When everyone is shouting at the same volume, no one stands out. Raising your voice only increases the noise – and the message gets lost. The job of any marketing team is to ensure its brand is visible and differentiated. To achieve that, it pays to look towards topics others have not yet discovered.

The energy sector is buzzing. The shift towards carbon neutrality, the geopolitical ripple effects on energy prices, and new requirements for system resilience are reshaping the operating environment. Every energy company is talking about the same themes – and for good reason, as they are both relevant and important.

However, at Netprofile, we are naturally curious. We like to explore what interesting insights might be hiding beneath the surface noise. Below I present to you three methods that help uncover these hidden gems and turn them into compelling content.

1. Reverse media analysis
   
   Marketing and comms teams tend to closely monitor topics that already attract significant media attention. But when developing your own content, it is often valuable to focus on issues that have not yet made headlines.
   
   This is where your media monitoring tool’s AI assistant becomes invaluable. Ask it, for instance, which energy-related topics are trending in Sweden but not yet in Finland, or which themes have been mentioned this year for the very first time in your priority media outlets. By tapping into such emerging signals, you can position your content on the crest of the next wave – and potentially even spark media interest.
   
2. Mapping dissertation and thesis topics
   
   Students graduating into the energy sector are, quite literally, the industry’s future. Yet in marketing, collaboration with educational institutions often centres on quirky overall patches or sponsoring drinks at student events.
   
   In reality, academic research and thesis work offer a timely view into what the next generation finds compelling. A student who has explored a specific topic in depth can also be invited for an interview for your article, video or podcast. In the best-case scenario, the student joins, stays – and helps steer your organisation towards an exciting new direction in the industry.
   
3. Keyword research
   
   Tools like Google Keyword Planner are widely used to optimise websites and search advertising. More advanced marketers, however, use keyword research as a strategic input for content planning.
   
   Keyword patterns can reveal energy-related topics that currently attract little search interest. By using targeted advertising to introduce these themes to your audience, your organisation becomes the first to define and popularise them. Over time, as your long-lived, high-quality content accumulates traffic, you will likely capture search volumes as well.

Great ideas can, of course, also emerge from within your organisation, industry events or the daily news flow. Taking a shower is still recommended – that’s often when ideas flow freely. And if you, dear reader, have more brilliant approaches for idea generation, I’d be delighted to hear them.

Whenever you find yourself short on fresh marketing ideas, in need of a sparring partner for new angles or looking for a media analysis, feel free to reach out to us.