Retail energy supplier North American Power had grown fast thanks to a favorable commodities market and unique network marketing opportunity. Fast forward to a more challenging regulatory and pricing environment, and the company needed to ditch its’ past multi-level marketing reputation, and compete for customers on a platform beyond low rates.
Mood board
By filtering current customer files against desired profitability metrics, we were able to submit a subset of customers for demo/psychographic profiling. These details helped visualize North American Power’s core customer target; an audience for whom we could then construct a believable, compelling and differentiated brand value proposition.
While focus groups and customer studies concluded that no offer trumped price, there was a secondary desire to cut through the mystery of each month’s utility bill with some form of personalized, usage-based meter – infusing sensibility when comparing one month to another.
Mission statement
After arriving at a new value proposition centered around ‘making it easy to be smarter about how your home uses energy,’ we crafted a friendly visual tool kit for the brand, with a mix of colorful iconography and infographic treatments to help tell our story in a simple, memorable way.
Brand book collage
Brand style guide
Sample messaging
Flair
Sample spot illustration
Illustration style
Out-of-home marketing message
Living up to the brand promise meant developing a smart, simple tool that could dissect suspected home energy use based on user feedback and algorithms.
Enter Understandabill, a monthly e-report that offers customers a greater deal of transparency into their home’s energy usage.
Understandabill branding
Understandabill inserts
User survey
Some early mood and aesthetic boards for the new website explored the concept of simplifying the entire home energy shopping experience to just a few commands and transforming the site into an app-like dashboard to solidify the connection between rate + usage = cost; a cornerstone equation in bringing the new brand to life.
Brand musings
Website content evolution
While unique, the proposed simplified site structure didn't offer enough room for SEO content and the appropriate level of storytelling. Longer-form pages were generated in the next round of design, with a focus on bringing the value prop equation to life through visual interaction and a more personal tone.
CMS website exploration
Website design
The brand is primarily marketed via direct mail, with growing support across digital channels. The need for versatility and inventiveness is constant; to maintain open rates and keep offers fresh, while still holding true to brand construct.
Early on, a test was even done licensing characters from The Jetsons to create interest and position the new brand an easy progressive choice for smart households of the future.
Direct marketing campaigns
Social media
Campaign starring "The Jetsons"
Email campaigns
The new brand’s clever playfulness even came to life on TV in 2017 with the debut of “Bill Shock,” a freewheeling and gloriously unaware character who annoys a married couple with his tactless antics. (Note: Brand and creative work done while Creative Director, North American Power. “Bill Shock” Concept and Creative: North American Power team. Agency Co-Credit: milk* SoNo. Film & Production: Alkemy-X).
