If you make a mistake, and the media, the social influencers, and your customers respond with outrage, there’s one thing you can do to slow or stop the cancel culture train: apologize.

And there’s one thing you can do to speed it up: apologize badly.

Josh Bernoff, author of Writing Without Bullshit, says that when companies craft apologies, they should do five things:

I’ve worked in digital marketing for almost 13 years and have always preached “content is king” to clients, emphasizing the importance of compelling content distributed via social media, email, newsletters, and blogs. However, I find it funny that I, myself, have never actually created content for a blog … until now.

Wishing you—our members, partners, and friends—lots of joy and success in 2018! We hope you enjoy this little peek into the holidays at E Source.

Smart speakers have emerged as one of the most quickly adopted consumer electronic devices ever, and virtual voice assistants like Alexa and the Google Assistant are flourishing in the market. For utilities, these platforms represent compelling new channels to help them connect with customers and support goals around energy efficiency, demand management, new rate structures, customer outreach and education, branding, and contact center call volumes.

Today’s customers want fast, easy experiences when interacting with a brand, both in-person and online. For utilities, that means offering a way for customers to successfully manage their account with as little friction as possible. A well-optimized mobile app helps your customers connect with you and provides a positive customer experience.

The wants and needs of business customers are always shifting, and when it comes to delivering and managing energy, priorities can evolve rapidly. That’s why every spring, the E Source account management and market research teams gear up to conduct the Business Customer Satisfaction: Gap and Priority Benchmark studies—a way for utilities to listen to the voice of the customer and get a deeper understanding of their small, midsize, and large business customers.

The US Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) was designed to address US energy policy in many areas, with stated goals of increasing the production of renewable energy, protecting consumers, and increasing efficiency of products, buildings, and vehicles—among other purposes. EISA is affecting utilities in a myriad of ways, but for demand-side management (DSM) program managers, it means that lighting will no longer be a key measure in DSM portfolios beyond the compliance date of January 1, 2020.

April 18 is National Lineman Appreciation Day in the US. No, I’m not talking about the hulking linemen of your favorite football team; I’m talking about the men and women at utilities that are out in the field doing the dirty work—ensuring that the energy we rely on every day is steadily delivered with minimal disruption.

Climate change has been in the news for decades, but today people feel its effects personally. There has been an increase in fear among customers, particularly millennials, regarding the environment’s health. In 2018, five of the top 10 fears in the US had to do with concerns about pollution, global warming, and other environmental disasters according to Chapman University's Survey of American Fears (figure 1). In 2016, none of the top 10 fears related to the environment.

For many customers, paying their monthly energy bill is the only time they really interact with their utility. They may have additional interactions during an outage or emergency, but those are generally few and far between (and inherently negative). Most customers only think of their utility when they submit a payment, and that means billing and payment interactions can quite literally define the utility customer experience.