Effective consumer engagement is critical as cooperatives work to strengthen their relevance in our changing industry. Early co-op experience with consumer segmentation suggest that investment in tools and techniques to deepen understanding of consumer needs and preferences can pay off in increased levels of engagement, including higher participation in co-op offerings. This advisory highlights the preliminary lessons learned from two co-ops already using consumer segmentation, and provides details on a new NRECA project to explore a variety of approaches to segmentation, how available data can be turned into actionable assets, and how the effectiveness of investments in segmentation can be measured.
