Seven years ago we set out on a mission to change the world of real estate advertising. Our goal was to shift the focus away from features based advertising to messaging that magnifies benefits and creates emotional connections. Over those seven years, we’ve established ourselves as a premier national player in the industry, winning numerous awards both for our work and for our client’s results. Ready for the next challenge, Merrick Towle Communications has identified the energy category as primed for transformation.
Why Energy?
The current economic and political environment demands that people change their deeply ingrained behaviors regarding energy usage. This will require a dramatic shift in attitudes that can’t be achieved through traditional messaging. Energy advertising needs to engage users on an emotional level to achieve the necessary reduction in energy usage.
The Opportunity.
We love challenges. The state of Maryland, under the EmPower Maryland Act is requiring a deep cut in energy usage over the next few years. Everyone in the state will have to change their behavior to meet the objectives. We decided to reach out to the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) to see if we could provide an innovative, benefits-based solution.
The Consumer.
In order to craft an emotional message that will compel a change in behavior we needed to understand the consumer, and their perceptions about energy. Our research brought to light many important facts:
- People generally view their utilities negatively, and believe that their bills are too high
- People view energy efficiency positively, but few actually act on those feelings
- People do not like to change their lifestyle, they have a routine that they want to keep
- Most people believe that their homes are energy efficient, while most homes are not
- The #1 reason people engage in energy efficient activities is to save money
- People want to save money on their energy bills for emotion reasons 1) Happiness (I can do what I want) 2) Peace of Mind (I can pay the bills) and 3) Personal Satisfaction (I control my money, not the utility)
Armed with the knowledge of the consumer and the goals of Empower Maryland we set out to create an engaging campaign that would appeal beyond the rational. A campaign that would make Marylanders stop and take notice of energy efficiency initiatives. We would develop a voice that would inspire confidence and ensure action.
Our Answer:
Listen to Your Momma.
We challenged ourselves to do something unique for marketing energy services. We hope you’ll challenge us on how we can do even better.