--- title: What is the problem you're trying to solve? description: What problem are you actually trying to solve? Will a marketing campaign actually help? image: https://blogs.ksvc.com/hubfs/Water-Dripping-from-AC-Vent.jpg --- [![KSV](https://www.ksvagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/logo-charcoal-640.png "KSV")](https://www.ksvagency.com) ![☰](https://www.ksvagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/icon-hamburger-charcoal-70-50.png "☰") - [Focus](http://www.ksvc.com/focus/) - [Capabilities](http://www.ksvc.com/capabilities/) - [Work](http://www.ksvc.com/work/) - [People](http://www.ksvc.com/people/) - [Culture](http://www.ksvc.com/culture/) - [EnergyWire](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire) # What is the problem you're trying to solve? Posted by [Ashley Nicholls](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/author/ashley-nicholls) on May 26, 2017 at 9:30 AM - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) If water was dripping into your bedroom one night when it rained you'd probably get a bucket to capture the water. But eventually, maybe the next day  or the day after that you'd deal with the root cause of the issue: the leak.   ![Water-Dripping-from-AC-Vent.jpg](https://blogs.ksvc.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Water-Dripping-from-AC-Vent.jpg?width=581&name=Water-Dripping-from-AC-Vent.jpg) A few weeks ago, at AESP KSV got invited to join a session with utility decision makers, and we were asked (along with a couple of other smart agencies) to talk about the challenges and opportunities when utilities partner with outside agencies.  One theme that came up is that so often marketing is leveraged to solve customer satisfaction issues when the root cause of the issue is process driven or operational.  We get it, when customer satisfaction or program participation is low it’s easy to point to a communications team and say, “let’s do a campaign.” But will that solve the real problem? The truth is, organizational challenges are hard and the path to becoming truly customer centric and delivering a superior experience is not an easy or comfortable one. But that doesn’t mean the best, or first, course of action should be to do another campaign or send out another email that drives to a poor website experience. Why drive more interest in a program when the barrier to participation isn’t interest but *process*. Some of our biggest successes haven’t been billboards or radio spots or digital buys. We’ve seen huge strides in participation and satisfaction from website content, salesforce design, customer service scripts and IVR recordings. And of course, brilliant advertising doesn’t hurt. We all need to be brave enough to confront the issues our customers are facing, brave enough to lean into the breakdowns and find the breakthroughs. Brave enough to be honest about what isn't working and to celebrate, and then replicate what is.  To solve the right problem.    [![breakthrough_button.jpg](https://blogs.ksvc.com/hs-fs/hubfs/breakthrough_button.jpg?width=227&name=breakthrough_button.jpg) Download the brief now.](https://ksvc-2224113.hs-sites.com/achieving/breakthrough/why/creative/testing/matters)   Topics: [Customer-Centric Marketing](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/customer-centric-marketing), [Utility Communications](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/utility-communications), [Data and Analytics](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/data-and-analytics), [Digital Transformation and User Experience](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/digital-transformation-and-user-experience), [Innovation](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/innovation), [Marketing Strategy and Best Practices](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/marketing-strategy-and-best-practices), [Audience Segmentation](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/audience-segmentation) ### [EnergyWire](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire) EnergyWire is KSV’s weekly insight into the consumer mindset when it comes to energy. It’s an honest conversation on the reality of their perceptions and motivations, and how energy services companies can use this insight to successfully engage customers. ### Sign Up ### Recent Posts ### Topics - [Customer-Centric Marketing (215)](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/customer-centric-marketing) - [Utility Communications (183)](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/utility-communications) - [Marketing Strategy and Best Practices (158)](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/marketing-strategy-and-best-practices) - [Innovation (156)](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/innovation) - [Digital Transformation and User Experience (100)](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/digital-transformation-and-user-experience) - [Audience Segmentation (88)](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/audience-segmentation) - [Data and Analytics (83)](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/data-and-analytics) - [Energy Efficiency (76)](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/energy-efficiency) - [Clean Energy (61)](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/clean-energy) - [Branding and Brand Value (58)](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/branding-and-brand-value) - [Research (49)](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/research) - [Climate Change (48)](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/climate-change) - [Inspiration (47)](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/inspiration) - [Sustainability Marketing (47)](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/sustainability-marketing) - [B Corporation (38)](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/b-corporation) - [Content Marketing (37)](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/content-marketing) - [Climate and Social Justice (35)](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/climate-and-social-justice) - [Creative (34)](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/creative) - [In the News (31)](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/in-the-news) - [Smart Technology (24)](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/smart-technology) - [Social Media Strategy and Best Practices (23)](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/social-media-strategy-and-best-practices) - [Company Culture (19)](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/company-culture) - [Media Strategy and Best Practices (19)](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/media-strategy-and-best-practices) - [Industry Expert Interviews (13)](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/industry-expert-interviews) - [Sustainable Brands (13)](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/sustainable-brands) - [B2B marketing (12)](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/b2b-marketing) - [Electrification (12)](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/electrification) - [Creative Showcase (10)](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/creative-showcase) - [Energy Storage (9)](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/energy-storage) - [AI (7)](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/ai) - [D2C (7)](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/d2c) - [Artificial Intelligence (6)](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/artificial-intelligence) - [Vermont (6)](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/vermont) - [Branding (5)](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/branding) - [Case Study (5)](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/case-study) - [Brand Activations (3)](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/brand-activations) - [SEO (2)](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/seo) - [Search (2)](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/search) - [Augmented Reality (1)](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/augmented-reality) - [Digital Video (1)](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/digital-video) - [OOH (1)](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/ooh) - [Paid Search (1)](https://blogs.ksvc.com/energy-wire/topic/paid-search) ... ##### Get in touch. ###### Vermont 212 Battery Street Suite 2 Burlington, VT 05401 [802.862.8261](tel:8028628261) ###### New York 27 E 28th Street Suite 15055 New York, NY 10016 [212.366.4000](tel:2123664000) ## Sign up for KSV insights ## Thanks for subscribing! 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