Consumers and communities are giving brands permission to lead in thinking about the new normal of a world with coronavirus. The burden of re-imagining a future, and offering solutions for a problem about which so much is still unknown, can be scary and overwhelming to navigate, especially for consumers that are already navigating so many unprecedented challenges. A new world that entails, among other things, working from home, staying healthy, parenting and schooling, new budgets, limited income sources, previous support lines cut and a new perspective about what is actually important in life.

Topics: Customer-Centric Marketing, Innovation, B Corporation, Clean Energy, Climate Change, Content Marketing, Inspiration, Branding and Brand Value, Company Culture, Creative, In the News, Marketing Strategy and Best Practices, Climate and Social Justice

I’m writing this from our empty office. Sitting on a couch next to no one. It’s so quiet I can hear the fan turn 20 feet above my head. I didn’t even know we had fans. I spend most of the day looking at my computer screen. And when I’m not looking at that, I’m looking at the empty desks of my friends and colleagues. And I wonder. I wonder when we will all get to share this space together again. I wonder how different all of it will feel. I miss the sound of Shaina’s laugh. I miss what Erin’s smile looks like when it’s not through a zoom call. I miss the sound of Tucker walking around the office on speaker phone. And I miss how loud Rachel types. Real-life, in-person stuff.

Topics: Innovation, Content Marketing, Inspiration, Branding and Brand Value, Creative

Growing up in the remote cornfields of the Midwest can feel pretty isolating. Fortunately, I had a vast library of vinyl. Yep. I’m old. For me, the sound of that needle slipping across the surface of the record can be one of the most comforting sounds on this planet. Those few seconds before the music starts and the real escape begins.

To this day, when certain songs come on, I can remember what my room smelled like. The ratty old t-shirt I was wearing. Where I was sitting. The mood I was in.

Music plays such an important role in our day-to-day lives. Workout playlists. Go-to karaoke jam. Your wedding.

Topics: Innovation, Content Marketing, Inspiration, Branding and Brand Value, Creative

Communicating your company’s commitment to a polarizing topic can bring on paralyzing fear. The idea of taking a firm stance on a cause your brand believes in, especially when your competitors are not vocalizing their own beliefs or making their own commitments—whether it is climate change; gender equality; diversity and inclusion; fair labor practices; sexual assault; or LGTBQ issues—can feel risky. This is especially true in 2020, with the way that information is consumed and spread at such a rapid pace with one small, vocal commitment having the potential to go viral. 

Topics: Utility Communications, Climate Change, Content Marketing, Inspiration, Branding and Brand Value, Sustainability Marketing, Creative, B2B marketing, In the News, Climate and Social Justice

Become more than just your "customer's utility." It starts with a story that resonates.

Topics: Customer-Centric Marketing, Utility Communications, Innovation, Creative

Here's a prediction you may be interested in hearing: By 2050, there is expected to be a 20-38 percent increase in US electricity consumption, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Topics: Customer-Centric Marketing, Utility Communications, Innovation, Research, Creative, Electrification, Marketing Strategy and Best Practices

Every second of every day, millions of homes across the Northeast are losing energy, and their homeowners don’t even know it. That’s $300 more in energy costs each year and 1,400 pounds in unnecessary carbon emissions per household. And while customers care about their wallets and the environment, the topic of energy loss isn’t top of mind: it’s tedious, dull, and confusing. But it doesn’t have to be. 

Topics: Customer-Centric Marketing, Utility Communications, Innovation, Energy Efficiency, Clean Energy, Inspiration, Sustainability Marketing, Creative, Media Strategy and Best Practices, Marketing Strategy and Best Practices

A new paradigm is emerging in marketing today. A paradigm that enables enhanced revenue and reduced expenses.

Topics: Customer-Centric Marketing, Utility Communications, Innovation, Clean Energy, Social Media Strategy and Best Practices, Inspiration, Creative

Happy Thanksgiving Eve!

The team at KSV certainly has a lot to be thankful for – inspiring clients, innovative colleagues and a community dedicated to sustainable energy, just to name a few things on our list.

Topics: Customer-Centric Marketing, Utility Communications, Innovation, Energy Efficiency, Clean Energy, Climate Change, Inspiration, Creative, In the News, Electrification

More flexible. More dynamic. More effective.

Marketing in advertising has two purposes: sales activation and brand building. Sales activation is targeted at people who are looking to purchase on the spot, or it aims to trigger a purchase decision. Brand building has four key goals:

• Reputation building
• Loyalty building
• Education
• Brand reinforcement

Topics: Customer-Centric Marketing, Innovation, Energy Efficiency, Research, Clean Energy, Creative, Media Strategy and Best Practices, Marketing Strategy and Best Practices