Tesla Marketing

[JRP3]

Tesla needs to focus on building cars, superchargers, and stores. As has been pointed out, the car sells itself. Indeed, if you build it, and it's amazing, they will come. It's already happening. Luckily ppl doesn't work at Tesla. Tesla gets plenty of press without too much effort, and I'm pretty sure they have their hands full with other things.

 

[vfx]

...
You've been on and on about Tesla needing to advertise for weeks now. They have been advertising, it just doesn't happen to be in manner you deem appropriate.

1) They have their own website
2) They have stores all around the world and continue to open more stores
3) They have VERY satisfied customers to date
4) They have and continue to implement the SuperCharger network
5) They have forums such as this one
6) They have several car awards
7) They have new articles being written about them every week on Seeking Alpha, Motley Fool and in several online and paper publication
8) They have a certain Republican flogging their name
9) They have Get Amped Tours
Call me crazy, but that seems like a whole lot of advertising to me.

This really nails it.

It's the stores (we are getting our third one in the LA area), add in word of moth and car awards, it's a way of drawing in customers without traditional media.


Was on a job the other day. Every project is an all new group of people thrown togeather for a few days. Most don't even know each other. During a lul in the action the guy in charge of our group suddenly yells out, "Hey I got to drive my neighbor's new Tesla! The sedan. It's crazy good." The room goes abuzz about the car. One year ago today I would have been the only one of two in the room. The other would ask me about the Roadster in the parking lot. Tesla is doing a good job for now. They may reach a saturation point with this markreting plan some day but nothing at all says they don't have a plan for the next step.

 

[dsm363]

How's this for advertising? At Super Bowl party and parked my car in front of the house it was at so everyone walking in walked right by it. They all asked what that car was out front so I gave the Tesla spiel to about 15 people. A husband and wife (husband works for Toyota) were blown away by it and are likely going to reserve one after I took them for a spin.

They will need to do traditional advertising at some point but why create demand when they still have a long list of people in line?

 

[Doug_G]

Advertising is crazy expensive. TV campaigns are ridiculous. Last time I checked a full page, one issue ad in Scientific American was $100,000. I can only imagine what a mass market magazine costs.

It's very common these days for companies to use PR instead of paying for advertising. Tesla has done a very good job of this... of course it sure helps to have a sexy product.

There is absolutely nothing better than word of mouth. It's at 1000X more effective than advertising. We're doing that job for them!

When Tesla reaches the mass market scale they will probably have to advertise. In the meantime what they are doing is working extremely well.

 

[Robert.Boston]

Marketing <> advertising. Media advertising is one form of marketing, but it's certainly not the only form, and it often isn't the most cost-effective marketing. GeorgeB is a consummate professional; I have a lot of confidence that he'll start a well-focused ad campaign when it's needed. It's not needed now.

 

[brianman]

We all have opinions on this, but Tesla is driving this bus.

You heard it here first, folks! Bonnie says Tesla's making an EV bus. TEG, where are the spy pics?

Edit: Woops, reading comprehension issue. Bonnie didn't say that.

:tongue:

- - - Updated - - -

GeorgeB is a consummate professional; I have a lot of confidence that he'll start a well-focused ad campaign when it's needed. It's not needed now.

Agreed.

How many times does Elon need to say at official investor meetings that "Tesla does not have a demand problem (on the Model S)"?

 

[doug]

I'm sure it's been pointed out before, but just to put this in perspective. Here's an "ad" that people that know about these things estimate Fisker paid six figures to have placed in the Wall Street Journal.

Here's an article that Tesla got for free in the Wall Street Journal only two weeks later:

Which do you think has greater impact?

 

[Doug_G]

Editorial content is always >10X as effective as advertising, so the PR approach gave them a LOT more bang for the buck...

 

[Robert.Boston]

The challenge is creating a truly great product to begin with. Tesla did; Fisker, not so much.

 

[Ron95030]

Here is a privately produced video, as an ad that someone passed along to me today. It is well done, imo. Comments?

 

[JRP3]

Very well done, though maybe a bit over the top. But hey, that's advertising.

 

[SebastianR]

Apologies if this has been covered elsewhere but what video (or small number of videos) and what article would you recommend passing on to people who are interested in a Model S but don't really know much about Tesla and EVs?

The reason for asking is that I feel I know a lot from the different sources I read over the past years but can't reasonably expect my neighbors to read all that if she just wants to know the basics.

So, any suggestions?

 

[Robert.Boston]

I would start with the brilliant Gallons of Light commercial made independently by Jordan Bloch. It's a great hook that will lead most people to want to read more. Plug In America is a good general source for EV information; it's not very US-centric, although the available models in Denmark will be somewhat different.

 

[KD5MDK]

Marketing <> advertising. Media advertising is one form of marketing, but it's certainly not the only form, and it often isn't the most cost-effective marketing. GeorgeB is a consummate professional; I have a lot of confidence that he'll start a well-focused ad campaign when it's needed. It's not needed now.

The obvious answer is money should go to production increases, stores, service centers and superchargers until demand will be met in the next month or so. At that point it's time to remind more people that they really do want this product. Stimulating demand beyond what you can supply or support is just counterproductive.

 

[BenTesla]

I think the best thing Tesla can do advertising wise is to have their cars in Movies, Popular music videos and on the red carpet. I think a lot of people buy their cars cause they look car and not because it's a good car. Tesla Model S is a good car so if people see the car they're going to be interested and do their own research.

The Biggest thing they can do is allow more reviews of the car by having a fleet of review cars constantly available. And make nice with Top Gear!!!! Who cares about one bad review if it's seen by a hundred million people? That's my 2c at least.

 

[JRP3]

F Top Gear. They have their own agenda.

 

[Clprenz]

@bentesla You can't be serious... did you read what happened last time, it was a huge mess. Also top gear didn't even mention the Model S as MT car of the year.If they wanted it Tesla still would of denied that.

 

[EchoDelta]

I believe the car sells itself. I've had my car for 5 weeks and am responsible for 4 confirmed new sales.

Woot! I won't have my car for a year+ and yet am responsible for a sale as well.

 

[vfx]

Scroll down about 1/2 way.

Royal Society of Storytellers

Tesla Model S: Tesla Motors

Silicon Valley-based automaker Tesla Motors came to us to create a brand story film. The result is this 'electrifying' piece that became the main feature in Elon Musk's IPO roadshow for the new Model S, their next gen, blazing-fast sedan. Don't blink.
FORMAT: IPO Road Show Film

Vimeo movie

 

[Robert.Boston]

Now we just need the password to that video... :-(