Abstract
One of the key challenges in marketing (green) electricity is overcoming customer inertia. Recent insights from behavioral economics suggest that in the context of long-term decision making, this leads to a situation where consumers do not make the choices that are best for society or, in fact, their own long-term interest. Nudging consumers to more environmentally friendly decisions by introducing a green default may be an effective way out of this dilemma. This chapter reports on marketing research that was done with customers of a Swiss electric utility ahead of the introduction of a green default, combining eye tracking, choice tasks, and interviews. We also report on the successful implementation of the research results, which led to a significant increase in revenues available for investment in new renewable energy facilities, and discuss implications for communication, marketing, and organizational dynamics.
This chapter is a translated and revised version of an article first published in German: Chassot, S, Wüstenhagen, R, Fahr, N, Graf, P. 2013. Wenn das grüne Produkt zum Standard wird. Wie ein Energieversorger seinen Kunden die Verhaltensänderung einfach macht. Organisations Entwicklung, 3, 80–87.
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Notes
- 1.
Whereas Germany has decided to phase out all nuclear power plants by 2022, the precise date in Switzerland is still subject to debate.
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Chassot, S., Wüstenhagen, R., Fahr, N., Graf, P. (2017). Introducing Green Electricity as the Default Option. In: Herbes, C., Friege, C. (eds) Marketing Renewable Energy. Management for Professionals. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-46427-5_6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-46427-5_6
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