Ahead of CHARGE Florence, taking place in Florence, Italy on 19–20 October 2026, we spoke with Alexander about brand activation, governance, and what it really takes to keep a global brand consistent while making it feel real to the people who encounter it.
Under the theme Beyond campaigns: How E.ON brings its brand to life through experiences that people remember, the conversation explores how E.ON turns brand from a set of guidelines on a page into lived experience — and, for a brand operating across so many markets and audiences, how it strikes the balance between global consistency and the local relevance that makes an experience actually land.
Q1: For those who may not know E.ON, can you tell us a little about the company?
E.ON is one of Europe’s largest energy companies, operating across energy distribution networks, energy infrastructure solutions, and energy sales. With our 1.6-million-kilometer distribution grid and around 47 million customers, we play a leading role in shaping a green, digital, and decentralized energy world. That is also why our brand has been re-positioned since 2024 as the Playmaker of the energy transition. At E.ON, we don’t just talk about new energy – we make it work.
Q2: What does a successful brand experience look like to you?
For us at E.ON, a successful brand experience is where purpose meets tangible reality. Trust isn’t built on buzzwords; it’s earned by acting as a Playmaker. It starts by combining clear messaging with emotional storytelling.
One example: Rather than filling a space with product displays, our new representative office in Berlin, the House of New Energy, uses immersive installations and open dialogue formats to make abstract energy infrastructure tangible. By fusing art, design, and technology, we give visitors a fresh perspective on how new energy actually works.
Q3: How do you make complex energy topics more engaging for different audiences?
Let’s be honest: nobody is waiting around for content from an energy brand. That means you have to meet people where they already are. While touchpoints evolve over time, the core mechanism remains unchanged: deliver real relevance with an element of surprise.
Unexpected formats help us reach target groups who wouldn’t otherwise engage with energy. For instance, our brand cooperation with the Staatsballett Berlin uses dance to explore physical power and movement. By connecting energy to culture rather than utility bills, we bring our message into spaces where people wouldn’t traditionally expect to encounter it.
Q4: What have you learned about creating experiences that people genuinely remember?
It boils down to three words: emotions, emotions, emotions. Energy often feels abstract or technical, so if you want people to remember your innovation, stop presenting the future and start staging it.
Together with our Italian team, we showcased Vehicle-to-Load technology with a fully electrified DeLorean alongside a live DJ set by pop icon Paola Iezzi. By anchoring complex energy concepts in pop culture, people didn’t just hear the message, they felt it. That same electrified DeLorean now lives in our House of New Energy – and its story is far from over.
Q5: What advice would you give to organisations looking to bring their brand to life in more meaningful ways?
Always try to anchor execution directly in your own brand DNA. That is why we built “It’s On Us” as a long-term platform that translates our purpose and playmaker ambition into an easy to understand, actionable promise. Rather than spreading yourself thin across too many one-off gimmicks, focus on building platforms you can sustain for the long haul. Real brand activation requires stamina.
Q6: How do you measure the success of a brand activation beyond traditional marketing metrics?
We’ve established a central metric built around two dimensions: leadership positioning and portfolio perception. This allows us to track movement in our core brand attributes alongside market awareness of our energy solutions. On a tactical level, real-time event surveys give us immediate, direct feedback from participants and provide actionable insights we can instantly feed into the next iteration.
Q7: What are you most looking forward to at CHARGE this year?
I’m heading to CHARGE to gather fresh perspectives, exchange ideas with industry peers, and build genuine relationships within our community.