Major Utility Boosted Awareness & Exceeded Outreach Goals by 37% Using Research Insights
01. Top challenges
America’slargest municipal utility, erving over four million residents, organizes various events and educational opportunities tailored to employees, neighbors, business customers, residential customers, and students. These programs address topics such as water conservation, energy efficiency, and sustainable living. To enhance internal and external education efforts, the utility aimed to better understand stakeholder motivations, preferred learning formats, and psychographic insights.
The goal was to position employees for optimal growth while improving the programs delivered to customers and partners. By researching stakeholder psychographics, the utility sought to align educational initiatives with learning preferences, interests, and needs, ensuring engagement and leadership to support the city’s growth and vitality. This encompasses providing safe, reliable, cost-effective water and power while addressing broader environmental benefits, equity, reliability, resiliency, and affordability goals.
To achieve these outcomes, the utility focused on assessing knowledge levels, emotional responses, and educational gaps. This approach would inform strategies to improve engagement, education for constituents, collaboration with community partners, and internal staff development, ultimately driving better outcomes for the community and the utility.
02.The solutions
With over a decade of experience, we’ve established ourselves as one of the pioneering agencies in the region. Our small, flexible, agile and design-led structures and processes allow us to be highly responsive and innovative.
Research
Research is the foundation of marketing and educational efforts. A key aspect of this research is engaging with the community to uncover what people know, what they don’t know, and what they care about or don’t care about. Our strategic surveys were delivered in person to residents, business owners, and utility employees.
Branding & Messaging
Aligned with the community-focused and approachable nature of the utility, the branding and messaging for the research campaign were designed to feel kind and helpful. The gift exchange reinforced stakeholders' motivation to participate, making them feel valued and heard. This approach led to an overwhelming number of participants eager to engage and share their insights through the survey and 1:1s.
Strategy
Our team engaged in both qualitative and quantitative surveys for the richest outcomes. We crafted a gift list in return for feedback and tailored surveys to uncover the insights necessary for optimal program planning, ROI, and future initiative success. Our team analyzed responses for actionable insights, aligning educational program outcomes with organizational goals to maximize engagement and program ROI for effective, measurable outcomes.
Execution
The research adhered to best practices in survey design, including straightforward, unbiased questions and proper sampling methods to ensure diverse and representative participation. Data was collected securely and analyzed with statistical rigor to validate findings. The final report was structured to provide clear, actionable insights tailored to the utility's goals, ensuring it could inform decision-making effectively.
03.The results
Participants thoroughly enjoyed the research process and were happy to spend time providing insightful answers. The utility used the results to refine educational events and learning outcomes for staff and customers, achieving measurable success across multiple areas. Insights from the campaign guided the design of engaging programs that resonated with employees and community members, effectively closing educational gaps and accelerating program goals. This provided employees with personal and professional growth, enhancing their contributions to organizational objectives.
The utility strengthened engagement and participation rates by aligning educational programs with the community’s and employees’ preferences. Newly tailored initiatives were able to use insights that optimized resource allocation, reduced unnecessary costs, and maximized program efficiency.
- Reduced the costs of education programs by identifying and addressing learning gaps and optimal success strategies early.
- Boosted participation rates by aligning programs with employee and community psychographics.
- Achieved measurable returns on investment for the utility's educational programs and for customers through energy conservation and operational cost savings.
04.opportunities
- Access to sustainability-linked financial incentives and identification of revenue opportunities via innovative programs.
- Attraction of new grants and funding opportunities through data-driven, measurable impact.
- Strengthened relationships with policymakers and increased influence in shaping sustainable policy initiatives.
- Enhanced public trust and goodwill, solidifying the organization’s reputation as a civic and environmental leader.
- Creation of strategic partnerships with community organizations, educational institutions, and industry groups.
- Increased employee engagement, morale, and leadership development through meaningful sustainability efforts.
- Greater visibility in the industry as a leader in education and sustainability, bolstered by media coverage.
- Expansion of outreach to underserved demographics, meeting broader equity, resilience, and environmental goals.