At Clean Energy Ambassadors' New Marketing Solutions Workshop, we talked about Project Porchlight, a community-based social marketing program that started in New Jersey. The idea was based on the simple fact that nothing succeeds like success. If people could have one good experience upgrading their energy efficiency, they would be likely to do more.

Credit: SaskPower

At our workshop, one community participant who works with landlords citywide said he would like to work with the utility on this one: Why not see if all rental housing could change standard porch lights to energy-efficient CFLs? Fall is the perfect time to change porchlights and energy habits.

The original Project Porchlight campaign used community volunteers to go door-to-door and reach nearly all residential customers. They also shared other energy-saving tips and information on utility programs. Following the model provided at our workshop, we can guess this program works because

1) It uses neighbors--who are easy to like--as the messengers

2) It creates an equitable trade--we give you a light bulb, so you will use it

3) It presents energy efficiency as a social norm

Project Porchlight has been so successful that it has been adopted in 900 communities nationwide so far. Evaluations of these programs indicate that participants are far more likely to  purchase CFLs than are non-participants. In one study Project Porchlight visits were one of the most effective ways to promote the utility's refrigerator recycling program... and at another utility, public attitudes about the utility improved by about one-third.

The project has also spurred follow-up campaigns that take a step-by-step approach to improving our communities and reducing utility wholesale energy bills. See One Change for more information (and inspiration!).