Case Study: NRG Energy improves ad performance and brand creative with UserTesting

How NRG Home and Reliant used human insight to refine their company mascot and revise ad campaigns before publishing them

NRG Energy worked with UserTesting to improve key creative assets, including the development of its popular mascot Hugo and the messaging in its “Agent Hugo” advertising. Early feedback showed that Hugo’s original design felt too lifelike, and that viewers had trouble following the storyline and special offers in the ad.

Using UserTesting, NRG Energy gathered participant feedback and refined Hugo to be more cartoonish and approachable, while also editing the ad for clarity before launch. The changes paid off: the final “Agent Hugo” ad scored 19% higher than a competitor’s ad tested against it, showing measurable improvement from UserTesting’s insights.

NRG Energy

Elizabeth Killinger

President