Vattenfall

For some time, energy provider Nuon has has been serving its 2 million + customers under the same name as its Swedish parent company, Vattenfall. As a leading player in energy transition in North-West Europe, Vattenfall has been investing heavily in various initiatives in the field of sustainability. It became increasingly difficult for Nuon to communicate this message to the Dutch market, so a rebrand of Nuon was thought to present an opportunity to spread its message, while creating a new image. In addition, running a single European brand based on a ‘single brand strategy’ was seen to offer long-term benefits for cooperation, brand management and increasing brand value.

Rebranding from a well-known Dutch name also brought various challenges. With a brand awareness of 97%, Nuon was one of the largest and best-known energy suppliers in the Netherlands. One of the biggest risks was that Nuon would lose existing customers and the commercial value that the Nuon brand had built up in Google, which would impact online sales.

When the decision for the rebrand was made, there were many considerations: How do you tackle such a huge project, how will the conversation happen?; which strategy is best to pursue?; how do we strongly communicate the new purpose? To minimise both the commercial and organisational impact of the rebrand, good strategic planning and careful implementation were essential. Nuon approached VIM Group for advice on this strategy, and to support in both the planning and roll-out of the entire programme.

To minimise loss of commercial value, a ‘dual-branding phase’ was selected: in all customer communications, the brand name ‘Nuon Vattenfall’ was temporarily used and small pieces of the new, sustainable message were introduced to allow customers to slowly get used tot he new name and strategy. VIM Group were involved in the activation campaign of the new brand. Meanwhile, Vattenfall’s brand awareness was monitored and the risks of the rebrand were mapped to determine the right moment for the complete transition to the ‘Vattenfall’ brand name and matching brand story.

At each stage, VIM Group assisted Vattenfall with the organisation, planning, translation and implementation of the new visual identity, becoming an essential part of the (project) organisation during the rebranding process.

VIM Group has further developed Vattenfall’s visual identity and expanded it for application across all online- and offline brand carriers. More than 100 vehicles, 2,000 loading bays and 40 offices, production locations, heat objects and wind farms were equipped with the new iconic Vattenfall design. All communication to (potential) customers was included in the rebranding, which brought more coherence to the brand application.

Vattenfall has now fully switched over to its new brand successfully. Vattenfall’s brand awareness in the Dutch market is higher than expected and the rebrand process went smoothly. The next step is the activation of brand management processes within Vattenfall. In addition, we are working together to optimise the visibility of the Vattenfall brand in places where fossil-free energy is generated.

Curious about the strategy behind Nuon’s rebranding to Vattenfall, the do’s and don’ts of a complex rebranding process and the plans for the Vattenfall brand in the future? Read the interview with Guido Stein, Director Customer Strategy & Brand.