WPA Pinfold

Our work Repositioning the Priority Services

Northern Powergrid

Repositioning the Priority Services

Breaking down stigmas, putting vulnerable customers at the heart of brand communications

Challenge
Northern PowerGrid needed to ensure they were reaching vulnerable customers with a strategic campaign strategy that would build awareness and increase sign-ups to their register. Customers needed to have an intrinsic understanding of the benefits and not feel embarrassed to get support.
Insight
Following in-depth customer research into the perception of Northern PowerGrid’s Priority Services Register customers gave clear feedback that ‘register’ carried negative associations. We needed to move away from this positioning and create a new way of communicating the service that removed any stigma or barrier to signing up.
Solution
We re-positioned the Priority Services Register to the Priority Services Membership and developed a supporting and highly empathetic tone of voice which looked to engage with a wider regional audience putting the focus back on ‘joining’.

By putting the emphasis on membership, it created a sense of belonging which comes with being identified as a member. Customers had to proactively become a member rather than signing up to a register which feels less personal and more passive. A member receives benefits and feels part of a wider group with similar values.

We created an integrated campaign covering a social media strategy and implementation plan, including creating specific vulnerability animations to partner with annual focus groups i.e. National Dementia week. We also created partner information packs to support local community events throughout the year.

27% increase 227,740 New registrations

40,000 views Tailored video content reached 40,000 views annually

91.4% 91.4% vulnerable customer satisfaction feedback post research