Hurricane Harvey relief support may drive retailer customer growth
and loyalty

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Ten Texas retail electric providers (REPs) are designated Most Trusted
Brands among 52 REPs measured in research published today. The research
also links brand trust to greater REP market share. Half of all
customers in the Texas market would prefer to do business with these
most trusted brands and 40% of the customers of the most trusted
retailers would stay with their provider even if they could save money
by switching.

Building customer trust in their brands is especially important for
Texas REPs today as the state recovers from the impacts of Hurricane
Harvey. Community and customer-focused activities have twice as much
impact on building REPs’ brands than offering competitive rates, so
their relief support activities will not only be appreciated by Texans
but rewarded with business success.

These findings are from the Cogent
Reports™ 2017 Texas Retail Electric Provider Brand Trust study
offered by Market Strategies International. The study measures brand
trust among Texas REPs by surveying electric consumers and benchmarking
providers based upon a Brand Trust index score that is derived from
measuring nine unique factors. The study’s overall Brand Trust index
stands at 720 (on a maximum 1,000-point scale), an increase of only one
point from last year.

“Our study clearly indicates that retail electric provider customer
acquisition and retention is strongly tied to their outreach efforts,”
said Chris Oberle, senior vice president at Market Strategies. “The
bottom line is Texans want their retailer to support them and their
community during this time of need and REPs who answer that call will be
rewarded with greater customer trust and long-term business success.”

The 2017 Most Trusted Texas Retail Electric Provider Brands among the 52
providers covered in the study are shown below.

Top 10 Most Trusted Texas Retail Electric Provider Brands
4Change Energy	Green Mountain Energy
Ambit Energy	Just Energy
Amigo Energy	StarTex Power
Bounce Energy	Stream Energy
CPL Retail Energy	TXU Energy

Market Strategies International is assisting Hurricane Harvey relief
efforts through a donation to JJ Watt’s relief fund on YouCaring.com.

About the Texas Retail Electric Provider Brand Trust Study

The study measures Brand Trust among all Texas retail electric providers
by surveying 5,881 customers and scoring 52 providers based upon a
data-driven brand trust model. The Brand Trust model comprises nine
factors: community support, customer focus, communications
effectiveness, environmental dedication, local reputation, reliable
quality, competitive rates, enhanced offerings, and billing and customer
service. The study collects a demographically representative sample
across all Texas service territories open for retail electric
competition.

Market Strategies will supply the exact wording of any survey questions
upon request.

About Market Strategies International

Market
Strategies International is a leading provider of research and
consulting services to utility management, trusted by the world’s most
successful organizations to help them thrive. We blend primary research
with data from our syndicated, benchmarking and self-funded studies to
provide clients with exceptional research insight that helps solve their
challenges. Our research specialties include brand, communications, CX,
product development and segmentation. Our syndicated products, known as
Cogent Reports, help clients understand the market environment, explore
industry trends and monitor their brand within the competitive
landscape. Founded in 1989, Market Strategies is one of the largest
market research firms in the world. Read Market Strategies’ blog at FreshMR,
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and LinkedIn.

Contacts

Market Strategies International
Anne Denz, 617.715.7611
[email protected]