Every day, we use energy as if it were unlimited. But it no longer is. The rapid shift towards electric vehicles, heat pumps and solar panels is pushing the electricity grid to its limits. Cables need upgrading, streets must be dug up, and thousands of additional substations installed, all while the grid has to keep running. Enexis, the grid operator for five Dutch provinces, needed to make the energy transition tangible for millions of customers. Together, we developed 'Full of Energy': a hyper-local, personalised campaign that does not just raise awareness but drives measurable behavioural change. The result? A 4% reduction in peak load, equivalent to 15 megawatts, enough to power 25,000 households.
Hyper-local energy transition campaign with real-time grid data and weather triggers
Full-funnel behavioural change approach from awareness to measurable action
Personalised content delivery based on postcode, season, situation and grid capacity
Multi-year always-on strategy with cost-efficient reuse of creative assets
Proven social impact: 59% behavioural change, 4% peak load reduction, 77M impressions
The challenge
How do you make customers aware of the energy transition, the consequences of an overloaded electricity grid and their own role in it, while creating understanding, preventing frustration and encouraging smarter energy use?
The solution
A real-time, hyper-local and personalised multi-year full-funnel campaign with relevant messages, storylines and media deployment per target group, tailored to season, location and current grid capacity.
Enexis x iO: making the energy transition tangible together
Enexis Netbeheer is the operator of the electricity and gas networks in Groningen, Drenthe, Overijssel, North Brabant and Limburg. The company plays a vital role in the transition to more sustainable energy: building and maintaining networks, transporting energy from solar parks and wind farms to homes and businesses.
Our collaboration with Enexis dates back to 2017, with a strong focus on Enexis.nl and conversion optimisation. Since 2023, we have also become a strategic partner for concept development, content marketing and large-scale advertising campaigns. What started as a smart, cost-efficient multi-year strategy evolved into a proven full-funnel approach with demonstrable social impact, involving almost every discipline within both Enexis and iO.
We've been closely collaborating with iO for 7 years on revamping our website and My Environment. Their team of brand builders gave us the confidence to expand in this highly relevant time.
Why the energy grid needs more than infrastructure investment
Because we all use almost four times as much electricity as we used to, the power grid is creaking and squeaking. Especially at peak times, we face the risk of solar inverters failing, appliances at home not working properly, or even power outages. To renew the power grid, one in three streets in the Netherlands is being dug up, and we are also having to wait longer and longer for an electricity connection.
But the grid itself is not the only challenge. Our own behaviour plays an equally important role. Using energy more intelligently makes an immediate difference. Enexis needed to communicate this reality: creating understanding, preventing frustration, and stimulating smarter use of the grid. Not through a one-off explainer video, but through a sustained, strategic approach.
How to build a full-funnel campaign with hyper-local targeting for energy providers
Together with Enexis, we developed a multi-year strategy that reaches different audiences and demonstrably contributes to both behavioural change and cost savings. The umbrella concept, 'Full of Energy', introduces four characters: Eric (an engineer) and three customers, Kim, Jamal and Maaike. Each experiences the energy transition in their own way, showing the role Enexis plays at home, on the street and at work.
The campaign architecture consists of multiple layers:
Always-on HERO layer: Broad awareness and peak communication
Seasonal campaigns: Addressing voltage issues during specific periods
Situational campaigns: Roadworks notifications and waiting time communication
See, Think & Do layers: Awareness, consideration, deepening and actual smarter use of the grid
Through SEA, social, display, video, audio, DOOH and branded content, Enexis reaches customers at exactly the right moment, supported by data from the maintenance calendar, postcode checker and customer service.
How to use real-time grid data and weather triggers for personalised energy campaigns
A failing solar inverter, flickering lights, roadworks outside your home or longer waiting times for a heavier connection: the last thing we want is to overwhelm people with every possible issue. Not everyone experiences the energy transition at the same time, so we communicate only when it is relevant.
Based on postcode, real-time grid load, maintenance planning and even weather conditions, we determine who sees which message:
Is the sun shining? We activate communication about peak loads caused by solar panels.
Are streets being dug up? Residents are informed before and during the works.
DOOH screens are used only in neighbourhoods scheduled for grid upgrades, based on the maintenance calendar.
During sunny months (March to August), outdoor ads are triggered using weather data.
This hyper-local, data-driven approach ensures relevance at every touchpoint. As Mark Hermans, Marketing Strategist at iO, explains: "If the sun is shining, you'll see a billboard ad in neighbourhoods where there's a chance your solar inverter might fail. If it's raining and there's heavy mist in the air, it won't be shown."
How to measure behavioural change from a multi-year utility awareness campaign
The campaign includes numerous smart optimisations to keep costs under control and even reduce them in the long term:
Existing videos and social posts were given the 'Full of Energy' look and feel, with new animations and characters added
Previous formats and landing pages were reused, including 'The Smart Moment', 'Energy Vampires' and 'Neighbourhood Watch'
The main hero film and sub-films are shown to everyone, but with different copy and lengths depending on the audience
Sitecore personalisation delivers tailored content based on customer profiles
This smart deployment ensures not only relevance but also demonstrably stronger performance. The results speak for themselves: 59% behavioural change among people exposed to the campaign, and a 4% reduction in peak load on the electricity grid.
This campaign is perhaps our smartest ever, certainly our largest. In preparation, we genuinely tried to understand what society cares about regarding the energy transition. The pioneers, the sceptics, and everyone in between.
The numbers
1
Impressions within the service area
1%
Behavioural change among people exposed to the campaign
1%
Reduction in peak load on the electricity grid
1MW
Energy savings, equivalent to 15 wind turbines or 25,000 households
1%
Uplift in engagement with the energy transition
1%
Uplift in Positive Image Score
1%
Uplift in transparency score
From awareness campaign to measurable social impact
'Full of Energy' has grown into one of Enexis's most impactful consumer campaigns ever. The 4% reduction in peak load equals a saving of 15 megawatts, comparable to a wind farm of 15 turbines, enough to power 25,000 households. This is not just a marketing metric: it is genuine, measurable contribution to the energy transition.
The campaign has been recognised with multiple awards:
Grand Prix Content Marketing Awards 2024 (B2C, 1st place)
Dutch Search Awards 2025 (Full Funnel Campaign, 1st place)
Dutch Search Awards 2025 (Changemaker Award, 2nd place)
These awards highlight the power of close collaboration with the client and the right blend of expertise and capabilities. The campaign demonstrates what happens when strategy, creativity, marketing and technology work together on a challenge that truly matters.
For Enexis, the multi-year approach means sustainable cost efficiency: existing assets are reused, learning compounds over time, and the platform continues to evolve. For customers, it means relevant communication that helps them understand their role in the energy transition. And for society, it means measurable progress toward a more sustainable energy future.
