn’t mean that your job is done. Far from it.

Do you have a strategy that is shifting the way utility customers think about you, or are they only checking your Twitter feed to see how much longer the power will be out on their street? (Which, by the way, is still important. It’s just not the whole picture.)

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Topics: Customer-Centric Marketing, Utility Communications, Energy Efficiency, Clean Energy, Social Media Strategy and Best Practices, Content Marketing, Marketing Strategy and Best Practices, Audience Segmentation

Strategic Electrification and More Lessons from Conference Season

Posted by Harrison Grubbs on November 8, 2018 at 11:00 AM

NEEP, NECEC, NESEA, ACE, VTREV… what do all these abbreviations have in common? They are all the energy-related conferences that KSV sponsored or attended in October. It was Energy Awareness Month, and we celebrated it by making the rounds for conference season.

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Topics: Customer-Centric Marketing, Utility Communications, Innovation, Energy Efficiency, Research, Clean Energy, Marketing Strategy and Best Practices, Audience Segmentation

Forecasting the Future of EVs, Starting with Consumers

Posted by Tucker Wright on November 1, 2018 at 10:45 AM

To reach the carbon reduction goals outlined in the Paris Agreement, and in targets set by dozens of city and state governments, electrifying the transportation sector is key. But despite huge advancements in technology, electric vehicles (EVs) continue to make up only a small fraction of the U.S. automobile market. In fact, EVs were less than 1 percent of the total vehicle market share in the United States until 2017, when they finally hit the 1 percent milestone.

Growth is now accelerating, largely thanks to the success of Tesla’s Model 3. July was the first month on record that EV sales reached 2 percent of market share, doubling the 2017 annual result. But how can the EV market reach scale?

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Topics: Customer-Centric Marketing, Utility Communications, Innovation, Energy Efficiency, Research, Clean Energy, Electrification, Marketing Strategy and Best Practices, Audience Segmentation