User Research
AB Testing
User Interviews
Building Evidence for an Energy Giant’s India Reward Programme
Over several months
We ran three distinct research studies for an international energy giant.
These studies were mapping the electrician rewards and loyalty landscape, andnthey shaped how the company understood its own market.
My Role
Researcher
Team
Timeline
3 Months
Overview
The question we were finding answers to was about loyalty. We wanted to know how to build a reward and partner program that would meaningfully engage Indian electricians, a market the client had limited behavioural data on.
PHASE 1 - A/B Testing the Partner App
Understanding electrician preference through types of reward programs
40
participants
5 weeks
duration
Approach
Targeted Sampling
A/B Testing
Data Analysis
THEMES THAT EMERGED
PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK
3
of 5 preferred
Design B
Intuitive navigation, clear layout
Business-oriented dashboard
Quick access to earnings & offers
Intelligent search & personalisation
Business-focused over product-centric
2
of 5 preferred
Design A
Enhanced financial clarity
Retailer-centric design
Profit margins clearly visible
Accounting beyond invoices
Direct access to product updates
→ PHASE 2
The 3–2 split wasn't a landslide — it was a signal. Two user orientations had emerged. And the conversations kept circling back to questions a design test alone couldn't answer: why do electricians trust (or distrust) programs like this?
PHASE 2 -Quantitative Study
Understanding the Indian Electrician Reward and Preferences Landscape
40
5 weeks
duration
Approach
Targeted Sampling
Thematic Analysis
Recurring themes + motivations
Quantitative Tallying
Preferred rewards, fee willingness
Newer vs experienced electricians
Contextual Interpretation
Cultural & economic factors
Thematic Analysis:
Quantitative Elements:
Tallied responses to specific questions (e.g., preferred rewards, willingness to pay fees) to understand majority views.
Comparative Analysis:
Compared responses based on experience levels to identify differing needs (e.g., newer vs. experienced electricians)
Contextual Interpretation:
Interpreted findings within the specific context of electricians in India, noting cultural and economic factors.
WHAT THE RESEARCH FOUND
↓
Practical value over status
Tool discounts & skills training beat recognition every time
⚠
Trust is the real barrier
Past programs that didn't pay out haunt every new program
◎
Accessibility gap
Language + digital literacy exclude a large chunk of the audience
$
Economics matter
Fee-based entry limits adoption before it starts
∞
Holistic framing wins
Rewards + support together, not as separate tracks
→ PHASE 3
The landscape data was rich. But it revealed a structural problem: the app was built assuming electricians buy directly from the manufacturer. 40 interviews made clear they don't — they go through resellers. The reward loop was broken before it started.
PHASE 3 — Usability Testing
Driving Loyalty: Electrician Perspectives on Reward Programs
12
participants
2 weeks
duration
WHAT ELECTRICIANS WANT
★
Peer Recognition
★
Dealer Trust
Loyalty runs through the dealer relationship — the manufacturer brand is secondary.
★
Skills Training
★
Tool Discounts
Direct savings on daily purchases. Immediate economic value is the clearest motivator.
WHY THE PROGRAMME STRUGGLED
Electricians don't purchase directly from the corporation — they go through shopkeepers and dealers. The programme was designed around a purchase flow that doesn't reflect how the market actually works.
Thematic relevance (EV, Solar, Home Automation) was good, but not part of everyday work for all.
Corporation
Manufactures &
designs programme
Dealer
Shopkeeper
Electrician
Programme target
(actual buyer)
findings that held across every phase
What the Research Revealed
The supply chain IS the loyalty channel.
Electricians don't buy from the corporation, they buy from shopkeepers, who buy from dealers. Any programme that bypasses this chain will fail at the point of redemption.
3
intermediaries between brand and electrician
Training is the universal currency.
Across all studies and all electrician profiles, skill development ranked above cash rewards, recognition, and discounts. Electricians want to become better, the programme that helps them do that wins.
#1
desired reward across all age groups
Digital access is not a given.
App-based loyalty assumes literacy, smartphones, and connectivity. Roughly 40% of the target audience lacks comfortable access to at least one of these. The digital channel is an opportunity, not a default.
~40%
of users face digital access barriers
Trust must precede adoption.
Past programmes that didn't deliver created lasting scepticism. Electricians screen new programmes through trusted intermediaries — especially dealers. If the dealer doesn't believe in it, no one will.
Holistic framing closes the loop.
When rewards were framed as "support for your career and livelihood" — not just discounts or points — engagement intent was significantly higher. The positioning matters as much as the benefit.
The findings directly informed a programme restructure: shifted away from app-only to a hybrid model, introduced dealer-led onboarding, and reframed the value proposition around career growth — not just rewards.