The energy impact party: using social proof to drive energy efficiency
Air sealing and insulation are high-impact but invisible home upgrades. Unlike flashy kitchen remodels, they don’t impress the neighbors, making them easy to ignore. Traditional mass media campaigns failed to drive adoption because they didn’t address real customer barriers — lack of understanding, perceived complexity, and low social motivation.
My solution
I designed the Energy Impact Party, an interactive, community-driven approach that leveraged social proof to drive action.
Hands-on demonstrations – Contractors used infrared cameras and blower doors at live home energy assessments, making the benefits immediate and tangible.
Neighbor-to-neighbor influence – Homeowners invited their community, creating a bandwagon effect as they saw their peers react positively.
Host-driven momentum – Neighbors and friends who attended often became future hosts, organically scaling the movement.
Win-win for contractors – Free assessments were highly effective in converting leads, making the model sustainable without mass advertising.
The result
650 hosted parties, 1,000+ community meetings in one year
6,000+ energy assessments and 3,600 retrofits, leading to $15M+ in energy savings
Beyond measurable impact – The model scaled organically, with additional home retrofits occurring beyond what we could track.
National adoption – Other cities have since replicated this approach.
Customers don’t take action just because something is logical—they need to see it, feel it, and see others doing it. By shifting the focus from information to experience, I transformed home energy efficiency from a boring “should-do” into a contagious social movement.