Business Challenge
Reliant Energy, one of Texas’ leading electric utilities, was forced to face a new reality when the Lone Star State deregulated residential electricity. With 30 competitors vying for market share, Reliant needed a strategy to hold on to its customers, and it enlisted aim to help. We had 30 days to come up with an idea and get a program to market.
Insight
Nobody likes to feel like a chump, especially when it comes to paying for electricity. Reliant customers wanted assurance that they weren’t going to be gouged on price, and the company’s marketing needed to assure customers that choosing Reliant was the safe thing to do.
Strategy
Reliant developed a new service plan called Cap-and-Save, which the company wanted to introduce in a way that was engaging and personable while supporting Reliant’s “The Promise of Power” brand message.
To give the company and Cap-and-Save a human face, aim introduced a team of heroes, dubbed Captain Save and the Rate Patrol, whose mission was to help customers save money by capping their Reliant Energy rates. The team, which was recruited, trained and managed by aim, surprised and delighted consumers in Dallas and Houston, by paying for their morning Starbucks coffee, covering the cost of lunch at Subway, picking up the tab for rides on mass transit, and handing out $5 or $10 gift cards for local merchants. Those random acts of kindness enabled the team to introduce consumers to the Cap and Save plan, encourage them to sign up and distribute branded premiums.
Bragging Rights
The program exceeded Reliant’s new-customer acquisition goals by 150%. Not only did the random acts of kindness generate significant social media buzz, but it also enhanced Reliant’s goodwill in local communities. Captain Save even became a rallying point for Reliant employee engagement.
