How do you build a brand when competitors offer similar technologies and all promise quality, efficiency, and reliability? For marketing teams in the energy sector, the answer involves much more than a visual identity: it requires understanding the market, working with sales teams, and backing up every promise with concrete experience.
That was one of the main themes of the third marketing special of "It Had to Be Said and It Was Said ," the streaming series by Energía Estratégica , which brought together Christian Caro, from Hoymiles; María Aguilar, from Clenergy; and Elena Cano, from Soltec .
During the conversation, the experts addressed decisions that permeate their daily work: what products to display at an exhibition, how to evaluate their results, when to renew a company's image, and what attributes allow them to stand out to a potential buyer.
Relive the marketing special here:
Trade fairs: between positioning and commercial results
Trade shows account for a significant portion of the marketing budget and, consequently, the expectation of demonstrating results. However, the number of visitors a booth receives is not enough to explain the value of participation.
Cano posed this difficulty with a phrase that summarizes the relationship between brand presence and sales: “I'm not going to sell more trackers because my stand is bigger or prettier.”
According to the Soltec representative, a well-maintained space, a good location, and consistent participation in trade fairs contribute to the market's image. However, its commercial impact cannot always be directly attributed to a single exhibition.
Even a stand with little activity can generate an opportunity that justifies the investment: "If your stand has been practically empty during the fair but a client has come and you have closed a contract, that investment has been worthwhile," he said.
Aguilar offered another perspective: the evaluation criteria also depend on the stage of positioning of each company in a market .
In the case of Clenergy, which is developing its brand recognition in Europe, getting visitors to identify the brand is a step forward, even if not all of them have an immediate intention to buy.
"If he comes back the following year or to another fair, sees me, and already knows me, then I consider it a good sign. I don't know if it's success, but it's a good start," he explained.
Christian agreed on the importance of building brand awareness among those who haven't yet made purchasing decisions. Students visiting a trade show today could become future buyers or advocates for a technology. "Today they're studying, tomorrow they'll have to buy or choose a brand," he noted.
The call for participation, therefore, should be read in conjunction with the quality of the contacts and the objective of each participation: to gain visibility, deepen relationships, or open up business opportunities.
The product as a meeting point with the customer
In addition to attracting visitors, the stand should facilitate relevant conversation. For Christian, that starts with a design that invites people in and allows them to get closer to the solutions on display.
“We need to think about how people will flow. Where will people come from? From the front? From the back? From the sides?” he asked.
His observation points to a decision that precedes any action within the space: how to facilitate access and prevent the design itself from becoming a barrier.
Once inside, the product takes center stage. “People want to see products, they want to see what’s new. And at least have your new products displayed front and center,” he explained.
The ability to examine the equipment is particularly valuable in a sector where many decisions rely on technical specifications and digital presentations. Seeing the product allows you to transform an explanation into a demonstration and raise questions about its application.
At Soltec, Cano noted that the sales team values having a solar tracker—also called a tracker —at trade shows to demonstrate its functionality and robustness. Some buyers, he explained, can only learn about the technology through a screen.
The selection of what is exhibited, in turn, requires internal coordination.
“We have a preliminary meeting with our Product colleagues to see which product we will bring,” explained the Soltec representative.
Clenergy also organizes which solutions will be displayed in its own space and which will be showcased through its distributors. In this way, the stand's content reflects both the available portfolio and the characteristics of the market and the desired visitor profile.
Marketing and sales: a shared strategy
The question “How many sales have you brought me?” , which Elena Cano repeated during the meeting, reflects one of the main demands that the area faces: demonstrating the contribution of the budget to the business.
In business-to-business markets, where a contract can involve multiple contacts and evaluation stages, establishing how much each action contributed is not always easy.
Christian Caro defended the need for marketing and sales to work together. Referring to both areas, he maintained that “they always have to be hand in hand. They're like first cousins, or rather, siblings.”
Aguilar, for his part, noted: "That communication flows between the Sales and Marketing departments is fundamental. As is the communication between Product and Marketing," he said.
This collaboration takes on special importance before an exhibition. Behind the space that welcomes clients are months of planning, supplier coordination, equipment relocation, and unforeseen problem resolution.
“They don’t know everything that goes into setting up an exhibition,” commented the Hoymiles representative, describing the work prior to the opening of a fair.
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Participants shared examples of products delayed in customs and logistical changes that forced them to find alternatives to ensure timely delivery. These situations reveal a less visible dimension of the work: the commercial experience offered by a trade fair also depends on the preparation that makes it possible .
Customer experience as a brand differentiator
The similarity between technological proposals makes the task of differentiating oneself more demanding.
“There are more and more companies, more and more competition, and it seems like we're all doing the same thing, ” Elena acknowledged, referring to the solar tracker market.
During the exchange, the representatives mentioned various attributes on which they build their positioning: the track record and the facilities in operation, the breadth of the portfolio and the recognition achieved in certain product categories.
At Clenergy, Aguilar linked that differentiation with the possibility of meeting different buyer needs.
"First and foremost, we try to differentiate ourselves by being an ally to the client, for any type of project they may have, for any type of installation they may need," he explained.
But the conversation also focused on what happens after the purchase.
“But when problems arise, who will answer for you?” Christian asked, speaking about service, support, and fulfillment of guarantees.
Aguilar emphasized the value of having someone available to assist customers during their preferred time and in their preferred language. The team's approachability and ability to resolve inquiries are integral to the overall experience that becomes associated with a brand.
Elena Cano summarized that criterion from the perspective of the result obtained by the buyer: "In the end, what really matters is the customer experience."
In this sense, after-sales service offers concrete proof of positioning: the supplier's response can reinforce the trust built during the sales process and encourage the customer to choose them again.
Renewing identity without losing recognition
Rebranding was also a topic of discussion at the meeting. Beyond simply updating an aesthetic, it involves deciding which elements represent the company's evolution and which should be preserved.
At Soltec, Elena explained that the logo redesign included an internal debate about keeping the falcon, an element that has been with the company for over a decade and is part of its identity. Her position was to keep it because of the recognition it already had as a symbol of the company.
“If Peugeot doesn’t remove its lion, I won’t remove my bird,” he joked.
The update sought to convey a more technological image without abandoning that highly recognizable emblem, reflecting the company's evolution without forgetting its origins.
At Clenergy, Aguilar explained that the visual evolution accompanied the expansion of the portfolio to include storage and other technological solutions. The simplification of the logo also responded to a practical need: to facilitate its application on different backgrounds and materials.
Visual consistency, however, must coexist with communication tailored to each market.
“What works for you in Spain, for example, may not work for you in Mexico or it may not work for you in Australia,” he warned.
The challenge is to maintain a recognizable identity while simultaneously tailoring the message to the audience and the business context.
The brands highlighted by industry professionals
When asked about companies whose marketing work they value, the guests chose examples that brought up several of the topics of the conversation.
Christian mentioned LONGi , where he previously worked, for the consistency of an identity that, from his perspective, conveys a premium positioning.
“From the colors, everything is very minimalist, nothing is exaggerated, everything is perfectly clean,” he described.
María Aguilar chose Octopus Energy , where she is a customer, for its straightforward service and friendly communication. “Whenever I’ve had a problem, I’ve called and a person has always helped me,” she said.
Elena highlighted Power Electronics for its investment in marketing, its presence at exhibitions and its commitment to the product, clarifying that her assessment focused on the brand work.
The elections show how different ways of building recognition coexist: a consistent visual identity, a sustained presence in the market, and attention that facilitates the relationship with the customer.
Hospitality at the service of the business relationship: Ham, beer and tequila
In a more relaxed segment, the participants also talked about the resources they offer to those who visit their stands: from coffee and beer to products linked to their places of origin, such as ham and Murcian products at Soltec or the tequila that Christian mentioned.
These details are part of the hospitality of an exhibition and can foster a more intimate environment for conversation. Their contribution is integrated into a larger proposition: offering an accessible space, showcasing relevant solutions, and having a team ready to assist visitors.
The opportunity begins when someone approaches. Turning that encounter into a business relationship requires the brand to have a clear value proposition and be able to sustain it after the trade show.
By Emilia Lardizabal
By Florencia Guglielmetti
By Energía Estratégica
