ESB Networks TV Ad A Big Success
The Networks' TV advertising campaign, which has just recently come back on air since 13th February, is now in its second season. There are clear indications that it has made a big impact with customers. While the start of the commercial's voice track (by actor and ex-Dublin City Networks NT Liam Cunningham) refers to ESB Network's heritage of rural electrification, the ad primarily depicts our present commitment to customer service and infrastructural investment and our role in the changing and developing modern Ireland of 2006.
The ad was developed as part of an integrated ESB Brand Strategy, which includes the Customer Supply ads and our sponsorship programme. There are two versions of the ad being screened which are identical except for the opening sequences. An important consideration was the need to reinforce customers' emotional attachment to Brand ESB, and this was the rationale for having the opening scenes of one of the ads set back in the time of rural electrification. The ad aims to underscore and reinforce our company brand values and their associated behaviours (e.g. passionate, can-do, progressive, reliable, integrity and accountable).
A feature of the ad, which stars some of
our own Network Technicians, is that it is
shown in both Irish and English language
versions. This was the case during last winter
and there is even greater exposure of the Irish
language version on RTÉ channels this
winter and spring. The purpose of the
campaign is to highlight to all electricity
customers:
- Networks' commitment to customer
service, in a year when the top priority will
be to make the customer central to our
business.
- The distinctive ESB Networks' sub-brand,
highlighting ESB Networks "serving all
electricity customers", reflecting its industry
role.
- The huge infrastructural investment
currently being undertaken by ESB Networks
(the single largest such project by any
electricity utility in Europe at present).
- The role of ESB Networks in the recently
opened electricity market, helping to make it
easier for customers to understand the
separation of businesses within ESB Group
and the actual services which ESB Networks
provides.
Impact on customers
In order to measure the effectiveness of ESB's
advertising and communications, Millward
Brown IMS has been contracted by ESB
Group to undertake personal face-to-face
interviews with 50 customers each week on a
wide range of issues. Feedback on the
Networks TV ad has shown an immediate
recall rate of 47%, which is very high.
Customers interviewed about the ad rated it as being very involving and interesting and it is widely regarded as informative, relevant and believable, with 65% saying that they enjoyed it a lot. Most encouragingly, it causes people to think differently about ESB and makes ESB more appealing. The vast majority of those who saw the ad were of the view that it portrayed ESB as a progressive company, working hard to provide a high quality electricity service to all electricity customers and making a significant investment in the future. Communication of the messages in the ad was considered to be very strong by those who saw it and, in particular, the feedback from the customer interviews reflected the view that it was exceptionally well-branded.
TV critics are important stakeholders when screening advertisements and the ad certainly appealed to Mel Clarke in the Sunday Times, as evidenced by the following quotes from his articles written over the past fifteen months: "When it comes to advertising, ESB Networks is the Guinness of the semi-state sector ...its ads tend to be intelligent, stylish ... drawing on past and present, the (Networks TV) ad paints a vivid picture of the network that is the basis of ESB's future". EM
