Power to the people - Alan Tattersall CEO uSwitch

by James Quilter Promotions & Incentives 07-Apr-08, 16:40

One person who is optimistic amid the current economic doom and gloom is Alan Tattersall. As chief executive officer of price comparison site uSwitch, he believes companies such as his own will prove a hit with UK consumers trying to escape rising bills.

"My message to consumers is don't moan, do something about it. It's up to consumers to make a difference but they have to act and get off their backsides," Tattersall says. "The average consumer could save £1,500 a year and services are very easy to change."

Heading up a company that specialises in finding the right price for utilities, insurance, telcoms and entertainment, Tattersall is in a position to understand where these markets are heading and what consumers are looking for. By far the biggest change on the horizon is in energy, where the average household is paying more than £1,000 a year and 500,000 people are now officially fuel poor (meaning they spend more than ten per cent of their income on energy).

If this is a pivotal time for uSwitch, the same could be said for Tattersall, who has only been chief executive for a matter of weeks. He has been promoted twice this year, having been product director and then marketing director of the company.

But the decision to replace founder Andrew Salmon as chief executive caught Tattersall on the hop. "I was on holiday in Austria at the time and got a call to come home as there were some changes on the cards. I didn't know I was being promoted until 8pm the next day. Although Andrew has been planning his exit for some time."

Having pushed uSwitch beyond its initial energy remit last year with the introduction of personal finance products, the company's US owners want to focus on customer acquisition in 2008. The company is currently running a recap of its gospel choir campaign to encourage consumers to switch energy, along with a number of promotions for its own brand.

In these price-focused times, it could be said that uSwitch offers brands the ultimate platform for price promotion. It's a suggestion that Tattersall bristles at. "Ours is an impartial service where consumers come free of charge. We're not in the business to promote brands," he says. The company has recently introduced advertising on to relevant parts of the site and admits there can be an uneasy partnership with the brands.

Customers coming to the site are largeley focused on price but Tattersall says brands that believe this is the key to acquisition are suffering from misplaced confidence. "I could show you some very competitive prices out there that are not taken up. It might be they don't have a good brand or service."

Ratings are extremely important for consumers, as is the view of the brand when picking products. The site asks consumers whether they are interested in specific promotions related to the products, and the response has been mixed. A number of utilities have links with the likes of Nectar and ClubCard, but few customers are interested, preferring instead to pick on the basis of price. "Add-on services are more important for financial products like credit cards. But energy companies are doing promotions, like Scottish and Southern with Argos - although there are few out there as robust as Tesco Clubcard and E.On." Promotions will become more important in utilities once consumers become more aware of what they can receive, he says.

Recently, uSwitch has itself turned to promotions as a way of standing out from similar price comparison sites. It is in the process of launching a new system that will send out news alerts to signed-up consumers, informing them about new deals on relevant products. "We have also run our first promotion with Virgin Wines, when customers who switch with us will be given the opportunity to get a free bottle of wine." It is a move the sector could see more of. Rival site Confused.com recently launched a £1 million prize draw for consumers who take up insurance through its site.

In spite of his fighter pilot aspirations (see below), Tattersall's main pastime is golf, which he confesses to playing whenever he can. He is also a former scuba diving instructor, having taught the activity during a year off in the Far East.

For the moment, though, his preoccupation is closer to home and looking at finding ways to bring savings-hungry consumers to his site.

If consumers do decide to look online for more savings, then Tattersall thinks they are likely to turn to uSwitch, which has 40 per cent brand awareness. More than this, the economy could provide the impetus to get British backsides collectively off their seats and looking for better deals.

QUESTIONNAIRE

- If you weren't in your current line of work what would you be doing?

Fighter pilot.

- What is your favourite film and why?

Top Gun - as above.

- What is your most embarrassing moment?

Being asked to do this interview!

- What would you do if you won the lottery?

Learn to fly and buy a plane so I could avoid all those security queues at airports.

CURRICULUM VITAE
2008: CEO uSwitch.com
2004-2008: Chief marketing officer, uSwitch.com
2001-2004: Director, AT Sales & Marketing (own business offering
consultancy services)
1998-2001: Head of acquisition, EDF Energy.