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Sweden’s Largest Energy Experiment

E.ON

Issue 27 | June 2013

Agency

Forsman & Bodenfors

Creative Team

Art Directors Anton Robsarve Pal Eneroth Copywriters Jonas Enghage Leo Magnusson Designers Icka Samrin Magnus Almberg Marc Eastmond Agency Producers Alexander Blidner Lina Strandang

Production Team

Production Companies Society 46 (web) Sara Haag AB Acne This is it (Film) Illustrator Henrik Lange Information Architect Jonas Skoglund Sound Morningdew Media RedPipe Post Production Chimney Pot Producers Kalle Schroder Petra Johansson Directors Bjorn Favremark Torbjorn Martin Sara Haag John Boisen

Other Credits

Planner Tobias Nordstrom Account Executives Michael Yngfors Stefan Rudels Account Manager Anna Levegard Web Producer Stefan Thomson E.ON Advertiser Supervisor Maria Rode

Date

January 2013

Background

Taking energy for granted meant unnecessary waste, when people used more energy than they really needed.

Trying to tell Swedes this had led to negative attitudes towards the energy suppliers. However, studies had suggested that people would save electricity if they could see how they consumed it.

The plan was to put the theory to the test.

Idea

10,000 households were recruited and given a device that could read their domestic energy consumption. Then a site was built, where all 10,000 households could monitor their consumption in real time and compare their consumption with other participants.

In an app, electricity was visualised in four different ways.

  • As money.
  • In a game where households could play against other households.
  • With an angry coach, who reminded you to save electricity every day.
  • A cute Tamagochi that died if you didn’t save enough electricity.

Additionally, participants were invited to submit their best energy-saving tips, the best of which were used in outdoor and in TVC spots.

Results

The overall attitude towards energy companies had been poor before the experiment but afterwards, the likelihood of a customer recommending E.ON was five times higher among participants than among households that didn’t take part.

After a year, the participants had, on average, saved 12% energy compared to the previous year. That was not just money saved but of real environmental value.

12% of the world’s energy came from nuclear power. So just imagine what would have happened if the whole world did the same as those Swedes?

Our Thoughts

The energy market is curious, don’t you think? Instead of urging people to use more and spend more, those who are most active in persuading their customers to use less end up as the market leaders.

It’s a strategy of restraint, which car companies have also been adopting. Don’t drive dangerously; don’t go heavy on the gas; and so on. It’s brands demonstrating their social responsibility while hoping that their campaigns will have a positive influence on their brand preference scores, as, indeed, this did.

What I think is interesting is how this idea takes visualised data beyond infographics and into the mainstream. Their insight at F&B was to allow people to see for themselves how much energy they consume and what it means.