A large electric investor-owned utility (IOU) wanted to conduct ongoing tracking research to inform its digital adoption and marketing strategies. The goals were to:
Escalent established a baseline for digital preference and adoption across various transactions, and then launched an ongoing tracking study to measure shifts in attitudes and behaviors over time and assess ongoing marketing efforts. The tracker evaluated multiple digital transactions, including awareness of digital options, prior use of digital for each transaction, likelihood to recommend, benefits/hurdles to going digital, and channel preference. We also evaluated use of a new app and conducted additional profiling analysis to understand current app users vs. non-users to shape a communication strategy to drive app adoption.
Escalent’s study has become a cost-effective tool to manage and refine our client’s digital strategy and new-feature rollouts. Our energy experts translated the data into specific actions that informed our client’s digital strategy, enabling it to refine its offerings and marketing efforts and assess potential improvements quickly and efficiently. Our client now understands perceived barriers and benefits of going digital, allowing it to craft effective communication. Digital adoption continues to grow, helping our client reduce phone center costs while better engaging with customers through the channels they prefer. The insights have also proved valuable in understanding customer preferences and attitudes as our client works to roll out a new online platform for home energy management.