There is a big shift happening in the way energy and utility companies market themselves. These companies spend about 8 percent of their revenue on marketing services—no different from the average B2B company—but they are faced with new challenges. Most notably, energy and utilities companies in the oil and gas, solar, renewable, green energy and other fields are finding their old practice of Rolodex relationship selling in a call center culture obsolete in the face of modern energy marketing strategies used to attract and retain customers. Those that use content-driven strategies are becoming particularly adept at engaging buyers and providing more value throughout the sales process.

Effective Marketing in the Digital Age Begins with a Great Brand Story

Today, consumers are much more conscious of energy efficiency and consumption. In combination with deregulation, this forces energy and utility companies to re-market themselves as providers of the best energy source, not the only energy source. Monopolistic utilities are an endangered species. Consumers are also increasingly concerned about the source of their energy and its impact on global warming. Consequently, energy and utility companies are reinventing themselves by, for example, investing in new branding and messaging that promise to combat climate change.

The status quo is not tenable. Many traditional energy and utility companies have not re-invented themselves for the digital age, and they are quickly losing ground to new competitors and technologies that are embracing content and inbound marketing techniques. Newer and more forward-thinking energy and utility companies create a brand story that positions their company in a way that evokes an emotional response—something not seen in this sector in at least a hundred years.

Marketing Fundamentals Build on a Natural Sales Advantage

At energy and utility companies, many people who move into marketing leadership roles do so with a sales background. Consequently, basic marketing strategy—research, buyer’s journey mapping and customer personas—may be underdeveloped and underutilized. In 2017, 43 percent of telecommunications and utility companies reported they did little or no channel personalization. Implementing marketing fundamentals, including the use of marketing research to inform business strategy, complements and builds on the natural sales advantage. A few easy-to-implement steps can have an immediate impact.

There are a lot of stereotypes, misinformation and incomplete information surrounding energy sources, their efficiency and their environmental impact. Its more important than ever for energy and utility companies to spend a significant amount of time educating customers before selling to them. Education builds authority, authority builds trust, and trust leads to more loyal customers.

Oil & Gas

The most traditional and prevalent sources of energy have a public relations problem compared to their renewable alternatives, yet oil and gas are among the most efficient and affordable sources of energy and power millions of homes, businesses and vehicles. Solution: Market these benefits while combating the “dirty energy” perception.

Solar

The surge in popularity of solar energy hit a plateau in the past couple of decades, even as the technology kept improving and the cost inched closer to that of oil and gas. Solution: Rekindle the excitement for solar energy while making a convincing case that it makes business sense.

Renewable, Green

With solar getting so much attention, other renewable energy sources have been largely ignored, including wind and algae. Solution: A strong awareness push alongside convincing arguments as to why companies should make the switch for the long run.

Elevation Marketing brings deep, fundamental marketing knowledge to the table to help sales-driven energy and utility executives build trust with consumers interested in the kind of energy they are buying and the affect it has on their bill and the environment.

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