At REACH Strategies, we’ve seen firsthand how transformative new technologies can be. But we’ve also seen how often those technologies struggle to take root, not because they don’t work, but because people simply don’t know about them or don’t fully understand what they offer.
When it comes to electrification, awareness and understanding are two of the most persistent challenges we encounter.
You can install a network of EV chargers, offer generous incentives, or build the cleanest, smartest infrastructure on the planet. But if the communities you’re serving don’t know it exists—or don’t see how it fits into their lives—adoption will stall.
That’s why strategic communication isn’t a secondary task. It’s foundational.
Too often, public engagement occurs at the end of a project, rather than being an integral part of the rollout. We believe in flipping that script. When community members are brought in early, when information is shared clearly and consistently, and when education efforts are grounded in real-world language and concerns, the impact is not only deeper, it lasts longer.
The solution starts with empathy. People need to see how new technologies can benefit them in ways that feel relevant, achievable, and aligned with their day-to-day lives. They need to hear from trusted messengers and see real examples—not just data points.
REACH helps our partners meet these challenges head-on. Through hands-on engagement, co-branded campaigns, community events, and storytelling that centers lived experience, we build the kind of awareness that leads to real understanding, and ultimately, real change.
As we explore more of the common challenges facing electrification and innovation efforts, we’ll continue to come back to this: solutions don’t succeed without people. And people need to be seen, heard, and supported at every step.
Let’s start there.
For years, open rates have been the default metric for measuring success in email marketing. However, as privacy updates, auto-opening features, and shifting digital behaviors have made this number less reliable, organizations must ask a more challenging question: What truly signals that customers are engaged?
The truth is, open rates are just the tip of the iceberg. Real engagement lives in the actions people take after (and sometimes well before) an email is ever opened. Here are the metrics that actually tell the story:
Click-Through Rates (CTR)
A click signals that your content sparked enough curiosity or value for someone to take the next step. Beyond the overall CTR, pay attention to which links people click most often. These insights reveal what topics resonate, what formats capture attention, and where your audience is ready to go deeper.
Conversion Rates
Clicks alone don’t always mean much if they don’t lead to action. Whether the goal is a webinar sign-up, a resource download, or a product purchase, conversion rates reveal the actual return on your outreach. Tracking conversions over time also helps identify which messages drive not just traffic, but meaningful outcomes.
Engagement Time
Engagement doesn’t end when someone lands on your website. How long do they stay on the page you directed them to? If visitors bounce quickly, your email may be overpromising or misaligned. If they stay and explore, you know you’ve struck the right balance between messaging and value delivery.
Reply Rates & Forwarding
In community-driven industries like clean energy and electrification, replies and forwards are gold. A response means your message was personal enough to invite conversation. A forward means your content was valuable enough to be shared. Both reflect trust and advocacy, metrics that open rates can never capture.
Multi-Channel Lift
Authentic engagement often shows up outside the inbox. Do email recipients show up at your events, follow your organization on social media, or engage with your programs later? Connecting email campaigns with broader data sources (like CRM records or event signups) provides a fuller picture of how email supports your overall strategy.
The shift away from open rates is an opportunity. It pushes us to measure success not by vanity metrics, but by how well we build relationships, inspire action, and strengthen communities.
At REACH Strategies, we believe engagement is about more than clicks and conversions; it’s about connection. By focusing on the metrics that reflect real value and impact, organizations can tell richer stories and create deeper trust with their audiences.
Want to talk more to us about our unique and proven approach? Reach out!
