Rediscovering Proposition Innovation - E.ON

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Overview

In this session from the CMO & CAIO Inspired Summit at Syon Park, London, in October 2026, Andy Sage of E.ON, drawing on experience in banking and energy, looks at the behavioural and social factors that shape how people perceive value and make decisions. He starts with how the brain favours obvious, immediate value, then shows how Maslow’s hierarchy of needs maps onto the familiar adoption curve of innovators, the majority and laggards.

Andy argues that digital has blurred the lines of the classic four Ps, so brands can no longer compete on one element alone. Using examples from electric vehicles, energy, retail and streaming, he shows how matching price, product, promotion, place and partnerships to each stage of the adoption curve, understanding real customer need and testing real-world experiences can reduce reliance on price-led competition.

Key takeaways

• Customers rarely buy the core product for its own sake: people do not want electricity, they want a warm home, a cold fridge and a charged car.
• Match the marketing mix to the adoption curve: innovators want premium products that signal status, the majority want logical value and reassurance, and laggards want the simplest product that solves their problem.
• You do not always have to compete on price, and being too cheap can undermine trust; partnerships and monthly pricing can make products accessible without a race to the bottom.
• Look beyond what customers say they need and test experiences in real-world conditions, as one failure at a critical moment can define a brand.
• Starting with customer understanding rather than the product can reduce waste and risk, and AI should work quietly in the background to make experiences simpler.

Watch the full session on YouTube: Rediscovering Proposition Innovation