Smart Energy GB Appoints M/Six to Oversee Media Planning and Buying

Smart Energy GB, the government-backed campaign helping everyone in Britain to understand the importance of smart meters and their benefits, has appointed M/Six to handle its media planning and buying business, following a competitive pitch.  

Chris Taggart, director of marketing, Smart Energy GB, said: “We are at a turning point in the smart meter roll out. We’ve converted half the population to the benefits of smart meters, but we need to keep finding ever more sophisticated ways to persuade the rest of the country. We’ve found the right partner in M/Six to help  us deliver the communications model necessary to engage the many diverse audiences that lie ahead.  We have had a very strong and productive relationship with our outgoing agency PHD and would like to say a huge thank you to them for all their work over the past 7 years.”

M/Six’s brief will be to deploy an increasingly segmented and targeted approach to all communications, including significant levels of broadcast media, to encourage installations of smart meters, and also help installed customers better understand and control their energy use, via their smart meter in-home display.

Victoria Bickle, chief client officer at m/SIX said: “We are delighted to be partnering with the Smart Energy team, to champion a cause that couldn’t be more timely and relevant right now.  Smart Energy GB face a unique challenge and we are excited to pioneer a new approach to media with them; one that will take them further, faster in achieving their targets and so help deliver Britain’s commitments to Net Zero.”

The review of Smart Energy GB’s media agency requirements was through MediaSense, and supported by media consultant, Nick Manning.  

PHD, Essence and the7stars also took part in the pitch process at the end of 2021.   PHD’s sister Omnicom agency, Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO, who manage Smart Energy GB’s advertising, has not been affected by this review.

There are currently over 26.4 million smart and advanced meters installed in homes and microbusinesses across Great Britain, helping customers to better manage their energy use.