MUMBAI: Dentsu Inc has partnered with Opower Inc, a leader in cloud-based big data platforms for the utility industry. Dentsu will work together with Opower and Opower Japan to further enhance client services as Japan moves toward liberalization of the energy market starting from 2016.
With the liberalization of the retail electricity market starting from April 2016 and that of the retail gas market in 2017, households and small business owners will be able to freely select the power and gas companies they want to use. In countries outside of Japan, where energy market liberalization started much earlier, the increase in the number of businesses entering the market and the diversity of the tariff plans offered were such that the ability to develop marketing communications that closely met consumer needs became an important factor in creating a competitive edge for a utility.
Opower is a leading provider of engagement platforms, and provides services to approximately 100 electric power and gas companies all over the world where markets have already been liberalized. Based on the analysis of big data such as personal power usage data, the company provides personalized energy-saving advice to consumers, and, by improving the cost efficiency of utilities through this feedback, improves the relationship between businesses and customers while supporting the optimization of energy balance.
Dentsu, meanwhile, is already providing a wide variety of solutions such as marketing and promotion services, business development, consulting and IT solutions to a large number of energy-related clients in Japan through its energy sector solutions team DEMS, which was launched in February this year.
By leveraging their mutual strengths, Dentsu and Opower aim to deliver even more sophisticated client services and provide integrated marketing communications services to existing electricity, gas and other energy providers as well as to new market entrants. In addition, the two companies will continue to promote the horizontal development of knowhow for energy businesses outside of Japan while strengthening the localization of Opower’s solutions to meet the needs of consumers in Japan.
Overview of the services provided by the two companies:
(1) Customer acquisition, retention and increased loyalty through big data analysis and energy-saving insights
a. Proposal and implementation of plans that seamlessly and organically link integrated
communication strategies across mass media, PR channels, social media and one-to-one direct channels to subscribers
b. Marketing and outsourcing services in the direct communication business geared toward subscribers
(2) Creation of regional engagement models: The two companies will utilize the power usage data from Opower platform subscribers together with Dentsu’s consumer expertise and data on regional and societal trends to develop new demand-response schemes, regional loyalty point programs and advertising media campaigns for different geographic segments.
