Climate / Community
Mindworks’ Serbia initiative focused on helping CUZS engage existing and potential prosumers using emotional and behavioural insights. The work explored how uncertainty, perceived complexity and social trust shape decisions about installing solar panels, and how tailored communication and peer-based experiences can help people feel more confident taking the next step.
The project combined audience insight work (AAM, constituency questionnaire, responsive monitor), two tailored capacity-building workshops, live message-testing campaigns, online information sessions and Solar Host field visits. Together, these activities enabled CUZS to understand its audience more clearly, develop evidence-based communication, and test what truly resonates with prospective prosumers.
Partnership: CUZS – Environment Improvement Centre (Serbia)
We began with understanding how people feel about becoming prosumers: their hesitations, fears of making a wrong financial decision, and confusion around administrative steps. These emotional insights formed the basis for personas and an engagement funnel that shaped the full communication process.
Our approach combined three layers:
1. Audience Insight and Personas
Using AAM findings, the constituency questionnaire and responsive monitor data, we identified the emotional and practical barriers that most influence Serbian prosumers. These insights informed clear personas and behavioural pathways that guided all outreach choices.
2. Emotional and Behavioral Message Testing
A two-round live campaign tested which messages built trust, generated clicks and motivated sign-ups. Simpler, reassurance-based narratives strongly outperformed technical or climate-focused framing. The campaign directly increased participation in CUZS’ second information session.
3. Peer-Based Learning
Solar Host visits enabled participants to meet real prosumers, ask practical questions and hear authentic experiences. These conversations validated earlier insights and showed the power of relatable stories in reducing uncertainty.
Throughout, MW provided tailored capacity building — including workshops on social norms, personas and campaign planning — giving CUZS the tools to apply emotional and behavioural insights in practice.
- Solar Host Visit Participant
Tags: Climate, Community
Date:
2024 – 2025
Location:
Serbia
Approach:
Behavioural insight / message testing / capacity building
Issue:
Prosumer engagement and trust-building
Collaboration:
CUZS – Environment Improvement Centre
Tools Used:
AAM Serbia insights, constituency questionnaire, responsive monitor, personas and funnel, behavioural message testing, Solar Host visits
