“But we are going to sell via bidding on a tender, why do we need online marketing?” A frequently asked question, when thinking of digital marketing in the power sector. The simple answer to it is that for the process of getting to that tender, to be evaluated next to the competitors on the bid requires a carefully choreographed marketing strategy, and digital marketing is a big part of it. How? Let’s discuss.
Energy transition, despite the recent headwinds, has driven an enormous growth in the power grid infrastructure requirements. This has meant that the demand for legacy electrical equipment like transformers and switchgear is through the roof. But the demand for other innovative solutions like DERMS, ADMS, Digital Substations has also increased manifold to address the key challenges associated with energy transition (intermittency, voltage/frequency regulation, etc.). Most of these solutions highlight complicated systems, with hundreds of customizable features that address the utility (end customer) problems in unique ways.
Customers today want to be educated about these solutions, often before they want to take a sales meeting where the solution and its features can be pitched. Research shows that educated consumers are 131% more likely to convert than those who are not educated. This makes having thorough online marketing content, especially educational material that highlights the challenges and the impact of your solutions, extremely important. This is further complicated by the international scope of the electrical infrastructure business, where suppliers and customers are frequently based in different countries. Educating your customers on your solutions and how they address their problems needs to happen remotely, at least in the initial phases of customer journey as they start to explore solutions.
Educating your customers on your solutions and how they address their problems needs to happen remotely, at least in the initial phases of customer journey as they start to explore solutions.
The other element is getting that first meeting with the prospects. If you are selling via tenders you must start the vendor approval process for them to consider or evaluate your product. To get that meeting, your brand works before you. If your prospect is already aware of your brand and what you offer, it is much easier to land that meeting for sales than it is if you do not have that brand equity.
One thing to note is that a strong brand image is not necessarily correlated with being the largest or the oldest company in the industry. A lot of what your brand image is, essentially, reflects your company’s reputation in the market. Even as a small, young company, you can build a very strong brand image, and examples of that are many in the power sector in recent years.
From thought leadership-focused content to case studies that demonstrate your expertise, all help establish you to make you a strong brand in the eyes of your prospects and customers, leading to easier sales process for your sales team.
Building your brand also requires a focus on online marketing and needs to be a core focus of your marketing strategy. From thought leadership-focused content (whitepapers, webinars, podcasts) to case studies that demonstrate your expertise, all help establish you to make you a strong brand in the eyes of your prospects and customers, leading to a (relatively) easier sales process for your sales team.
Generally, in the B2B space, including our sector, there is skepticism around the value of digital marketing. Many leaders might view it as unnecessary, convinced that B2B buying decisions are predominantly driven by logic and long-term relationships. In early stages, up to a certain revenue, companies can experience growth through word-of-mouth and a strong sales team. However, as a business matures, and companies target new products and new markets as a way to grow, they hit an inflection point where the growth plateaus if not coupled with a comprehensive marketing strategy.
In our sector, today, if you do not want to miss out on strong market growth, having a strong online marketing plan in place is not a choice, it is a must, especially if you are thinking of international expansion.
Great marketing will help you educate prospects and customers about your portfolio, build your brand awareness, strengthen your existing customer relationships, build the credibility of your solutions and ultimately result in a sustainable revenue growth. If you plan to do that, we’ll leave you with this thought:
The decision makers in the electrical infrastructure sector are the same individuals being targeted by B2C brands. In reality, it shouldn’t surprise us that B2B marketing works in a similar way to B2C marketing; after all, B2B buyers are people too. While decisions in the B2B space are rooted in logic and ROI considerations, B2B marketing doesn’t need to be descriptive and boring. Here’s some truth: “Creativity drives results”. In fact, the B2B Marketing Benchmark report shows that 88% of CMOs are advocating for bolder, creative campaigns. Strong storytelling and emotional resonance, combined with great creatives, still offer a powerful way to differentiate your brand in front of the same decision-makers and let you stand out. Want to know how? That’s a conversation for another editorial.
Hassan Zaheer is the Managing Partner & COO at PTR Inc., a specialized growth advisory firm helping companies in the electrical infrastructure space with their market intelligence and marketing needs. With more than a decade of experience in the energy transition space, Hassan advises various Fortune-500 and blue-chip clients in the power sector to sustainably grow their businesses, through custom advisory work, marketing support services, and tailored market intelligence, typically helping their executive management and boards to make data-driven decisions. Hassan is also a Member of the Advisory Board for CWIEME Berlin and MENA EV Show, part of the Executive Editorial Board of APC Media, and an advisor to the educational non-profit Better Humans Academy.
Sundus Mumtaz serves as the PR & Strategic Communications Lead at PTR Inc., responsible for managing communications, and public relations initiatives to ensure the company’s messaging resonates within the global energy sector. With over six years of experience in PR, branding, and communications, she has a strong background in crafting impactful narratives across industries like energy and consulting. Sundus holds a Master’s in Marketing from Quaid-e-Azam University and is skilled at navigating high-stakes environments to deliver communications that connect with diverse audiences.
