Making Cool Choices:
A Fun Game with Serious Results
Kathy Kuntz
Cool Choices
ACEEE MT – April 1, 2014
Our Games Deliver
• Team-based competition
• Earn points for sustainable
practices
– At home and at work
– Daily for 8 weeks
• Workplaces, schools
• Makes sustainability easy,
visible, and celebrated
Cool Choices’ Outcomes
• Up to 63% of employees join, take action
– Variety of workplaces – law firms to manufacturing
• Average player benefits: $170/year
– Mostly household energy and transportation
– CO2 impacts average 1,800 lbs/player/year
• Verified electric savings
– Household level: median electric savings 6%, based on
utility bills, one year post-game
– Firehouses during game: 6.6% electric savings
Game Design Matters – A Lot
One of Our Goals: Accuracy
Leverage Social Science!
• Rich multi-disciplinary literature
– Individual behaviors to cultural norms
– Examples you can apply today
• ACEEE’s Behavior Program Taxonomy
– Cognition: provide information
– Calculus: prompt rational decisions
– Social interaction: leverage community
Cognition: Here’s a Suggestion
Calculus: Do You Want to Win?
Social: What’s Your Team Doing?
Our Games Integrate Multiple Strategies
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•
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•
•
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Rewards (random prizes)
Prompts / nudges (daily email reminders)
Commitment (don’t let down team)
Feedback (leaderboards, recognition)
Social norms (everyone is playing)
Person to person (permission to coach)
Framing (sustainability is fun, social and easy)
Transparency in a Community
Cross-Portfolio Benefits
Insights into Behavioral Patterns
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Adjust the water
heater thermostat
Replace 85% of
Enable "automatic power
household incandescent bulbs down" of game console
Manuf Already
Manuf New
Ext Already
Ext New
Law Firm Already
Law Firm New
Fire Dept Already
Fire Dept New
Broad and Deep Participation
Menasha Corporation – 959 Players
24% of Employees - 40 Locations in 14 States
0-14 days,
14%
43-54 days,
36%
15-28 days,
19%
29-42 days,
31%
Substantive Non-Energy Benefits
Our Partners Get Genuine Alignment
Players Get Higher Quality of Life
Done Right,
Games Rock!
Kathy Kuntz
[email protected]