EmPOWER MD
Overview of Delmarva Power’s and Pepco’s Plan
1
1
Overview
Delmarva Power and Pepco are pleased to share our plan for
EmPOWER MD to the stakeholders in the General Awareness
Campaign (GAC) Working Group. This presentation lays out
initial planning for the campaign.
Our company wishes to leverage the opportunity provided by
EmPOWER MD as part of an integrated campaign to ensure
maximum consumer awareness and enrollment in the energy
efficiency and demand response programs scheduled to roll out
in 2009, provide energy management tools for our customers,
especially low-income consumers, and to improve overall
satisfaction levels.
We share the State’s goal for EmPOWER MD and look forward to
working with other GAC stakeholders.
Debbi Jarvis
Vice President, Corporate Communications
Pepco Holdings, Inc.
2
Outline of Plan
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Charter
Goals
Objectives
Audiences
The Process
Tasks Completed To Date
Messaging Platform and Campaign Architecture
Creative Direction
Potential Innovative Approaches
Potential Tactics
Road Map
Budgets
3
Charter
1.
The GAC’s primary intent is to have consistent message concepts which promote
awareness of:
a) The EmPOWER MD Act: a partnership between utilities and the State to
promote energy efficiency and conservation with messaging around:
i.
controlling your bill
ii.
planning for the future (reliability)
iii. environment
iv. benefits of ENERGY STAR
b) The EmPOWER MD Surcharge: a common, consistent approach - the
charge for a typical customer and the message that savings will more than
offset the surcharge - will be sought but may vary among utilities.
c) Call to action to participate in individual utility programs, including
emphasis on low-income program availability.
2.
The GAC Working Group should establish a common reference to communicate
savings opportunities without conflict (ex. Plasma TVs use x% more energy than
LCD TVs, where the x% is the same for all utilities).
NOTE: Charter language taken from summary submitted by Allegheny Power.
4
Charter (Continued)
3. Flexibility of specific messaging should be encouraged to ensure messaging
speaks to each utility’s market (example: Vampire Power vs. Phantom Power
vs. Plug Power).
4. Each utility will administer the GAC within their service territories using the
EmPOWER MD messaging concepts developed for item 1 above by the GAC
WG as well as promoting individual utility programs through utility specific
market messaging.
5. Measurement and Verification: Utilities will measure general awareness
effectiveness through existing customer satisfaction surveys or other individual
utility efforts.
6. The GAC will provide guidance rather than approve communication pieces.
Utilities will be encouraged to supply the GAC with draft materials and the GAC
members will be expected to respond within three days if they have
input/suggestions. However, the utility will have the final determination on final
ad copy.
7. The GAC will initially meet monthly and move to quarterly meetings after
awareness programs are launched.
NOTE: Charter language taken from summary submitted by Allegheny Power.
5
Goals
• Educate Delmarva Power and Pepco Maryland customers
on the need and benefits of conserving energy
• Build awareness of the availability of energy-efficiency
programs and tools that Delmarva Power and Pepco offer
• Ensure maximum consumer enrollment in the programs
• Leverage scarce resources effectively as part of an integrated
communications and marketing campaign
6
Objectives
•
Achieve Maryland energy reduction goals by educating Pepco
electric distribution customers in Maryland about opportunities to
reduce their electric bills through both energy efficiency and
demand response programs
•
Motivate customers to participate in one or more of the new
programs
•
Assist customer understanding of the benefits of these programs to
the environment
•
Provide clear, easily understood information so that customers can
make informed choices
•
Support objectives of the General Awareness Campaign Working
Group
7
Audiences
Building General Awareness
• A coordinated effort under EmPOWER MD should effectively leverage
resources and collaborative thinking to raise general awareness
levels of all consumers.
Segmented
• Delmarva Power and Pepco will complement general awareness
efforts with a segmented approach to optimize our ability to enroll
customers quickly and effectively into our demand side programs.
Focus on Low-Income Customers
• In these trying economic times, our company agrees that a special
focus must be on low-income customers in order to make them aware
of the full suite of tools, programs and funds available to help them
better manage their energy consumption and bills.
8
The Process
Presentation
of Initial Plan
Collaboration
with Working
Group
EmPOWER MD
Make
Adjustments
Execute
Campaign
9
Tasks Completed To Date
• Participation in Working Group sessions
• Internal review of campaign objectives for EmPOWER MD
• Hiring a marketing agency, EcoAlign, to assist with the campaign
and serve as a resource for the Working Group
• Development of initial creative directions and concepts
connected to PHI’s marketing strategy and programs
• Identification of alternative and innovative approaches
10
Customer Data Analysis Filters
11
Identified Opportunity Segments
Families with kids in elementary,
middle and high schools
Age group: 34-50
People with kids in
University
Age group: 50-65
12
Creative Direction
13
Messaging Platform and Campaign
Architecture
Messages
Plugged Into Your Day
Essential to
Your Day
How are you connected?
Connected
to
Your needs
Committed
to
Service
Clean savings
Moments of truth
Critical to
Your
Future
Community leadership
14
Potential Innovative Approaches
Research
PHI would be open to sharing our (PHI and EcoAlign’s)
consumer research and collaborating on further research.
One area that EcoAIign has been exploring is behavioral
(value-based) approaches to messaging.
Social Media
PHI has begun to use social media and would
encourage the use of social media tools, sites and practices
to complement traditional campaign initiatives. Social media
could form the basis of an Ambassador program directed
at leaders in the community and employees.
Collateral
PHI has worked with other utilities to produce the “Day
In The Life Of” (DILO) video and would encourage other
such efforts that are aligned with EmPOWER MD and the
individual utility initiatives.
15
Social Media and Ambassador
Programs
Empowerment
stimulate and reward
people to act
Incentives
Advocate &
Promoter of A
Company
empower people to
act and reach out
inspire people to act
Participation
Emotional
16
Potential Tactics
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Paid Advertising
Social Media
Utility Web Sites
Utility Micro Sites
Special Events
Out of Home
Earned Media
17
Joint Collateral Development
•
•
Partnered with 8-Emmy Award winning
multimedia production company,
Part2Pictures, to express the vision
through the creation of a Day In The Life Of
a customer (DILO) in 2015
Utilities used the video for campaigns,
regulatory presentations, employee
communications, walk-in customer centers
18
18
Road Map
19
Annual Budgets
• Delmarva Power -- $ 950,000
• Pepco
-- $1,300,000
20
Contact:
Tom Welle
[email protected]
202-872-2335
21