Energy suppliers receive some of the highest response rates on BrandIndex - the problem for the brands is that most of these responses are negative, due to the companies' relentless rounds of price hikes.
However, consumers' negative attitudes have started to shift as competing firms introduce price drops. To differentiate itself from its rivals, Npower launched a new advertising campaign on 28 March, featuring family favourites Wallace & Gromit.
In the ad, Wallace runs down from the shower to ask Gromit to turn the heat up. As Wallace reaches the bottom of the staircase, an Npower engineer enters the house to fit a new boiler - and the final voiceover notes that the firm "only fits energy- efficient boilers", which could save customers up to £275 a year.
The accompanying chart shows the positive impact that both the price cuts, announced on 16 March, and the ad campaign have had on the Npower brand.
When the price drop was announced, Npower had a value- for-money score of -16, while the buzz and recommend scores for the brand were both -9.
Following the news of the price cut, Npower's buzz rating improved to -7 by 20 March, although its value-for-money scores remained at -16 and its recommend scores dipped slightly to -10.
When the ad first aired, the buzz score for the brand was -7, its value-for-money scores had dropped to -17, and its recommend scores remained at -10.
However, after the campaign had been running for a month, Npower's scores peaked. On 30 April, its buzz and recommend scores had reached -5, while its value-for-money scores had improved to a peak of -13.
What makes these results interesting for Npower is that the brand's mind share - the amount of positive and negative responses over time - has remained fairly stable. This suggests scores have improved as a result of the perception of the brand changing, rather than as a result of increased levels of awareness.
Although Npower's main rival, British Gas, enjoyed a greater uplift in its buzz scores when it announced price cuts, npower can take solace in the positive reception to its latest ad campaign. However, with the recession set to prompt further price cuts, Npower will have to continue to work hard to remain ahead of British Gas.
METHODOLOGY: YouGov interviews 2,000 people each weekday to form its BrandIndex, a daily measure of public perception of more than 1,100 consumer brands across 32 sectors. It is measured on a seven-point profile:
1. Buzz
2. General impression
3. Quality
4. Value
5. Satisfaction
6. Recommend
7. Corporate reputation.
In addition, we supply an index score.
www.brandindex.co.uk
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