Apogee Shares Xcel Energy’s Video Messaging Succ

ATLANTA, May 23, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Apogee Interactive’s CEO & Co-Founder, Susan Gilbert and co-presenter Suzanne McCloskey, Research Technology and Strategy Analyst, Consumers Energy , conducted a Video Messaging Master Class today at the Association of Energy Service Professionals (AESP) 2018 Spring Conference.  Susan highlighted recent pilots including one for Xcel Energy (XEL).

Apogee analyzed 500,000 XCEL customer billing histories to find the best candidates for various programs.  Treatment and control groups were established to measure how customers valued the messaging, and how the messaging affected customers’ perception of the utility. Results showed reduced calls to the call center and that 58% reported improved perception of their utility.

“While many of our distributions achieve extraordinary click-through rates, some nearly 20 times the industry average, the biggest surprise was how customer interest increased as subsequent videos were sent,” said Susan Gilbert, Apogee CEO.  “Our second video received three times more viewers than the first, and the third was higher than the second,” she added.

“Up until now video messaging simply named the items on the bill and were considered cost-prohibitive at around a dollar per message.” Susan explained, “What is different now is the analysis explains impacts of weather, days of service, rate changes and behavior impacts, and most remarkably, all at pennies a message.”   

“What was viewed as too expensive, utilities are now embracing as the most affordable, high impact method of engaging customers,” she concluded.

During the Video Messaging Master Class attendees were given the what, how, and why of offering their customers personalized video messages. Ms. Gilbert explained the ease of secure billing data transfer, setting up treatment and control groups, creative content development, and the evaluation process.

According to WordStream , 51% of marketing professionals worldwide name video as the type of content with the best ROI. In addition, viewers retain 95% of a video message compared to 10% reading text. With their application of machine learning and predictive analytics, Apogee software architects predict this is only the beginning of data integration technology that will provide customers more meaningful engagement with their energy providers.

About Apogee Interactive:

Apogee Interactive  is the nation’s leading full-service provider of proactive customer engagement software services for utilities. As a partner with the utility industry since 1993, Apogee’s digital engagement platform delivers digital proactive and personalized digital communication to hundreds of North American utilities from coast to coast, including some of the largest and most progressive, such as Southern Company, Lakeland Electric, and Jackson EMC. For more information visit  www.apogee.net  or LinkedIn .

Media Contact: Karen Morris, info@apogee.net or 678-684-6800