Docket No. E-100 Sub 90
Advanced Energy NC GreenPower Program Plan Page 8 of 10
Marketing
The marketing program consists of two levels of marketing campaigns. NC GreenPower will
be responsible for a statewide public awareness and education campaign designed to inform
citizens about the program and to encourage them to participate. NCGP will seek outside
initial funding for the marketing campaign and will ultimately be funded by program proceeds
and other contributions.
The second layer of the campaign will be the task of each of the participating utilities and is
designed to inform their customers how to participate. Each utility will design and fund its
own campaign to be coordinated with NCGP. Messages will be developed that utilities can
use to co-brand the program in their own campaigns. It is expected but not mandatory that
these utility campaigns will be coordinated with the statewide awareness campaign in order to
maximize the marketing efforts of each.
The marketing campaign will target different groups, with different materials and messages
for each. Communications to these groups will include a “core” NCGP message, but will be
tailored to the motivations and information needs of that particular group. The format of the
message is important to ensure that it can be easily passed along.
While the two products being offered are now referenced as the “mass-market product” and
the “large volume product,” they will be formally named before being marketed.
The target groups include large corporations, which will be approached early with an
opportunity to act as endorsers of the program. They will be urged to participate in the NCGP
program as well as promote the program to their employees. Other targets include government
agencies; colleges, universities and other institutions; commercial and industrial customers;
residential customers; environmental/consumer advocate groups; and school children.
Three key messages have been developed as the basis for the marketing campaign: Green
power is good for the environment, it provides customers with a renewable choice, and it
accelerates the development of new clean energy technologies and industries.
The statewide awareness campaign will take advantage of all free and inexpensive sources of
publicity, as well as affordable utilization of all media. Industrial and commercial
organizations can qualify to use a symbol that indicates their participation.
Market research exists that will help with the development of the marketing plan. Most of
these studies focus on the demographics of participants in green power programs. NCGP may
do further market research to determine what motivates people to participate and also what
prevents them from participating.