To change perceptions, 5th business worked with company president and marketing team to create and implement a strategy for new brand messaging, customer communication and employee engagement.

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Enersource
Enersource is one of Canada’s larger providers of electricity and related
services and programs. With almost a century of service and approximately
400 employees, it has one of the lowest service interruption rates in the country.
Serving Mississauga, one of Canada’s fastest-growing cities, it has supported
a rapidly expanding base of residential and business customers — in a dynamic
market undergoing considerable regulatory change.
their challenge
Enersource needed to build a stronger trust connection with its customers
and employees to address the challenges of rising electricity costs and regulatory
requirements related to conservation demand management impacting their business.
It needed to communicate these complex issues to its customers clearly and
simply, as well as get them to engage in government-regulated energy initiatives,
while at the same time effectively managing its operational costs associated with
the delivery of its services. Adding to the challenge was the fact that Enersource
needed to differentiate itself from other organizations, as it was being confused
with other brands within the energy category.
case study Enersource 1

2. their challenge
“In early 2010, we Operating within these parameters, and recognizing the need to adapt to
the evolving energy market, Enersource recognized the need to better engage
engaged 5th business to
with its diverse and multicultural customer base — as well as employees —
bring our tired, utilitarian
by delivering a consistent and recognizable brand message. At the same time,
brand into focus. They the company looked for ways to enhance service quality while increasing
have done so with efficiency and reducing costs — a significant challenge in an energy-regulated
amazing energy, inspiring environment where increased rates and energy conservation targets are
creative thought and government mandated and typically passed along to the customer.
budget discipline that has
impressed our organization.
One year later, we are our strategy
extremely pleased with
our decision to select
5th business as our 5th business® research found that, overall, Enersource had minimal brand
recognition. It was also discovered that customer call centre usage was increasing
all-encompassing creative
in proportion with rising energy costs, indicating that customers were not happy
services vendor.” with or confident in the service they were receiving. Our survey also showed that,
in general, respondents did not perceive value in the service Enersource provided.
To change these perceptions, 5th business worked with the company’s president,
Karen Ras marketing team and board of directors to create and implement a strategy for
Director, Corporate Relations
new brand messaging, customer communication and employee engagement.
Enersource Corporation
5th business then undertook more comprehensive market research including
customer surveys and gathering of end-user and distributor insight to determine
optimal stakeholder engagement and competitive best practices. Together,
these findings resulted in an understanding of the key drivers needed to elevate
Enersource’s brand perception. One key outcome was to more obviously place
the customer at the centre of every transaction. Another was raising the
company’s profile as a strong community supporter. To achieve these objectives,
an overall brand image and messaging was developed to improve communication
and build trust among consumers, businesses, and other key stakeholders.
case study Enersource 2

3. our work
Armed with this research, 5th business created an overarching and operational
brand strategy built on a new tagline, ‘more than energy’, and four pillars of
service excellence — People, Community, Environment and Innovation — all
underpinned by a primary message of reliability. Brand standards were developed
to guide visual and textual representations of the brand, and a thorough
communications review was conducted to ensure compliance across all collateral.
In launching the brand, an array of external communications were developed
spanning multiple channels and platforms, and addressing four different areas
of engagement: platform (TV, online), context (programs, website), message
(advertisements, communications), and experience (events).
We also developed an extensive employee engagement program encompassing
materials such as brochures, desk calendars, posters, and a newsletter. The
internal launch took place via a formal town hall meeting attended by the entire
company. By introducing the brand first to employees and targeting them as a
key audience, we were able to ensure more effective brand support of and
alignment with market expectations.
The external public launch followed shortly after, supported by a 36-month
marketing and public relations strategy (in progress) emphasizing customer
engagement and corporate social responsibility. Specific channels and tactics
have included:
• Online communications including an interactive website and
project-specific microsites
• Various media and public relations initiatives including multicultural
media outlets and a local cable TV campaign
• Social media
• Direct mail
• Rebranded annual report
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4. case study Enersource 4

5. our work
Building greater trust • New stationery, from letterhead and business cards
to bill statements and online forms
with customers,
• Vehicle branding and clothing
employees, industry
partners and the • Internal and external signage encompassing outdoor,
transit and the Enersource head office
community at large.
The new brand is now appearing on everything from bill inserts and media
advertising to corporate communications and, perhaps most importantly, a new
website. The new site — enersource.com — provides more intuitive access
to services and better promotes conservation programs. It’s a more effective
recruiting tool. It’s also the entry point to a new self-serve platform where
customers can manage their own accounts by, updating profiles, downloading
forms, contacting customer service and paying bills online. In addition, the platform
supports outbound e-marketing and social media — for example, emailing and
texting of special promotions — and it’s integrated with back-end database
systems that will improve the gathering and quality of customer information.
The website not only showcases the new brand but is also a crucial operational
tool that will enhance customer service while Enersource operates more efficiently
and economically.
results
By improving brand perception for Enersource, the company has connected
with it’s market in a more compelling and relevant way. More specifically,
tactics such as a new website with self-serve capabilities have helped increase
levels of customer service while enhancing Enersource’s operational efficiency.
Enersource is now communicating more effectively with its customers. It is
building e-lists, driving website traffic to self-serve, and, overall, is building greater
trust with customers, employees, industry partners and the community at large.
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