Utility Personalized Videos | Webinar

1. Article with all details in Markdown syntax

Introduction

Introduction

Hi everyone! Welcome back to our Plugged-In Webinar Series. Thank you for attending our first webinar of 2024, "The Power of Personalized Videos," hosted by Morin Murky. At Questline Digital, we're dedicated to providing value to utility companies by enhancing customer experiences and achieving program goals.

To ensure everyone is on the same page, let’s go over a few housekeeping items. Engage with us during the event by submitting your questions in the Q&A section. We'll try to answer them live, but if we run out of time, we'll follow up via email. You can also chat with other attendees and tell us where you're tuning in from. I am live from Columbus, Ohio.

We will conduct poll questions throughout the presentation, so please participate. Check out our closed captioning feature if English is not your native language. If you experience any technical issues, try logging off your VPN or refreshing the page by pressing F5 (or Command + R for Mac users). Look for a follow-up email this week that’ll include the PowerPoint presentation and a link to the webinar recording.

Presenter Introductions

• Jared Brandon: Joining us from British Columbia's Okanagan Valley, Jared has a 23-year career in intersecting private and public sectors, helping spearhead disruptive transformations in digital marketing initiatives.
• William Gray: With nearly five years of dedicated service, William oversees the quality assurance of over 58,000 utility statements monthly at Fort Pierce Utilities Authority (FPUA).
• Melissa Martin: Melissa has played pivotal roles in customer service and billing for over 14 years at FPUA. She leads the utility operations department, focusing on providing seamless services.

Agenda

1. Introduction to Personalized Videos:

   • Jared will cover what personalized videos are and their importance.

2. Case Study – FPUA Experience:

   • Melissa and William will discuss their implementation, including what worked, what didn’t, and lessons learned.

3. Live Q&A:

   • We'll end with a 10 to 15-minute Q&A session.

Poll Question

How do you currently communicate with customers about complex topics? Options included: email campaigns, newsletters, social media, direct mail, or the utility website.

Presentation by Jared Brandon

What Are Personalized Videos?

Personalized videos are dynamic, data-driven videos tailored to each viewer based on their preferences, behaviors, or past interactions. They help with numerous customer touchpoints:

• New resident onboarding
• Revenue collection (utility bills, property taxes)
• Program promotion (conservation, ebilling)
• Service notices (boil water advisories, service interruptions)

Personalized videos are inclusive, accessible, and dynamically adjusted to reflect the diversity of the audience. They are driven by customer data from systems like CRMs, CIS, or ERP.

Why Do Personalized Videos Matter?

Humans are visual learners, and with today's short attention spans, video stands out as the most effective communication medium. Personalized content resonates more and leads to higher engagement.

Evaluating the success of your strategy can involve metrics like:

• Customer service metrics (inbound calls, emails)
• Registration rates for portals, autopay, and ebilling
• Customer satisfaction scores (CSI, NPS)
• Achievement of campaign/initiative targets

Case Study by Melissa and William

Introduction

Fort Pierce Utilities Authority (FPUA) is a multi-service utility provider established in 1972 in Southeast Florida. With 29,000 customers, FPUA focuses on providing economical, reliable, and friendly services.

Customer Engagement Before Personalized Videos

Previously, FPUA faced challenges in engaging customers despite efforts like social media posts, bill inserts, and email campaigns. Only 35% of customers made online payments, and 10% used the IVR system. Paperless and autopay adoption were low, at 27% and 20% respectively.

Initial Steps

When CIS partner Harris suggested personalized video billing, FPUA jumped at the chance. An internal team was formed to gather data and conduct weekly meetings with Harris. Despite some setbacks like hurricanes and staffing issues, FPUA regrouped and incorporated the newly formed public affairs group into the project.

Launch and Results

Since launching in September, customer engagement has significantly improved, with increased portal registrations, paperless signups, and autopay participation. Positive feedback from customers has been overwhelming, with many appreciating the efficiency and clarity of the videos.

Key Takeaways

• Project Management: Dedicated leadership is crucial.
• Inclusive Team Input: Include members from different departments.
• Advertising: Start early and be clear in your communications.
• Pre and Post KPIs: Measure metrics before and after to gauge effectiveness.

Future Plans

FPUA plans to use personalized videos for more targeted programs such as high consumption notices, past-due invoices, and even educational content about energy conservation.

Q&A Session Highlights

• Data Requirements: Personalization is based on customer data from various systems.
• Surprising Reactions: Customers have shown unprecedented enthusiasm for the videos.
• Future Uses: FPUA aims to expand the use of personalized videos across various customer communications.

Conclusion

Thank you for joining us. Look out for a follow-up email with the presentation materials and webinar recording. Don’t forget to register for our next webinar in March.

2. Keywords

Keywords:

• Personalized videos
• Customer engagement
• Utility programs
• Data-driven content
• Digital marketing
• FPUA
• Customer satisfaction
• Communication strategies
• System of record
• Online payments

3. FAQs

FAQ:

Q: What are personalized videos? A: Personalized videos are dynamic video content tailored to each viewer's preferences, behaviors, or past interactions, often used to enhance customer engagement and communication.

Q: Why do personalized videos matter? A: Personalized videos stand out in today's digital landscape, better engaging audiences by delivering relevant content that is more likely to be acted upon.

Q: What data is needed for personalized videos? A: The personalization is driven by customer data from systems like CRMs, CIS, or ERP, depending on the specific use case of the videos.

Q: How was FPUA's experience with personalized videos? A: FPUA saw significant improvements in customer engagement metrics after implementing personalized videos. Customers responded positively to the tailored content, and FPUA experienced increased portal registrations, paperless signups, and autopay participation.

Q: What are some recommended uses for personalized videos in utilities? A: Personalized videos can be used for new resident onboarding, revenue collection, service notices, program promotion, and more.

Q: How should a utility begin with personalized videos? A: Start by defining your objectives, ensuring your customer data is clean and accurate, involving a diverse team, advertising early, and testing thoroughly before launch.

Q: What future applications do personalized videos have for FPUA? A: FPUA plans to expand personalized videos for high consumption notices, past-due invoices, service interruptions, and education on energy conservation.

Q: How important is the project management role in a personalized video project? A: Very important. Effective project management ensures that the project stays on track, goals are met, and all team members are engaged and informed.