Marketing Plan Sample

Phase 1 Findings and Implications February 2, 2010

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Contents

•  Objectives and process

•  Who are we targeting?

•  What’s our brand promise?

•  What are implications for marketing plan?

•  Next steps

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Project Objectives

•  Awareness/Perception Objectives –  Build trust and favorability as a local community partner and fiscally responsible

green utility. Specifically… •  Increase customers’ awareness of AMP’s renewable energy story •  Increase customers’ awareness and understanding of AMP’s programs and benefits,

especially around energy efficiency •  Increase the perception that AMP has lower rates than surrounding utilities •  Other metrics would relate specifically to the brand positioning like community or

empowerment

•  Performance Objective: –  Increase participation in AMP’s energy-efficiency programs among priority target

audiences from x% to y% of customer base •  Energy efficiency programs are highly related to AMP’s renewable energy story and

thus are mutually reinforcing

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For discussion

Where we are in the process

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Key deliverables and client involvement

Activities

Discovery (11/19/09 – 1/25/10)

Planning (1/25/10 – 2/26/10)

Execution (3/1/10 – 5/26/10)

•  Internal interviews •  Review current marketing materials and

proposed website redesign •  Review all available research on

residential and business customers •  Secondary research on other utilities

across the country known for renewable energy

•  10 – 15 interviews with customers and community members

•  Findings and implications for •  target audience prioritization •  marketing strategies •  brand positioning/messaging

•  Pre-Presentation of Phase 1: 1/5/09 •  Final Presentation of Phase 1: w/of 1/25

Completion of Phase 1: (1/25/09)

•  Using findings and agreements from Phase 1, outline detailed marketing objectives and measurable strategies and tactics

•  Assign budget ranges for each •  Develop evaluation criteria for decision-making

•  Completed marketing plan including expected programs to be produced in 2010 along with budgets for remaining phases

•  Recommendations for metrics and evaluation

•  Completion of Phase 2:(2/26/09)

•  Design of agreed-upon materials from Phase 2 (3/1-3/31/09)

•  Preliminary design concepts to be presented and agreed upon by AMP (4/1-4/16/10)

•  Design and copywriting of each piece, whether offline or online

•  Final design/copy for each agreed-upon tactic will be delivered to AMP in a usable format for printing or online programming (5/26/10)

•  Budgets TBD based on agreed-upon deliverables from Phase 2

Purpose of the Discovery Phase

•  AMP has requested identification and prioritization of target audiences •  To provide information that is focused and actionable, we have gathered

information that would provide critical input into: –  Target audience prioritization (who should we focus on?) –  Positioning and messaging (how should we talk to them?)

•  Lack of quantifiable insights for business and influencer groups may suggest the need for an online survey to benchmark and track key metrics

–  More data was available for residential customers on awareness/perceptions of AMP regarding renewable sources, importance of climate change, etc.

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Contents

•  Process and objectives




•  Next steps

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AMP has a wide range of customers

Small Business Home Owners

Large Business

Associations

Dir

ect

Cust

omer

s In

flue

ncer

s

•  While it’s important to communicate with all customers, prioritization enables us to focus limited resources on the segments where there will be the most “bang for the buck”

Renters

Other Government

Everyone Else

Secondary

Primary Grass Root

Groups Building

Management

•  In this section, we have focused efforts on understanding each audience with respect to the following five prioritization criteria:

Suggested prioritization criteria

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Potential impact to AMP

Impact on overall awareness & perceptions

Impact on overall program participation

Impact to Community

Easy to reach cost-effectively

How powerful is this group in terms of AMP revenue and lobbying power?

Will increased communication to this group move the needle on overall awareness and perceptions of AMP?

Will increased communication to this group move the needle on overall customer participation in programs?

Will increased communication to this group move the needle on making a long-term, positive impact to the community of Alameda?

How easy and cost-effective is it to reach this group?

Business – Who are they?

•  There are 3,782 commercial accounts/11 industrial (2009 CAFR)

–  They employ 23,507 individuals (not known how many of these are Alameda residents) –  Out of 7,335 business licenses registered most are small business: 76% of

Alameda businesses have less than 10 employees –  Account for 60%of Sales –  10 largest customers make 20% of sales –  Just under 1 in 5 (18%) currently have an energy efficiency plan in place

•  However, this may reflect the fact that the majority of businesses are small, likely leasing their space, and therefore not as interested as building owners in having an energy plan

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Source: RKS; 2009 Business Customer Satisfaction Survey** Source: 2009 CAFR

Business customer impact to AMP is HIGH

•  Business customers contribute the most revenue to AMP –  67% of AMP’s total revenue comes from businesses

•  Question: What % is from large vs small biz, and how does AMP define this?

•  Businesses may be more sensitive to rate increases than residents –  The average increase considered “reasonable” for climate change solutions by

businesses was 8.7%; 30% said that no rate increase was reasonable –  32% say that the prices are high, which is slightly lower than other areas yet not

an insignificant number

•  Lobbying power is high, but typically through organizations we define as “influencers”

–  Large firms with big sales revenue tax base command more power –  Large businesses have a stronger voice/representation via trade associations –  Alameda Chamber of Commerce generally represents the interests of large

businesses in Sacramento •  I.E. Current customers like Federal agencies (built-in lobbying), building owners (have big lobbyists

like BOMA), research firms and Safeway.

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Source: RKS; 2009 Business Customer Satisfaction Survey**

•  Awareness of AMP’s Renewable Energy is unknown –  We recommend getting a benchmark of this measure and tracking over time

•  On key image measures like trust, AMP scores slightly – but not significantly – lower than other utilities

Potential impact among business customers to improve awareness and perceptions is MEDIUM

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-.4 -.2 -.2 -.3

-.5

Given that only 29% of business customers

feel that AMP communications is

relevant, it’s possible that attitude/perception

shifts can be made solely through more

effective communication rather than (or in conjunction

with) operational enhancements

Source: RKS; 2009 Business Customer Satisfaction Survey

Potential impact is HIGH among business customers to improve program participation

•  AMP business customers in general have low awareness and participation in energy efficiency programs

–  46% are aware of EE programs and rebates –  44% are aware that AMP offers free energy audits –  66% have not participated in AMP programs

•  Only 38% of business customers are satisfied with the energy-efficiency actions taken at their organization, suggesting significant opportunity for AMP to help

•  Note that while this research does not break down business type, we can assume that small business (as the vast majority of businesses in Alameda) is the group where we can affect the greatest shift

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Source: RKS 2009 Business Customer Satisfaction Survey

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•  Business is the economic engine for communities, and AMP can play a role in attracting, keeping and growing businesses in Alameda

–  Lower rates than PG&E plus energy savings assistance and incentives can also play a role in attracting and keeping businesses

•  AMP offers an Economic Development Incentive Discount (EDID) to attract businesses to locate or expand in Alameda

“It’s important that AMP helps us be at the lowest rate possible based on our usage. We’re providing jobs, we need to work together with the city utilities to help keep us here and ensure we can continue to afford to stay.”

–  Leverage AMP’s renewable energy to attract and keep new businesses for whom this is an important part of their mission/values/brand

•  Can include a range of businesses, including start-ups in the alternative energy space as well as those seeking LEED-certified buildings (of which renewable energy is a criteria)

–  The ability to not deal with PG&E is also a plus in a business location decision –  “If someone was thinking of relocating here, AMP would be a selling point. Green power that’s

affordable and the service is good. They have their own utility, doesn’t resell so you don’t have to deal with PG&E.”

Impact of business customers to the community is HIGH

Large and small businesses are equally important to AMP but will need to be reached different ways

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Potential Impact to AMP (revenue and lobbying power)

Impact on overall awareness and perceptions


Impact to community


Total

Large Business

High – Significant % of revenue, ability to lobby for lower rates

Low* – Very small percentage of total business customers

Low – Small number of customers won’t move the needle on overall participation

High – Leverage renewable power and lower rates to attract & keep large businesses

High: Small group, dedicated account reps for the top 10% of business customers

Small Business

Medium – high % of revenue, ability in aggregate to lobby for lower rates

High for biz:* The vast majority of business customers, this group is where the gap needs to close

High* – Support recent launch of reAMP for small businesses

High – Leverage renewable power & low rates to attract & keep small business, esp. start-ups in renewable energy

Medium: smaller group than residential, can reach through business association channels

* Data not available by business size; suggest new survey to benchmark this and other key measures like brand/positioning

IMPACT

LOW HIGH

Residential – Who are they?

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•  34,217 residential accounts: Home owners 50%, 37% of Sales

•  Single family home owners are densely located in two areas and can serve as the ambassadors for a sustainable lifestyle to other community members

•  Renters are dispersed across the community and will likely be harder to reach (multi-tenant property owners will be addressed in separate section)

Single Family Homes Multi-Tenant Properties

Map Source: 2007 US Census Source: 2010 ASPW

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Residents’ impact on AMP is LOW

•  Residents outnumber businesses by 17 to 1, yet contribute only one-third of AMP’s revenue •  Their large number makes them harder to reach, and the low revenue means a lower ROI on

marketing dollars

•  Price sensitivity is low, yet there’s lack of awareness of how AMP’s rates compare with other utilities •  50% agreed that a 20% rate increase is “reasonable” for

renewable energy •  With only 38% accurately understanding AMP’s rate

advantage over other utilities, there is an opportunity for education here to raise awareness

•  Residents have minimal lobbying power individually, although do have a voice through influencer organizations like HOA* and have easy access to city officials

Source: RKS 2009 Residential Customer Satisfaction Survey

Opportunity to improve awareness and perceptions in this group is relatively HIGH

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•  Awareness of AMP’s Renewable Energy is Low –  We have a significant opportunity to move the needle on improving perceptions of AMP’s

renewable energy among residential customers.

•  We also have an opportunity to improve perceptions that AMP works hard to keep prices down (currently only 39% of respondents believe this)

“Most of our tenants do not know that AMP provides renewable energy, and such a high percentage.”


Opportunity to improve awareness and perceptions in this group is relatively HIGH

•  While customer satisfaction is high, trust in AMP is lower than other utilities –  78% of residents are satisfied with AMP, which is high relative to other areas –  Yet only 57% say they trust AMP

•  In addition to the spin-off of the cable service, trust can be enhanced through improved communication on issues they care about

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Opportunity to improve program participation is HIGH, primarily among home owners

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•  Residents are receptive to messages about energy efficiency* –  67% of Alameda residents are concerned about the environment and climate

change –  51% are committed to saving energy at home –  “They want programs that help them save money on energy costs - but don’t know where to

find that information. They don’t go to the AMP website. Perhaps one central place to give it to them that is easy, makes it easy to understand rebates, lets them know about energy audits…” – INFL

•  AMP’s energy efficiency programs (ie. audits, solar, etc.) are primarily geared towards the 17,000 residential customers who are home owners

•  We need a better understanding of residential program participation to measure improvements here

–  Studies suggest we might target 10% to 15% participation in energy audits**, which reflects the national average participation rate

Sources: *RKS 2009 Residential Customer Satisfaction Survey, **2009 Energy Pulse Study, Shelton Group

Potential impact of residents on the community is HIGH for home owners

•  While “the community” is largely comprised of residents, it’s likely that only 50% of the population – the home owners – have a strong vested interest

•  Investments made in home energy efficiency is likely to improve property values and therefore tax revenues

–  According to the Appraisal Institute, for every dollar saved in annual utility costs, homeowners can expect to add $20 to their home's market value.

•  (Caveat: this is old data from 1998 and still quoted as recently as this year. Newer supporting research is available for the commercial market, not for homeowners)

•  We can help boost pride in the Alameda community among residents who care about environmental issues and will resonate with AMP’s story

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Residential is a lower priority market overall vs. businesses, yet homeowners merit attention

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Impact to community


Total

Home Owners

Low: Small % of revenue, low price sensitivity

High – very low awareness of renewable energy, opportunity to boost trust

High: Home owners much more likely than renters to embark on EE initiatives

High: Home owners would likely have a deeper interest and pride in Alameda community

Low: While we have dense concentration of home owners in two areas which could help, 17,000 is significantly larger audience than businesses

Renters

Low: Small % of revenue, low price sensitivity

High – very low awareness of renewable energy, opportunity to boost trust

Low: Home owners much more likely than renters to embark on EE initiatives

Low: Home owners would likely have a deeper interest and pride in Alameda community

Low: 17,000 is significantly larger audience than businesses

* Data not available by business size; suggest new survey to benchmark this and other key measures like brand/positioning

IMPACT

LOW HIGH

Influencers – Who are they?

Associations –  Business Association –  Realtors Association –  Home Owners Association –  Green Associations –  Other Community Associations –  Chamber of Commerce

Building Management Associations –  Developer/Owner on site –  Absentee Owned –  Local Property Management Firms –  Regional Commercial, industrial Real

Estate Brokers

Government –  Utilities (Water, Electric, Waste) –  Department services (Fire, Police,

Economic Development, Community Services)

–  Public Works : School District (Education/Library)

–  City office

Grass Roots Organizations –  CASA –  Bike Alameda

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INFLUENCERS - POWER IN NUMBERS WHO POWER PROGRAMS OTHER REACH

Associations

Business Harbory Bay Realty N/A Network/Edu Harbor Bay Owners Assoc 100 bizs' Network Home building 2800 email/news GABA 100 members Network/Edu West Alameda Business Dist 125 members Education/Network Newsletter/Online Alameda County Industries (ACI) N/A Outreach Education 700 email alerts/News

Park Street Business 400 members Network/Shared ads Façade grants

$100,000 Newsletter Online

Chamber of Commerce 525 Bizs Network/Resources local gov review 25K circ. Newsletter/

ads

Home Garden Isle Homeowners Assoc NA NA NA NA Willows Homeowners Assoc NA Islandia Homeowners Assoc NA California Apartment Owners Association 20,000 CA Lobby Efforts Education

Other/Grassroots Group Community Action for Sustainable Alameda (CASA) N/A action/volunteer blob/newsletter Bike Alameda N/A action/volunteer comm services NA Boys & Girls Club 3000 BOD/AB Extensive Red Cross N/A

Government – Sister City of Alameda Department Other Utilities (Water/Waste/Electricity) N/A City (Fire/Police) N/A Disaster/prevention Unified School District N/A Mayor's Office N/A Green Initiative Group Effort College of Alameda N/A Economic Development Dept

Influencers – Who are they? – cont’d W

ork in Progress

We are currently gathering more detailed

information on influencer reach (ie. number of members)

and potential for partnership

Influencer Impact on AMP is HIGH

•  Direct revenue impact to AMP is unknown, but likely just a small percentage of the business revenue base

–  However, indirect revenue impact is high given the influence these organizations have on their members

•  Key influencer associations have significant lobbying power –  Rental Housing Association of Northern Alameda County (RHANAC) represents

over 20,000 rental property owners and is one of the fastest growing local chapters of the California Apartment Association (CAA) - the largest statewide organization representing Rental Housing Providers.

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Potential impact is HIGH among influencers to improve awareness and perceptions

–  .

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•  Awareness of AMP’s Renewable Energy among Influencers is unknown –  However, we can partner with influencers to boost awareness among residential

and business customers –  “We have a newsletter and would like to promote AMP - but need content.” –  “We do a newsletter every first of the month – AMP provides input maybe a few

times a year. Big opportunity there.” –  Trust and overall perceptions are not tracked among influencer groups…

however: –  By partnering with them to reach other audiences, it’s likely that we will

positively impact these measures among both influencers themselves as well as their constituencies

–  Recommend benchmarking and tracking on these measures

Potential impact is HIGH among influencers to improve program participation

–  .

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•  Awareness and uptake of EE programs is unknown –  Again, we can leverage influencers to reach business and residential customers

more cost effectively –  Because of their small number, consider direct outreach programs to generate

program sign-up and case studies among influencers to generate referrals and communications to the community

•  There should be high interest in energy efficiency programs among building owners and managers due to bottom-line impact, including •  Rental premiums of 3.5 percent on US office properties •  6% increase in occupancy for “ENERGY STAR” buildings •  16-17% premium on sales prices per square foot

Source: 2009 Maastricht University study, Doing Well by Doing Good

Potential impact of influencers on the community is HIGH

•  As influencers are the mobilizers of community, they play a critical role •  Partnering with influencers can aid AMP in reaching, educating and

motivating the Alameda community as a whole •  Partnering with building management and building owners could improve

multi-tenant property valuations, thereby increasing tax revenue for the city

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Influencers have the greatest potential to move the needle on key measures

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Impact to community


Total

Influencers

High: small % revenue, yet strong ability to lobby for lower rates

High: Can partner with influencers to cost-effectively reach other audiences

High: Can partner with influencers to cost-effectively reach other audiences, as well as improve EE of commercial buildings

High: Influencers are the mobilizers of community. Building owners/mgrs can influence property values thru EE

High: Limited number of influencers make them an easy, cost-effective group to reach

LOW HIGH

Recommended Prioritization

•  After exploring all target audiences, we believe that a strong focus should be placed on influencers in order to reach the other audiences as well as recognize their power within the community

•  Secondary emphasis should be placed on business customers, followed by residents (primarily home owners)

Home Owners

Business

Influencers

Contents





•  Next steps

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A brand is a promise delivered

•  Strong brands create a strong emotional, relevant connection with their audiences in a way that’s both credible and differentiated

•  Brand promise serves as a context or lens through which we develop marketing programs… informs not only what we say but how we say it

Distinctive (Differentiation)

Desirable (Relevance)

Deliverable (Credibility)

What do customers want from a power company?

•  For business customers, the bar is very low on expectations – reliable power at low rates

–  ”They’re just a service provider. Keep my power on and reduce my costs. Let me know you’re working on saving me money.”

•  Business customers are also interested in communication on relevant issues like energy savings and outages

–  “Need to follow up on the cause (of the outage) and what they’ll do about it, even if it’s an act of God.”

–  “Energy audit and tips…we could utilize those services if they’re offered.”

•  Influencers have additional hopes for how the local power company could add value, including community involvement and education

–  “Want them to be more active in the community…to help serve providers build the community. Provide a safety net for kids – want to see all institutions that serve city get behind that in a greater way.”

–  “My energy provider? Number one deal besides making lights go on – is to educate people about energy conservation.. ..Hammer away as hard as possible about new technologies, Energy star appliances. Much better about rebates , home and biz energy audits.”

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Relevance

What do customers want from a power company? – cont’d

•  In addition to reliable power at low rates, residential customers are also interested in education on energy conservation

–  “I just want to know I’m getting the best rate possible, and that I can talk to a real person if something goes wrong”

–  “Homeowners want to go green and DIY. If there was somewhere they could go to learn about Tips and tricks for homeowners to cut energy down by 50-60% because it’s hard to find or figure out what to do”

•  … as well as having a power company that makes a meaningful contribution to the pride they feel in their community.

–  “If AMP were recognized as green leader - would be wonderful - I already went to the town square to watch them win some green award last year - that was exciting. We are a very proud town”

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Relevance

Do customers care about renewable energy?

•  Among business customers, some are leaders in green building and sustainable practices and are proud of being an example

–  “We try to be green here at Abbott. I’m already energy efficient proactive here, already doing a lot of stuff that’s considered to be green like different type of lighting… programs that I started myself”

–  “Renewable energy was important to the people who were involved in making sure we have a LEED gold building. It helped us decide where to move…. It is a message we convey to anyone who comes on a tour of the plant.”

•  Yet most business customers have not created major initiatives in energy efficiency

–  43% of business survey respondents have “given no thought” to EE, while only 18% have a plan in place… however, those with a plan in place may be a high percentage of building owners vs. leasees.

–  We have no data on importance of renewable energy as part of their EE and sustainability actions, which may be an opportunity for further research

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Relevance


Do customers care about renewable energy?

•  The influencers we spoke with felt that renewable energy is important –  When I hear “power” I think Conservation. I recently became a certified building operator and

did classes – it changed my perspective. I’m trying to give this info to other associations” –  “ I expect my power company to be ‘green’ and ‘clean’ but not have to be 100%”

•  Among residential, “green” is both familiar and important –  Two thirds of Alameda residents are “very familiar” and “very concerned” about global

warming and climate change… higher scores than residents in other areas on this subject •  “We here in Alameda are very proud of our green library – we brag about it a lot” •  “We’re a small little town but many of us are working hard at it {being green} we have a

lot of committees”

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Relevance


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What’s credible about AMP?

•  Local and accessible –  “Neighborhood power company” –  Reach a live person –  Minimal red tape

•  Important part of Alameda community –  City Fund contributor –  Provide community education –  Historic part of community –  Support non-profit work –  Sponsor key city events

•  Leader in renewable energy –  Long-time geothermal sourcing –  80% renewable energy provider –  Exceeds regulatory requirements –  Diversity power sourcing portfolio

•  Better alternative to PG&E

Credibility

“With AMP, you’re dealing with a hometown provider. When I call with a question you feel like they’re part of the community… you get to talk to real people. One woman who helped us get a rebate when we moved here still calls every once in a while to check in.” – BIZ

“I know they already help the Red Cross and the Fire/Police Fund – but also I see them at Earth Day and we all enjoy the Xmas Lane too” – INFL

“If someone were thinking about moving here… AMP would be a selling point. Green power, but It's affordable and the service is good. They have their own utility, doesn’t resell so you don’t have to deal with PGE” – BIZ

What could we do better?

AMP could be more proactive in terms of communication with all audiences •  We can improve with business customers on reliability issues and rates…

–  “I’ve had a few hiccups in reliability here that are unexplainable. There’s no communication; they’ve been poor on that.” – BIZ

–  “I did call them about the recent power outage, but I never heard a final resolution.” – BIZ –  “They’ve given estimates on rate increases but never followed up. Once they know, it would

be good if they’d give us a heads up. If it’s different than our estimate we can reforecast” – BIZ

–  “Rates increase will be about 10-15%... people will ask if they are running their business efficiently. Not aware where rates compare – maybe they should provide this.” – INFL

•  While residential customers aren’t giving credit where credit is due –  Only 31% say that AMP is one of the “top rated” on renewables, while 36% don’t

know or aren’t sure. Another third say that AMP is about average –  Only 26% are aware of the percentage of electricity provided by AMP that comes

from renewable or carbon-free sources –  “ I read both town papers every day but don’t much see much written about green efforts of

our power company.”

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Credibility

Source: RKS 2009 Residential Customer Service Survey

What could we do better? – cont’d

•  There’s room to improve credibility across all audiences on renewable power and energy efficiency by simply getting the word out

–  “It’s good to be green – and conserve. I know they (AMP) are using good stuff – I’m not sure how much” – INFL

–  “I didn’t even know they offered energy audits” - INFL –  “Homeowners do not know about programs that AMP offers - energy audits,

incentives, and rebates, etc. There needs to be a concerted PR campaign.” – INFL/RESI

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Credibility

How can we differentiate?

•  While PG&E is not a direct competition, many customers (and potential customers) could benefit from knowing the edge AMP has over PG&E in a number of areas including:

•  Average rates are 29% lower than PG&E/as is average Residential monthly bill

•  More accessible – less red tape (Friendly)

•  Provide Free Audits

•  80% Renewable energy vs. 15%

•  Business customers had a lot to say about the advantages of AMP –  “AMP has been a lot easier to work with vs.. PG&E. They’re smaller, and have the best

people to work with… they’re resourceful and very responsive” –  “PG&E… I don’t want to knock them, they’re fairly reliable, but I had some issues. Their rep

would call me and say he’d do this and that, and he never followed through” –  “At PG&E we had a rep assigned to each account. But the guy assigned to us, you can’t

leave a voicemail message; it directs you to an 800#. He obviously doesn’t want to deal with us. The 800# is an automated system that tries to route you to the right person; I got someone that was for residential service who then tried to transfer me to the guy I tried calling first”

Source: 2010 ASPW

39 * From website evaluation; see appendix for screen shots and commentary

Differentiation

How can we differentiate?

•  Investment into the community is recognized by some –  “If PG&E and AMP were a choice that I had – I would still choose AMP for the money that

goes into fund that goes back to the community.” – RES

•  … as well as the lower rates –  “I know that we are paying less than if we were with PG&E. AMP tells us that, and I know we

pay less. We got an incentive to move here”. – BIZ

•  While PG&E is regarded as having good reliability overall, AMP is seen as a better choice

–  “If AMP were a car it would be a LEXUS (great service) vs. PG&E – Hyundai” – INFL –  “Buick – nice big dependable car, doesn’t give you a thrill but doesn’t let you down”. – INFL –  AMP is a Honda or Toyota. Reliable, won’t let you down. PG&E is a GM car, like a Chevy.

Experience has been that… I don’t want to knock them, they’re fairly reliable, but I had some issues.” - BIZ

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Differentiation

Implications for positioning

•  Anchor positioning on AMP’s competitive strength of being the local neighborhood power company that has a vested interest in helping Alameda grow

•  Renewable energy and lower rates are proof points of how AMP powers sustainable growth, not anchor points

•  Instead of focusing on “what’s in it for me” benefits, highlight “what’s in it for us”

–  Enables broad messaging to be relevant to all target audiences, while allowing ability to tailor messages to specific groups

–  Leverages community strengths of AMP and point of difference from PG&E

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Implications for positioning, – cont’d

•  Here is a suggested positioning framework that includes these implications •  The positioning is meant to guide future communications, not be the

communications themselves –  Some aspects will be communicated through imagery and tactics (like visibility and

sponsorship at city events, or the ability to reach a live friendly person) –  Flexible framework enables different aspects of the positioning to be “dialed up” or “dialed

down” depending on the specific audience or execution

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AMP is our neighborhood power company that empowers us – our community, businesses and residents – to flourish

Flourish together as a community Flourish individually (resi or business)

A nationwide leader in renewable energy, AMP • helps attract new businesses to our community • Helps us live greener and more sustainably AMP invests in our community to make it stronger

AMP helps us save money and be more efficient • Lower rates than PG&E • Audits and tips on energy savings AMP’s reliable power and people gives us confidence to grow

How we do business (personality): Friendly, accessible, practical, forward-thinking, reliable

Contents

•  Objectives and process




•  Next steps

43

We envision four goals for the AMP marketing plans and programs

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FOCUS Focus resources on priority audiences

REACH Create awareness of strengths

ENGAGE Educate and motivate participation

Dedicated reps (top) Business e-newsletters Scripts for CS reps and billing statements Mobile/Twitter alerts, email for outage Direct outreach Community e-newsletters Articles/sponsorships in member newsletters

Billboards (guerilla) Media coverage Community events Resi e-newsletter Truck signage

EE microsite for business Business case studies & referral program

Influencer outreach to sign up for programs Influencer case studies & referrals (“we saved $x”) Co-marketing & programs

“Reducing Energy Bill” microsite with tips Sign-ups at community events

SAVE Money and paper

Move communications online Dial back on bill stuffers, direct to web through bill messages, CS rep scripts Find existing EE tips and information from other sources and get permission to reprint

Exam

ple tactics

Need to clarify goals and metrics, and decide if benchmark survey is needed

•  Before determining metrics, we need to collectively agree on priority objectives. Proposed objectives include:

•  Awareness/Perception Objectives (measured by online survey) –  Build trust and favorability as a local community partner and fiscally responsible

green utility. Specifically… •  Increase customers’ awareness of AMP’s renewable energy story •  Increase customers’ awareness and understanding of AMP’s programs and benefits,

especially around energy efficiency •  Increase the perception that AMP has lower rates than surrounding utilities •  Other metrics would relate specifically to the brand positioning like community or

empowerment

•  Performance Objective (measured by AMP) –  Increase participation in AMP’s energy-efficiency programs among priority target

audiences from x% to y% of customer base •  Energy efficiency programs are highly related to AMP’s renewable energy story and

thus are mutually reinforcing

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For discussion

Contents





•  Next steps

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Next Steps

•  Input into open questions –  Clarify marketing goals and targets –  Confirm specific programs to focus on –  Discuss whether to move forward with benchmarking awareness and perceptions

among influencer and business customers •  Ozone will then move into marketing planning stage

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Date post:	18-Aug-2015
Category:	Marketing
Upload:	kalyna-hanover
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