4 min read
Going straight to the source
Most agencies and consultancies understand the importance of building strong relationships with their clients’ counterpart marketing and communications teams. These are the people who shape narratives, manage reputations and know how a brand wants to show up in the world. They are essential partners.
But when agencies and consultancies stop there, they risk missing something fundamental.
The most revealing insights often come from the people rarely front and centre in communications: engineers, project managers, researchers, operators and commercial leads. These are the people grappling daily with technical challenges, regulatory constraints and real-world trade-offs. They know what genuinely differentiates a product or service — and where the claims need careful handling.
Spending time with subject matter experts helps communicators move beyond surface-level messaging. It allows them to understand not just what a company does, but why it matters, where it adds value and how it fits into a broader system. In sectors such as energy and renewables, where complexity is unavoidable and scrutiny is high, this grounding is critical.
Conversations with people “on the tools” better equip communicators to translate value across formats — from editorial and digital content to conference stages and stakeholder events. Without this insight, communications can sound polished but strangely hollow.
From messages to meaning
There is another benefit to engaging subject matter experts: it changes the nature of the work itself.
Rather than simply amplifying a pre-agreed narrative, agencies can help interpret and refine it. Subject matter experts often reveal tensions that marketing language tends to smooth over — where innovation is still evolving, where compromises exist, or where customer understanding lags reality. These nuances are not weaknesses. When handled well, they make a story more credible.
Audiences, particularly in technical industries, are adept at spotting overstatement. They respond better to explanations than slogans, and to evidence over assertion. Communications rooted in lived experience tend to feel more honest and, as a result, more persuasive.
This approach also helps future-proof reputations. Claims grounded in operational reality are easier to defend when challenged, whether by journalists, investors or regulators.
The role of co-creation
Of course, not every organisation has a deep pool of subject matter experts who are available, confident and ready to engage. Some are resource-constrained; others operate in partnership-heavy ecosystems where expertise is distributed.
This is where co-creation can play a valuable role.
At its best, co-creation involves developing content, ideas or narratives jointly with customers, partners or peers. It goes beyond logo-sharing or one-off press releases. Instead, it brings together different perspectives to explore shared challenges or opportunities.
Done well, co-creation starts with clarity. Partners agree on purpose, audience and value from the outset. Responsibilities are defined, and approval processes are anticipated early. Each contributor brings genuine insight, not just endorsement.
For organisations with limited in-house firepower, co-creation can add depth, credibility and reach. For agencies and consultancies, it offers a way to help clients tell richer stories while navigating the practical realities of collaboration. The result is communications that feel weightier, because they reflect lived experience across organisations rather than a single corporate viewpoint.
Why substance still matters
Whether through direct engagement with subject matter experts or through thoughtful co-creation, the principle is the same: substance matters. In energy and renewables – sectors central to economic resilience and climate transition – credibility is hard won and easily lost.
Audiences do not expect perfection. They do expect clarity, honesty and insight. Communications that start closer to where the work is being done are more likely to deliver all three.
A final thought
At Aspect, much of our work involves helping organisations, like ABB’s Energy Industries division, uncover and articulate what really matters – often by listening more closely to the people behind the scenes. Sometimes that means working directly with subject matter experts; sometimes it means helping them find their voice or shaping collaborative stories that reflect shared values.
The starting point is always the same. If you want communications that travel further and land better, begin closer to the source.
If your communications feel well-crafted but underpowered, it may be time to widen the conversation. The insight you need is often already there – you just have to go looking for it.
