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.)

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

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.

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

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?

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

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The “Utility of the Future” is a buzzword that has been dominating our industry’s publications and conference circuits for the past few years. Many industry thought leaders have published their ideas, and many of these smart ideas include elements of strategic electrification, distributed resources, non-centralized generation, and non-wire alternatives.

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

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recently released a special report on the state of climate change. The findings were less than pleasant, with the report underscoring that "we only have the slimmest of opportunities remaining to avoid unthinkable damage to the climate system that supports life as we know it."

Topics: Utility Communications, Energy Efficiency, Clean Energy, Climate Change, In the News, Electrification

Are round-ups the best way to ease into a Friday?

Topics: Utility Communications, Energy Efficiency, Clean Energy, In the News

As the first anniversary of Hurricane Maria’s aftermath approaches, the United States is bracing itself for yet another dangerous hurricane season. As we write this, Hurricane Florence is making its way to the Carolina coast.

Topics: Customer-Centric Marketing, Utility Communications, Innovation, Energy Efficiency, Research, Clean Energy, Marketing Strategy and Best Practices, Climate and Social Justice

A decade ago, wind energy mostly meant giant investments, ugly legal battles and major public opposition. As recently as 3 years ago, we saw proposals in many states—good proposals by respected companies—being tossed out. Lack of public support combined with weak political legs dragged the highly visible CapeWind project through the dirt from its initial approvals in 2005, to 2017, when it was finally shut down and deemed defunct.

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

The utility of the future is a hot topic for our clients in the energy space. What will it look like? Who will be steering the ship and who will be struggling to stay afloat? Transportation is a major part of that conversation, and no companies have upended the transportation industry more than Uber and Lyft. The American dream of automotive independence is being challenged in many cities where it is cheaper to use ride sharing than it is to own a car: New York, Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Los Angeles.

Topics: Customer-Centric Marketing, Utility Communications, Innovation, Energy Efficiency, Research, Clean Energy, Branding and Brand Value, Marketing Strategy and Best Practices

Curious about the intersection of real estate and energy efficiency? So were we. We wanted to know, how much is energy efficiency worth to buyers? And do people put it on the “must have” side of the list when looking at real estate options?

Topics: Customer-Centric Marketing, Utility Communications, Energy Efficiency, Smart Technology