I can’t tell you quite when it started, but over the past few years, I’ve noticed a background hum about Octopus Energy. What began as a few word-of-mouth compliments, slowly built up into an almost cult-like status for, of all things, an energy supplier.

“This is a sign”, I thought, to ditch my own eternally disappointing national supplier and join the big pink Octopus.

It’s from this point on as a customer, that I witnessed the well-armed Octopus CRM strategy that helped get so many people, including myself, talking - and this is how they’ve nailed it.

Effective branding

Far from being as utilitarian as you’d expect from a utility company, Octopus’ branding is fun and playful - with zero opportunities missed for an octopus-related pun. For example, you can collect Octopoints in the Octoplus reward scheme and spend them at the Shoptopus(!) store.

This easy-going branding and user experience is consistently present throughout their website and services. Everything is laid out thoughtfully making the confusing world of energy tariffs more bearable and dare I say, enjoyable? This branding runs through all Octopus CRM channels making them instantly recognisable via website, email, direct mail and app.

Octopus’ branding is fun and simple

A unique rewards program

The Octopus rewards program - Octoplus - has a wide range of benefits, but two have really stood out for me.

The Wheel of Fortune

Reading an energy meter might not top anyone’s to-do list, but your reward for facing damp, spider-filled cupboards is a spin on Octopus’ Wheel of Fortune.

Each month, your meter reading earns you a spin to win Octopoints, which can be exchanged for discounts on your bill or vouchers to spend at the Shoptopus store.

This reward incentive is a great way for Octopus to collect all-important meter readings for billing in addition to collecting data for their CRM team.

Granted - I’ve never won big, but this 'wheel of fortune' still motivates me 😅 And there's no escape from an octo-pun opportunity - including this fanbase-building merch.

Saving Sessions

Saving Sessions is a great example of Octopus’ innovation in the energy market and provides another unique opportunity to gamify both their marketing efforts and CRM messages. When the UK energy grid is under pressure, Octopus will pay you to use less energy within a short window of time. The nature of these sessions means they occur at short notice, so Octopus uses a multi-channel CRM notification strategy to let customers know when they can participate.

You can choose to receive notifications via email, SMS, or WhatsApp, alerting you to the start of the next Savings Session window, along with a live countdown on the Octopus website. Following each session, you'll receive a notification indicating whether you used less energy within the window, earning points to save on your next bill.

In giving customers a choice regarding their preferred method of communication, Octopus is meeting customers where they already spend their time and the last-minute nature of these updates makes for more engaging content.1.

1. A countdown to the next Saving Session - everyone loves a countdown, right?

2. An email alerting you of an upcoming Saving Session

3. You’ll know how well you did after the Saving Session too

Plus, you’ll get newsletters letting you know how everyone did collectively

A clear brand identity

A consistent brand look and feel is a prerequisite for any CRM program. It includes having a logo and basic design elements for your communications, website, and products - so far so simple.

However, something more elusive for companies is working out your own unique identity and making this recognisable amongst your customers. This is something Octopus do swimmingly - and will play a big part in their aforementioned “cult-like” status. As a customer, I know what they are about, the things they stand for, and also feel part of a community.

Octopus goes the extra mile by letting customers know that they…

Genuinely care about renewables and are a 100% green electricity supplier

• Side note - My previous “big 6” supplier hid green tariffs away and were more expensive

• Are at the forefront of innovation with genuinely new and unique products including:

  • Automatically scheduling electric vehicle charging so you get the cheapest rate

  • Giving you free electricity when there’s an excess being generated

• Have unique reward programs

  • Wheel of Fortune

  • Saving Sessions

If providing these innovative services is half the battle, the other half is successfully communicating them to your customers. This is something that Octopus does incredibly well, evident in their noticeable word-of-mouth following from customers.

Do you want your CRM efforts to get people talking? Reach out here to ActionRocket and see how our specialist team of strategists, coders, designers and copywriters can help!