In this session, Chloe shared customer insights informed by the pilot studies the organization carries out for partner companies. These insights lead to advice on marketing activities such as the appropriate languages to use and visualization. These pilot studies are purely qualitative at this stage. However, the case study module can be comparatively easily adapted by the companies in their areas of operations.

1. Role of data in creating consumer
awareness through pilot projects
Insights and recommendations
September 2018

2. Agenda
Context
Role of data across pilot phases
• Pre-pilot
• During pilot
• After pilot
Case study
• Initial pilot structure
• Data collection metrics
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3. UOMA seeks to reduce barriers to scale to accelerate off-grid
energy access in Uganda
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INDEPENDENT,
CREDIBLE, &
NEUTRAL
RESPONSIVE
CAPACITY,
FOCUSED ON
RESULTS
LOCAL TEAM
w/ ACCESS TO
CROSSSECTOR
STAKEHOLDERS
Context

4. Based on market feedback, one of core initiatives is to analyze
unserved populations and determine strategies to reach
Increase access to local currency debt finance, bridging a
critical working capital shortfall
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Expanding access
to finance
Reaching
unserved
populations
Strengthening
gov’t policy &
targets
Expanding
productive use
technology
Facilitating
communication
& coordination
Reduce barriers to better target unserved populations,
improving access for most in need communities
Support industry test & validate productive use technologies
to achieve economic benefits while growing energy demand
Support public sector create effective policies & an effective
enabling environment to increase off-grid energy uptake
Enable effective communication & coordination, resulting in
better resource allocation & accelerated progress in
achieving access
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2
3
4
5
Context

5. UOMA analysis and research
In order to develop strategies to serve, we developed a framework
which examines affordability as key theme for segmentation
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What influences
consumer decision to
purchase SHS?
Ability to pay Willingness to pay
Level of
income
Product
pricing
Awareness
Value
proposition
Perception
Trust
Wealth levels
Changes in
income
Pricing
structure
Changes in
pricing
Context
Focus for
today!

6. UOMA is working with market operators interested in pilot
opportunities to increase consumer awareness
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Identify partners Design pilot
Implement
pilot
Distribute
insights
• Identify
partners with
interest &
capacity to
pilot
solutions to
reach
unserved
segments
• Support
operational
planning &
design of
pilots
• Develop
funding
proposals for
potential
financiers
• Implement
pilot by
directly
engaging in
awareness
campaigns
• Distribute
insights to
companies &
key
stakeholders
• Use insights
to develop
scalable
solutions to
challenges
Context

7. UOMA analysis and research
Efficient data systems are required to examine key questions that
influence consumer awareness and decision making
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Introduction
Building
awareness
Changing
mindsets
Gaining
credibility
Influencing
purchase
Consumer
awareness
What is solar?
Exposing
consumers to
basic
understanding
of solar
Perception &
ambition
Why solar?
Educating
consumers on
benefits of using
solar products
Value
proposition
How to select?
Creating
awareness of
products & how
offerings can be
adapted to their
needs
Trust &
confidence
Where to get
quality?
Communicating
where & who can
provide quality
products
Concrete data was required to support understanding of target audience:
• What cultures & norms influence energy purchase & ambitions?
• Who are the influencers & decision makers in the community?
• What value & benefits are most appealing to specific groups?
Context

8. Insights on relevance of data
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9. UOMA analysis and research
Across pilot stages, data collection was a key component in
informing structure of awareness campaigns & trainings
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After pilot
During pilot
Pre-pilot
• Data was necessary to inform:
– Potential areas & target groups to engage
– Influencers to partner with in the community
• Data from awareness campaigns & trainings supported
analysis of:
– Consumer characteristics, responses & needs
– Pilot insights & challenges
• Analysis helped operators plan next steps for ongoing &
future pilots:
– Strategies required for particular groups
– Follow up sessions for potential customers
Insights

10. Data collection process: We engaged community influencers and
conducted consumer surveys to collect relevant data
Meet community
influencers
Conduct
surveys
Run follow up
campaigns
• Held meetings with
influencers like LC’s,
subcounty chiefs &
church leaders
• Developed targeted
consumer
questionnaires
• Observed consumer
response
• Used sales
dashboards to track
success
• Conducted
consumer follow up
calls & info sessions
• Held follow up visits
to offer product
maintenance &
collect after sales
data
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Insights
Pre-pilot
During pilot
After pilot

11. Pre-pilot: Preliminary data helped identify potential sites &
community groups and develop awareness campaign strategies
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Assess
potential
sites
Identify
consumer
groups &
influencers
Run
awareness
campaigns
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2
3
• Secondary data tested key criteria for potential sites
– Limited grid access & distribution of SHS
– Strong presence of grass root structures
– Dense enough population
• Identify groups & influencers to partner with
– Data on community structures helped identify
influencers like LC’s & area chiefs
– Information on groups helped identify customers to
engage
• Leverage existing knowledge & data on community
events
– Information on activities like agricultural seasons
supported planning for effective outreach
Insights

12. During pilot: Data collected informed the value of partnerships,
assessed consumers & revealed level of brand awareness
Training & info sessionsPartnerships
1. Community influencers were
necessary to mobilize groups
2. Existing groups eased follow
up on sales & mobilization
3. Partners required incentives to
support awareness campaigns
1. Consumers were responsive
to sessions tailored to their
culture & norms
2. Operators required internal
capacity to conduct training
sessions
Brand presence & marketingConsumer engagement
1. Consumer perception was
framed by influencers
2. Prior knowledge of
community activities
influenced engagement
11 UOMA analysis and research
Insights
1. Consumers lacked
information on providers
solar systems
2. Brand visibility was key in
creating awareness

13. During pilot: From data, we also identified various constraints
evident due to different implementation challenges
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Partnerships
Training &
info sessions
Consumer
engagement
• Limited team capacity and resources to mobilise target
consumers
• Mobilisers did not effectively market campaigns & meet
target numbers
• Limited training resources & insufficient data metrics
• Limited team capacity to conduct training sessions & collect
data
• Negative response from consumers with unresolved queries
• Uncoordinated logistics hence low consumer turn up
• Inadequate time to sufficiently cover consumer questions
Brand
presence &
marketing
• Low attendance due to inadequate marketing & brand
visibility
• Low awareness of solar brands making it more difficult to
market
Insights

14. Training & info
sessions
Brand awareness
• Build team
capacity
• Merge internal
team &
community based
trainers
Internal capacity
• Develop new
data tracking
templates
• Articulate data
flow of internal
team
• Implement
aggressive
marketing
strategy
• Leverage
community
activities
After pilot: As a result, we offered recommendations which enabled
pilot efficiency
13 UOMA analysis and research
1 32
• Increased buy in
from community
members
• Efficient
mobilization &
data collection
• Increased sales
through
marketing
channels like
campaigns, drives
and road shows
• Efficient follow
ups on consumers
• Relevant data
metrics that
supported
analysis
Recommendations

15. Case study
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16. Pilot structure: Pilot aimed at providing solar training to groups
mobilized by community influencers
• Partnered with
political & religious
influencers to identify
& gather consumers
Identify &
mobilize groups
• Team of 2-3 staff
facilitated
sessions of 50-
100 participants
• Data was
collected using
survey sheets
• Training focused on
helping consumers
understand benefits
of solar, identify
quality & increase
brand awareness
Develop training
material
Conduct training
sessions
Collect data &
follow up
Goal of pilot was to achieve the following
targets:
• Train >5,000 people and have ~200 actual
sales
• Identify consumer needs & challenges
through efficient collection of pilot data
• Identify potential customers, build
relationships, and handle complaints
During training After training
Before training
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Case study

17. Data collection: We refined surveys distributed to collect relevant
information from attendees and potential customers
Initial data collection tools only tracked basic contact information
UOMA team designed new templates to collect detailed info for analysis
• New templates
enabled assessment of:
– Group / consumer
characteristics
– Solar awareness
and energy use
– Affordability trends
– Potential &
interested
customers
First name Last name Phone number Solar kit
Personal details
Full names:
Phone number:
Gender (Male/Female)
Age:
Prior experience with solar
Have you had any experience / heard of solar before today? (Yes/No)
Are you interested in having solar at your home? (Yes/No) Give two reasons why
Do you currently have a solar system? (Yes/No)
If you have a solar system, what encouraged you to make this purchase?
If you have solar, what system are you using and who is the provider?
If you don't have solar what energy alternative are you using?
Solar training
From the training what solar kit do you think you need?
What solar system do you think you will need in the future? (Upgrade)
Financial information
What is your main source of income?
Do you belong to any savings group or SACCOS? (Yes/No)
If yes, how much do you save per month in your savings group or SACCOS?
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Case study

18. Qn: Why did you make a solar purchase & who is your provider?
Data relevance: New data templates enabled more in depth
assessment of consumers through targeted questions
Qn: What kit do you think you need? Would you upgrade your system?
Qn: What are your full names, age & gender?
Revealed gender behavior; in some regions women made less purchases as men
were considered decision makers
Supported analysis of consumer experience, solar awareness, perception &
interest to identify potential customers
Revealed drivers of solar purchase decisions; majority of solar users did not have
information of their providers
Helped operators tailor products to consumer energy needs
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Lessons learnt
Qn: Have you had prior experience with solar?
Qn: What is your main source of income? Are you part of a savings group?
Enabled operators understand income generating activities, assess affordability
trends & comparisons
Some of our targeted questions included:
Case study

19. www.uoma.ug
contact@uoma.ug
Thank you
2nd Floor, Redstone Building
Plot 7, Bandali Rise, Bugolobi
Kampala, Uganda