National Grid
B2C , Energy & Sustainability
Driven by a corporate goal to dramatically reduce carbon emissions and incentivized by a state credit for every electric vehicle it registers, National Grid set out to put as many EVs on Upstate New York roads as possible. The challenge? Convincing customers throughout the investor-owned energy company’s service region that the EV lifestyle is affordable, accessible and—dare we say it—fun.
Enter Mower’s team of energy marketing experts, who were tasked with clearing the roadblocks on the customer journey to conversion. We discovered that for many people, the attractiveness of going green was offset by outdated perceptions that all EVs are expensive, charging stations few and far between, and ownership would upend their daily routines.
We developed an integrated campaign to raise awareness that owning and driving an EV is as simple and fun as Plug & Play. What’s more, National Grid has the tools to help, with buyers’ guides, incentives, a charging station locator and more.
A pilot campaign testing different messages and targeting just a handful of ZIP codes earned two million impressions. Click-through rates for a tiered eblast series exceeded the benchmark by over 400%.
As we expanded Plug & Play across the entire region, we refined messaging to drive home the ease and enhanced lifestyle of EV ownership, pointing potential buyers to the Green Energy Consumers Alliance’s Drive Green web page and National Grid’s online Marketplace.
A $5,000 gift card offer, which buyers could apply toward items like EV miles and home charging units, drew such a high response we had to cap the promotion early.
Key learnings from the first two years, along with the arrival of COVID-19, steered our phase-three messaging to amplify EV-powered local adventures. Fresh, elevated creative featured relatable images that helped potential EV buyers see themselves in the driver’s seat.
Regular tune-ups over Plug & Play’s run kept messaging on point and engagement high. National Grid has converted hundreds of its Upstate New York customers into enthusiastic EV owners and significantly reduced its carbon footprint.
Plug & Play converted skeptics with fast facts and fun imagery that positioned EV ownership as a smart and appealing lifestyle choice, then sealed the deal with helpful resources to speed the buying process.
Key Brand as Friend® drivers:
Hey! Our name is pronounced Mōw-rrr, like this thing I’m pushing.