Here's a number that should make every marketing director at a power-sector solution provider pause: 45% of utility professionals say digital content has no influence on their buying decisions. Technical and commercial factors only. Full stop.
It sounds like a green light to keep running the same marketing playbook - trade shows, sales reps, relationship visits.
It isn't.
Because before a utility weighs your technical specs or commercial terms, someone has to put your company on the shortlist. And that decision - who makes it into the evaluation and who doesn't - is shaped by what utilities find when they go looking. PTR's 2026 Utility-OEM Engagement Survey of 51 utility professionals reveals exactly what they find valuable, what they trust, and what they're asking suppliers to produce more of.
The picture is clear. And for most solution providers, it's uncomfortable.
The Shortlisting Problem Nobody Talks About
Ask a utility buyer whether content influences procurement and many will say no. But that framing misses the real question: how do you get to the evaluation stage in the first place?
"To get to that stage, you need good online marketing to get shortlisted," says Hassan Zaheer, COO at PTR Inc. "Then yes, the decision is made on technical/commercial factors. But if you're not even there, you can't do much about it."
The survey data confirms this: 35% of utility respondents said digital content directly influences vendor perception and shortlisting, and 20% said it depends on context - meaning more than half acknowledge content's active role in vendor evaluation. The 45% who say "no" are describing their final decision criteria, not their discovery process.
The power sector is more research-active than most vendors assume. Utility buying behavior is changing, and solution providers who built their go-to-market strategy around relationship-dependent sales cycles are discovering that utilities now do their own research before the first conversation begins. If your digital content isn't part of that research, you're not being considered - you're being filtered out.
What Utilities Actually Read
So when a utility engineer or procurement professional goes looking for information about a supplier, what content stops them?
Product brochures and spec sheets rank first - 39% of survey respondents ranked them as the most useful content type when learning about suppliers. No surprise. Utilities need to evaluate technical fit, and spec sheets give them the data to do that quickly.
What's more revealing is what ranks second: case studies at 33%. The gap between those two and everything else - webinars at 10%, regulation/market commentary at 6%, company and team updates at 4% - tells you where the real opportunity sits.
Most vendors invest heavily in product documentation (spec sheets, data sheets, product pages) because that's the content their engineering teams know how to produce. Far fewer invest with the same discipline in case studies. The result: they win on spec accessibility but lose on proof of performance.
Utilities want both. They need the specs to evaluate fit and the case studies to build confidence.
The Case Study Paradox
Here's the tension at the center of utility content marketing in 2026 - and it deserves to be named directly.
The Case Study Paradox: Utilities rank case studies as the #2 most useful content format for learning about suppliers and the #1 credibility signal when evaluating vendor marketing - yet most solution providers in the power sector either don't have published case studies or can't get customer sign-off to share them. This gap is your opportunity.
The survey data on vendor credibility makes the paradox concrete:
| Credibility Factor | % Ranked #1 | What This Means for Vendors |
|---|---|---|
| Real customer success stories | 33% | Utilities trust peers over vendor claims - case studies are the gold standard |
| Data-driven content | 31% | Quantified results, benchmarks, and performance data outperform promotional copy |
| ROI-focused case studies | 14% | Combine proof with financial impact to accelerate shortlisting |
| Event participation | 8% | Conferences build presence but don't substitute for documented proof |
| Innovation narratives | 8% | Technology stories resonate only when grounded in real-world outcomes |
Real customer success stories ranked #1 for marketing credibility at 33%, followed by data-driven content at 31%. Case studies effectively appear twice in that table - once as "real customer success stories" and again as "ROI-focused case studies" at 14%. Combined, proof-of-performance content accounts for nearly half of what utility professionals say makes vendor marketing credible.
And yet - most solution providers in the power sector either don't have published case studies, or they have customer deployments they can't discuss because they never negotiated the right to share them.
Hassan Zaheer, COO, PTR Inc.: "Everyone says they need case studies. Most people don't have them or don't have customer agreement to show them. This should be one of the negotiating points in contracts - that you want to be able to share the case study. References are everything in our industry."
The evidence from utilities themselves reinforces exactly what Hassan describes. When survey respondents were asked about digital content that has influenced their perception of a supplier, the examples they cited were almost uniformly case-study driven:
"Video and case studies regarding ABB product SSC600 encouraged us to initiate a project with them for a hybrid digital MV substation."
"I've never watched the videos, but the case studies and articles really changed how I see things."
"Technical posts written by leadership, real success stories with technical tone (not very commercial)."
"When case studies produce data-driven results that are repeatable."
Notice the pattern. It's not the product launch announcement. It's not the LinkedIn post celebrating an industry award. It's documented, technical proof that the product has worked - with enough specificity that a utility engineer can assess whether it applies to their own situation.
This is the content gap solution providers need to close. And closing it starts with a contractual conversation: make customer case study rights a standard negotiating point in every project agreement.
Where Utilities Go for Information - And What This Means for Your Media Strategy
Even great content fails if it's published in the wrong place. PTR's survey asked utility professionals to rank their most trusted media platforms:
Academic publications ranked as the most trusted media source for 41% of utility respondents, followed by industry media at 27%, and analyst firms at 14%. LinkedIn thought leadership came in at 10%. Vendor white papers - the format most solution providers pour budget into - ranked last at 8%.
The message is not subtle: utilities trust third parties far more than they trust you.
This has direct implications for content distribution. Publishing a white paper on your own website reaches utility buyers who already know you. Getting your research or product performance covered in an industry publication, cited in an analyst report, or featured in a technical journal reaches buyers who don't - and carries a credibility signal that self-published content cannot.
"Having a third-party firm talk about your equipment is extremely important," says Hassan Zaheer. "That's a direct conversion pathway."
That's not a minor channel optimization. That's a fundamental shift in how solution providers should allocate content investment. The question isn't just "what should we write?" - it's "who should publish it, and where?"
What Gets Attention: The PR and Thought Leadership Mix
When it comes to PR and thought leadership content that actually gets noticed by utility professionals, the survey results (multi-select) reveal a clear hierarchy:
- Data-backed white papers: 61%
- LinkedIn posts: 59%
- Articles in publications: 47%
- Customer stories: 45%
- Regulatory/innovation papers: 39%
- Executive interviews: 24%
Two things stand out. First, data-backed white papers are cited by 61% of utility respondents as the thought leadership format that gets their attention - but these need to be genuinely data-driven, not marketing documents dressed up in research format. The utilities in this survey know the difference, and they've made clear they don't trust content that reads like a product pitch.
Second, LinkedIn posts score higher than articles in publications (59% vs. 47%). That's not a license to post generic industry commentary - it's a signal that consistent, technically credible LinkedIn content from your leadership team and subject matter experts is worth real investment. Utilities are watching. Survey respondents confirmed that "technical posts written by leadership" are among the content types that change how they view suppliers.
The combination that works: original data + technical credibility + third-party distribution + consistent LinkedIn presence from recognized experts.
What Utilities Want More Of - In Their Own Words
The survey asked utility professionals directly what content they wish suppliers would produce more of. The responses were specific:
- Real project case studies with real-world performance data (the most frequently cited request)
- Cost-benefit analyses and ROI data
- Application guides and technical papers
- Data-driven content with infographics
- Manufacturing process videos
- Honest comparisons across product lines
One respondent put it best: "Data driven, repeatable results from real world case studies."
Note what's absent. Nobody asked for more product launches. Nobody asked for more brand storytelling. Nobody asked for more award announcements. Utilities are asking for content that helps them do their jobs - evaluate technology, build the internal business case, and reduce procurement risk.
This is the content gap most marketing support strategies in the power sector fail to address. Solution providers default to the content that's easiest to produce. Utilities are asking for the content that's hardest: independently verifiable, customer-approved, performance-documented proof.
Score Your Content Against What Utilities Actually Want
Use this interactive scorecard to assess how your current content strategy stacks up against the criteria utility professionals say determine vendor credibility:
The Three Content Moves That Actually Work
Based on PTR's survey data, here's where solution providers should focus content investment in 2026:
1. Build a case study pipeline - starting with your next contract Make case study publication rights a standard clause in customer agreements. You need documented, customer-approved proof of performance. Utilities said it clearly: they want repeatable results from real-world deployments. If you can't show them that, you're relying on your sales team to close gaps that content should be closing earlier in the evaluation process.
2. Invest in third-party distribution, not just owned content Vendor white papers rank last in utility trust. Academic publications, industry media, and analyst firms rank first, second, and third. The most efficient use of your content budget is getting your data and performance evidence into the channels utilities actually trust. That means pursuing coverage in industry trade publications, commissioning or participating in independent market intelligence research, and building relationships with sector-focused analyst firms.
3. Publish data - not copy - on LinkedIn Utility professionals are on LinkedIn, and 59% said LinkedIn posts get their attention. But the content that earns attention is technical and data-driven, not promotional. Activate your engineering leadership and product experts as LinkedIn voices. Short, technically substantive posts about real-world application challenges, performance data, and deployment insights consistently outperform polished brand content in a sector where credibility is everything.
FAQ
Does digital content actually influence utility buying decisions?
Yes - but the mechanism is often misunderstood. PTR's 2026 Utility-OEM Engagement Survey found that 45% of utility respondents say technical and commercial factors alone drive their decisions. But those same respondents still have to shortlist vendors first. As Hassan Zaheer, COO of PTR, explains: "To get to that stage, you need good online marketing to get shortlisted. Then yes, the decision is made on technical/commercial factors. But if you're not even there, you can't do much about it." An additional 35% said digital content directly influences perception and shortlisting, and 20% said it depends on context - meaning a combined 55% actively acknowledge content's role in vendor evaluation.
What content format should power-sector vendors prioritize?
Product brochures and spec sheets rank first (39%) for day-to-day supplier research, but case studies (33%) are the close second - and the #1 credibility signal when utilities assess marketing quality. The strategic priority is clear: invest in case studies with quantified, real-world performance data. Combine those with data-backed white papers (cited by 61% of respondents as attention-grabbing PR), LinkedIn presence (59%), and articles in industry publications (47%).
Why do vendor white papers rank so low in media trust?
Because utilities recognize self-promotion. PTR's survey found that only 8% of utility professionals rank vendor white papers as their most trusted media source. Academic publications (41%) and industry media (27%) rank far higher. The implication: distribute your data and findings through third-party channels - independent analyst reports, industry trade media, and technical journals - rather than relying solely on branded content from your own website.
What do utilities actually want more of from suppliers?
The survey is direct: utilities want real project case studies with real-world performance data, cost-benefit analyses with ROI figures, application guides and technical papers, and data-driven content with infographics. One utility respondent put it plainly: "Data driven, repeatable results from real world case studies." They don't want more polished marketing material - they want proof.
How can a newer vendor without a track record build credibility with utilities?
Third-party validation is your fastest path. PTR's survey shows analyst firms rank as the third most trusted media source (14%) - ahead of LinkedIn thought leadership (10%) and vendor white papers (8%). Getting your product covered in an independent analyst report or featured in industry trade media creates the validation signal that self-published content cannot. In parallel, negotiate case study rights into your first customer contracts so you can build a proof library from day one.
The Bottom Line
Utility buyers are doing their own research. They're evaluating vendors online before your sales team ever gets a call. And the content they trust - real case studies, third-party coverage, data-driven proof - is exactly the content most solution providers aren't producing consistently.
That's the gap. And for the vendors who close it, it's a durable competitive advantage in a sector where specification list placement can define market access for years.
The full data from PTR's Utility-OEM Engagement Survey - including regional breakdowns, utility-specific insights, and commentary on what the findings mean for vendor go-to-market strategy - is available in the complete report. Access it below.
This is Article 2 of 3 in PTR's survey series: How Utilities Want to Be Marketed To - 2026 Survey Insights. Based on PTR's Utility-OEM Engagement Survey of 51 utility and EPC professionals.
