British Gas Attempts to Repair Tarnished Brand Reputation
Following a significant amount of negative media in recent weeks, British Gas is set to ramp up its marketing activity in order to restore brand confidence.
The utilities company infuriated consumers when it reported a £1.26bn profit in the six months to June, while at the same time announcing a double digit percentage hike in the cost of its services.
Last week, it was also fined £2.5m by Ofcom for the way it had mishandled customer complaints.
According to YouGov's Brand Index, which measures the public perception of brands, British Gas scored -51.28 yesterday - this figure shows a decrease in popularity of 9.03 points from the last week. Even at its highest rating this year of -4.3 in March, its score was well below its rivals.
A spokeswoman for British Gas responded: "We [recognise] that, as a British company serving almost half the homes in Britain, we have a responsibility and an opportunity to help customers understand the issues around energy now and in the future. That's why we're at the forefront of getting energy technologies and efficiency measures into our customers' homes - and we'll continue to deliver communications that help people understand what's on offer, what British Gas can do to help, and how customers can keep control of energy use in their homes and businesses."