Simantel Supports Award-Winning Campaign
November 2009 - Partnering with Simantel, The Ameren Illinois Utilities launched its comprehensive energy efficiency program for residential and business customers and related campaign, Act On Energy™ in 2008. The campaign took top honors in Chartwell Inc.’s, “Best Practices In Marketing” awards. Atlanta-based Chartwell, Inc, is a recognized leader in information exchange in the utility industry.
Act On Energy was selected for “exhibiting creative and attractive marketing collateral that produced positive results” according to Dennis Smith, Chartwell vice president of research and information delivery. The Act On Energy program offers energy efficiency advice, incentives and rebates for residential and business customers.
To launch the program and educate customers on no and low-cost energy efficiency tips, Simantel initially developed a mass media campaign to drive customers to a new microsite information hub, ActOnEnergy.com. The campaign evolved in 2009 to include additional mass media, public relations, retail, social media and grassroots strategies -- all designed to educate customers and program allies throughout the utilities’ 44,000 square mile service territory.
The initiative helped the Ameren Illinois Utilities to achieve a 12-point improvement in the J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Electric Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study. Among other incentives, utility customers took advantage of discounts on over one million energy saving compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) and turned in more than 10,000 energy-guzzling refrigerators for recycling. Arizona Public Service Company was also recognized in the category for its renewable and energy efficiency promotion.
