Personalized Videos Boost Financial Assistance Program Enrollment
Challenge:
FirstEnergy was actively seeking ways to further its digital reach with Pennsylvania customers who were eligible for financial assistance programs. The utility’s goal was to maintain recurring communications with its customers and increase the awareness and enrollment in state and federal financial assistance programs.
Solution:
FirstEnergy partnered with Questline Digital to develop a campaign featuring its innovative personalized video solution, SmartVX. The personalized videos use customer data to deliver highly targeted messages that are unique for each viewer.
Questline Digital then deployed a series of emails on FirstEnergy’s behalf, attaching each customer’s personalized video to their email. The initial email was sent to 181,200 customers in February 2024. Follow-up emails were then sent based on customers’ activity and engagement with the initial email.
The SmartVX videos enabled FirstEnergy to deliver relevant, personalized information to customers. The agility of SmartVX allowed individualized information about customers’ prior and current program enrollments to be weaved into their personalized video messages. This not only captured customers’ attention, but also presented them with customized information on additional programs based on their eligibility.
Each video was customized with an introductory mention of a customer’s FirstEnergy operating company, the account holder’s name and information for one or more financial assistance programs that could be a great fit for their needs. Spanish versions were also created to engage with FirstEnergy’s diverse customer base.
Results:
The SmartVX videos proved highly successful. In the first four months of deployment, the videos achieved:
- 70.5% watch rate
- 4,802 call-to-action (CTA) clicks
- 10,413 unique video views
FirstEnergy achieved a 6.2% engagement rate in program enrollments in 2024, resulting in a 2% increase in engagement from the previous year. The SmartVX video campaign played a key role in achieving these outcomes.
About FirstEnergy
FirstEnergy is dedicated to safety, reliability and operational excellence. Headquartered in Akron, Ohio, FirstEnergy’s 10 electric distribution companies form one of the nation’s largest investor-owned electric systems, serving customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York. The company’s transmission subsidiaries operate approximately 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions.
The videos achieved a 70.5% watch rate.
“The process was very straightforward, which greatly facilitated our operations. We particularly appreciated the ability to personalize the content for each of our income-eligible customers, a feature that significantly enhanced the effectiveness of our outreach. The option to provide information in Spanish was a thoughtful addition, allowing us to better serve our customers and foster inclusion. This level of customization has been instrumental in the success of our campaign.”
—Nicole Frankenberry, Assistant Business Analyst, FirstEnergy