One of the key challenges confronted by many organisations is how to get customers to behave in a way that is more consistent with their objectives. Sometimes this means ‘to consume more’ and sometimes ‘to consume less’. The latter is particularly the case for among others utilities such as energy and water, as well as those involved in the promotion of healthier lifestyles and, the protection of sensitive natural environments. Many approaches have been tried, but to date, little concentrated attention has been given to exploring whether online platforms can bring about the desired behaviours in a more sustained way, that is, over the long-term, and more specifically, without the need for constant organisation-to-customer interaction.

Join researchers Jill Sweeney and Dave Webb as they introduce you to the results of a nationally supported research project involving several industry partners and the development of a dedicated experimental web site designed among others to promote greater self-regulation and customer 2 customer interaction in respect to household energy-saving behaviour.  During the talk they will introduce the wider purpose of the project as well as findings from three related but independent studies.  They will also emphasise design features of the web site that led to greater customer 2 customer interaction and, they will discuss managerial and policy implications that will likely be a relevance to a wider audience beyond those operating in the utilities sector. Indeed, the findings will likely be of relevance to all organisations exploring ways to employ online media platforms to bring about a more sustained change in desired behaviour.