Can you really improve consumer preference by improving the design and tonality of your communications? At least three persuasive sources point toward that conclusion: a study from Carnegie Mellon University, which demonstrates how visual impression affects preference, research from Radboud University that shows how humor breaks down resistance… and our own experience with Vectren, a distributor of natural gas.

 Vectren is the distributor of natural gas in southwestern Ohio, but has not been a supplier of it for over five years. Consumers didn’t understand that in this relatively new concept of an “open” market they could choose their gas supplier and potentially benefit from rate competition. Vectren wanted to educate customers on the fact they have the option to select a supplier and a rate plan from a preferred list or allow one to be assigned to them.

 People don’t like to think about confusing subjects, tend to find them boring, and therefore have a tendency to ignore them. The decision was made to break through these barriers by using easy-to-understand information design along with a good dose of unexpected fun. The strategy played out across TV, direct mail, and a new microsite with a light-hearted, consistent explanation of Vectren as a distributor, and Vectren-approved suppliers as easy-to-select choices.

 Visits to the website – with its simple directions for comparing and selecting a supplier – quadrupled within two months.