The utilities sector has diverse customer needs and effective customer engagement is more critical than ever. For some, understanding a bill or knowing where to get help can be daunting. An engagement strategy is essential to overcoming these challenges, educating customers, and ensuring every individual feels supported.
Here, we’ll explore engaging with hard-to-reach customers, including how to reach and resonate with those who may otherwise feel left behind, using UMA’s recent work with Affinity Water as a real-world example.
Through a targeted customer engagement campaign, UMA helped Affinity Water approach this task effectively.
An informative, multi-language animation that was promoted on social media and embedded on the Affinity Water website on a page that customers were directed to on their bill.
Many hard-to-reach customers face challenges with understanding bill structure, navigating support options, or simply recognising the value they’re receiving. When Affinity Water needed to communicate an increase in bills to their customer base, they knew they had to address these issues with sensitivity and clarity.
Using animation allowed Affinity Water to simplify complex information in a way that was engaging and easy to understand. It featured clear visuals, friendly tones, and straightforward messaging. By using a voiceover artist with an approachable tone and supporting it with subtitles and multiple translations, the animation catered to a broad audience. This attention to detail ensured that all customers could grasp the message, whether they preferred listening or reading, or whether English was their first language or not.
To maximise reach, the campaign extended beyond animation alone. The visuals and message style were adapted for press ads, financial support leaflets, and the Affinity Water website, creating a cohesive customer journey. By maintaining consistency across channels, Affinity Water was able to reinforce its message and make it accessible to customers wherever they engaged.
One of the challenges utilities companies face is building and maintaining trust with their customers, especially when delivering difficult news, like bill increases. UMA’s strategy with Affinity Water focused on transparency and education. By explaining the “why” behind the increase and emphasising available support, they were able to foster trust and open up a dialogue with customers, creating a space for better understanding and rapport. You can view the animation here.
At UMA, we’re committed to helping utilities companies connect with their customers, especially those who are the hardest to reach. With a thoughtful, well-executed customer engagement strategy, companies can build trust, address challenges head-on, and ensure their customers feel valued every step of the way.
Please note: The work featured in this case study was undertaken while operating as Blumilk, prior to our rebrand as the Utilities Marketing Agency (UMA). You can read more of our history here.