Impact of social marketing on demand side management (April 2017)

One of the recommendations by the National Electricity Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) is to consider behavioural change amongst electricity consumers as a valuable opportunity in demand side management interventions. To influence consumer behaviour change, it takes more than just mere distribution of marketing material. Integrating evidence-based practice, social-behavioural theory, and insights from consumers go a long way in influencing that behaviour change. Education and persuasion can be used as part of a social marketing strategy, however, the importance of human interaction cannot be discounted. The objectives of this research were to investigate the effectiveness of social marketing as a solution to demand side behavioural change amongst electricity consumers in the residential sector, to determine the barriers driving consumer behaviour in relation to saving electricity, as well as understanding the general consumer perception on community based initiatives around energy efficiency. A three pronged research approach, which includes a survey to homeowners, peer group discussion, and collection of secondary data, was employed. And the research findings demonstrate the suitability of social marketing as a tool to change electricity consumers' behaviour. Gated communities have proven to present a near perfect opportunity to roll out a successful community based campaign. In general, society embraces human actions taking place within an environment, and it is on these basis that community based social marketing can thrive and foster sustainable behaviour.