Correspondence: Lars Kaa Andersen, Millward Brown, Rådhuspladsen 45–47, 5th Floor, Copenhagen V 1550, Denmark. Tel: +45 26809888; E-mail: Lars.andersen@millwardbrown.dk

¹Vice President of Marketing in DONG Energy. With approximately 50 employees in his department, Søren Biune is responsible for the utility company's brand building, product marketing, international marketing, market research, e-business, CRM, sponsorships and events.

²is managing director and owner of Millward Brown Denmark and holds the license to use The Millward Brown Group's market research tools in Scandinavia. The Millward Brown Group is the world's largest consultancy in the field of brand and advertising research.

Received 3 March 2008; Revised 3 March 2008; Published online 11 July 2008.

Abstract

The deregulation of the Danish energy market in 2003–2004 created a whole new set of rules for DONG as a national gas monopolist. The scope of the changes that followed in the wake of the deregulation can hardly be overstated. The deregulation called for an immediate change of paradigm in the company. It kick-started a movement from being a closed organisation to becoming an open organisation, from a domestic view to an international perspective, from lumbering monopoly to free competition, from being an invisible supplier to becoming one of Denmark's strongest and most visible brands. But how did the energy company escape the reminiscence of a dusty monopoly? How did DONG initiate the development of a brand strong enough to secure the company's position in a tough European energy market? The simple answer is: stubbornness, cooperation and a 360° activation of an ideal sponsorship. This paper offers a view into the initial search for the strong concept that was to start off the brand building process and bring the utility company through the upheaval caused by the deregulation.