neighborhood outreach utilizing social norms and existing social networks · 2016. 9. 20. ·...
TRANSCRIPT
Building America Technical Update Meeting
Neighborhood Outreach Utilizing Social Norms and Existing Social Networks
August 9, 2011
Tim Hillman, Symbiotic Engineering
Denver, CO
• Key Partners • Project Goals • Project Status • Lessons Learned (so far) • Next Steps • Questions
Agenda
Key Partners
• Evaluate the impact of social marketing and outreach when used in combination with traditional marketing
• Measure level of energy savings and homeowner participation within a specified community
• Assess impact of different outreach messages
Project Goals
Target Area
“Neighborhood” chosen by the Anaheim Public Utilities and ConSol • 92804 zip code chosen by APU
• Target area based on housing research by ConSol
• Target area contains 3,266 SFRs o +/‐25% with > 0 equity
o Middle class o Average year built ~1957
o Average ~1900sq.ft.
Target Area
Phase 1
• Traditional Marketing to homeowners completed
• Interested homeowners being contacted by selected contractor • Energy assessments • Energy efficiency upgrades
Phase 2
• Homeowner outreach through social norms – energy utilization reports (working with utility)
Project Status
Marketing Channels • Tri‐fold Direct Mailers to all
3266 SFR homes • 7 weeks and 7 different ads
within the Anaheim Bulletin
1% of Interested Homeowners • 28 within Target Area
• 7 outside of Target Area
Project Status
Social interactions NOT social media
• Relatively small geographical area (the larger social diffusion via social media outlets isn’t applicable)
Outreach mechanisms being considered
• Energy reports sent directly to applicable homes • Messaging leverages social norms
• Energy Challenge and curriculum materials in elementary schools • Students bring materials home, raising
awareness
Leveraging Existing Social Networks – Personal Relationships and Social Norms
1. Identify highest opportunity target homes: • Env. Defense Fund report on OPower’s Home
Energy Reports found: o “…using information about baseline energy
usage to target reports at high‐opportunityhouseholds can increase average effectivenessby more than three‐fold.”
2. Characterize the energy use by home in the target area: • Create profiles of different size, type homes
along with their use
Targeted Mailing and Messaging
Every year, you are spending:
$840 more than efficient homes like yours.
Based on an average electricity cost of $0.1/kWh
Kilowatt Kidz Energy Challenges • Month long challenge consisting of 4 in‐
class energy units (focusing on different areas of energy use in the home)
• Weekly take home activities emphasize engagement with students’ parents
• Potential fund raising alternative for schools through utility incentives provided for program enrollment
Energy Challenges in Schools
1. Not all project partners can gain access to individual customer info
2. The partner utility is in the midst of a Home Energy Report pilot (OPower), so they are particularly sensitive to the messaging that is going out to customers
Therefore… • We won’t be able to test certain targeting techniques
(identify those homes with poorest energy performance)
• We can’t send personalized information with targeted normalized messaging (i.e., how you compare to others)
Project Hurdles
1. No local education partner to help champion integrating the school energy challenge
2. Don’t have time to establish this relationship under existing project timeline
Therefore…
• We won’t be able to test mobilizing neighborhood action through school‐based energy challenges and curriculum in Anaheim
Project Hurdles Continued…
• Our ability to target market and provide custom messaging is most effective with a strong utility partnership
• Leveraging existing social networks (not social media scale) requires relationships and champions in the community of interest
Next Steps: • Will be testing similar but less personalized messaging
• Look to expand this research in areas where we have a utility partnership and community champions
Lessons Learned (so far) and Next Steps
• Already has a neighborhood based Community Energy Challenge (FortZED)
• Symbiotic Engineering is working with the utility and community organizations
• Utility is very interested in applying targeted marketing and messaging
• Can integrate school program with community energy challenge
Future Opportunities – Fort Collins, CO
Questions / Comments
Thank You!