Excellent ideas here. The word has to get out beyond the echo chamber that we're all part of as (I would guess) Tesla owners, or certainly as people who recognize the magnitude of the paradigm shift(s) that Elon and Tesla have put into full gear.
But for now, I'm looking for new ways to convey my own Tesla enthusiasm to friends and others who amazingly (or maybe understandably?) know NOTHING about Tesla other than Elon runs it and ... well you know the rest of that illogical thought stream. So I wrote my first Mumbling Old Man Substack article (shameless plug) that I can just forward, instead of always going into that tiresome geek mode with them. Please share if useful!
I think that the best way to advertise Teslas is in movies and TV shows. A perfect example is Season 2 of The Last of Us. Let main characters find and use a Cybertruck in the post apocalyptic environment, to show its extreme durability and every other selling point of the truck (make them transport big solar panels in the truck bed to keep going forever just recharging by day and travelling by night). Another example is the Fast and Furious franchise, where a Tesla S Plaid would smoke every other car in the market. Also huge accidents could show how secure Teslas are (a tipical situation in James Bond movies that, btw, are now undergoing a change of main actor, so that this would be a great moment to switch to EVs). I also suspect that if Tesla does not follow this path, competitors will. And seeing a Mustang EV in a movie like those mentioned above could give the audience the wrong idea that Tesla is being left in the dust
Great suggestions. All of them! As a side note, I have been researching Tesla products for several months now as I prepare to buy a car and solar array for charging at home. I still can’t find those videos on the website detailing different features of the cars! When I read the article, I clicked the link and then afterwards went to the website to go through the videos about the model Y. I can’t find it on the Tesla website!!!
This needs to be addressed by the website creators, big time! I found these videos to be the exact detailed information to practical questions I have had about operating a Tesla if I buy one!!!
These videos were a powerful motivation for me to buy a Tesla and the website is THE FIRST PLACE most people will go when curious about owning a Tesla EV!
I really think Tesla has enough on it's plate. It is more important to continue strategic planning. Where to put new factories and what does the world need them to produce. If we are still dealing with labor problems, Tesla Bot is a key project. The Mega pack and solar and wind is key to stop coal. When the afforable auto comes on line it may be time to scream it out to everyone. But I see nothing worth spending money advertising on a car you can't get for 2 years. It is much more important that we get it RIGHT than it is to get it done. I think a PBS type documentary on Carbon, the grid, Tesla efforts to sustainable could go along way. Then Bits and peices of this can be used in all type of media.
Apr 27, 2023Liked by AlexandraMerz @TeslaBoomerMama
I would like to share a couple of things about Tesla and why I think some sort of advertising, education would benefit. I am not suggesting TV ads running non stop, that's crazy. Paying for Super bowl ads-super crazy. Just a few simple fixes IMHO and I am a nobody so here goes. For starters Tesla staff does not go on test drives with the prospective buyer and I think this is not good and here is why. My first test drive was in Jacksonville. Never been in a Tesla and the closest thing to it has been a golf cart OK so I arrive with a friend of mine from Amelia Island. The Tesla location is in one of these high end shopping areas. Walk in and provide ID/Insurance, good to go. Young lady walks us (both of which are well into our 60's) to the car. Shows us blinker, shows us P/R/D. Tells us about regenerative braking, says it is like golf cart braking. She programmed our route which was to Tesla destination #2 which I would have maybe had a better experience starting at #2. So she did that already so no problem, we know what GPS is. She then starts to walk away. I nervously ask "wait, you are not coming with us"? in which she replied they are not allowed. It's middle of August in Florida, it's HOT, I am trying to focus on driving while my friend is desperately searching for air conditioner, radio, blah, blah...We were in middle of downtown Jacksonville, traffic a mess and my friend was having a meltdown literally!! She tells me to get her the .... out of this car immediately. We get back to Tesla #1 and I was embarrassed at myself that I took her in something that I thought I was going to test drive and learn about the car. That did not happen. So she shares her horrific experience with people to this day.
OK, within last couple weeks went to Savannah Ga. Husband had big boy checkbook in his pocket and if I found what I wanted I would have driven home with it, paid in full. I fell in love with a white M3P but they said it was a demo and they could not sell it until middle of June...(did not understand)...but ok. There was a demo red X there too. We watched as the young lady spent maybe 3 minutes with this young lady. We stood there and watched her literally shaking and sweating as she backed up. My husband said OMG she is terrified. She pulled out of Tesla and went I would say 2-3 blocks and came back and left immediately. So back to the demo I wanted...We came back to SC and I went online and sure enough there was the 2 demos mentioned above except the red X is available for sale. Kinda upset me but I assumed since it was such a high cost vehicle they probably did want it off the lot. The very next day I went back online and the car that my husband was going to pay in full for me was sold.
I wrote all of the above to underscore the need for education. The staff needs to go on test drives. Not to act as a salesperson but just to be there if questions arise.
Another thing IMO Tesla needs to include the chargers, BOTH of them.
All it takes is one little jingle.
Examples:
Mayhem - Allstate
Jake- State Farm
Flo-Progressive
They're GREAT -Kellogs
Not sorry - Reeses
California sets the trends for the rest of the country and it normally takes 2-3 years to see the effects.
People DO NOT KNOW about Tesla, they do not know safety, price, all the good at their fingertips if just some sort of education or very small jingle.
What people DO KNOW is what they hear on the news and this is "they catch on fire" - and no pushback from the company.
Let's work this out Elon. Thank you for your patience.
While admirable, this is way too complicated and old fashion.
This can be better done in-house and with community sourced creative.
Phase 1 - Posts on twitter
All that is needed is each of Tesla's advantages (there are soo many) to be conveyed in a 10-second clip and posted by Elon on Twitter and a week later it becomes an ad buy. No agency work. All that is needed is copywriting, an iPhone, editing, and Elon doing a post on his platform. The existing in-house Tesla graphics team can do this lift.
Phase 2 - Posts become ads buys on Twitter
After the post ages, turn it into an ad buy on Twitter. Tesla can keep the ads fresh with frequent creative re-dos of each advantages. Ad views among non Elon followers will take off in this phase.
Phase 3 - Community Sourced
Ask the Tesla community (through the phone app, car IP and website), to make and submit their own ads. Incentivize the creators with enumeration associated with the media buy, on a flat fee and CPM basis. The creativity ideas will expand exponentially in this phase.
Why do this? Branding and Advertising is essential to growth. 95% of car buyers do not know any of Tesla's advantages and never considered buying a Tesla because they think EVs are 100% inferior.
At this point all the Tesla bulls are preaching to the choir when it comes to the product. How do we spread the word more widespread? I think your ideas are creative and cost effective. It may be time to pull the advertising lever.
I am very pleasantly surprised by the very interesting feedback on the article and thank you Alexandra for your platform and efforts - and to all of you for the thoughts. All perspectives in the spectrum are interesting and valuable.
This being said I just want to briefly clarify my position in a few sentences of prose. Please don't feel offended by this, it's just supposed to show my perception a little more clearly.
In my view, the questions that one must ask oneself if one strictly rejects advertising are in the case of Tesla:
Why should we willingly renounce the consumers "in the ICE bunker" and the uninformed (or wrongly) informed? Why do you want to leave these target groups behind?
Why do you want to deny these people (40% of the adult population of the USA?) the chance to get correct and fresh informations about Tesla?
Why shouldn't these 100 million(?) fellow people have a chance to make a well-informed decision and buy a Tesla and be happy with it instead of picking up another ICE car from the dealer?
Globally, we probably multiply these numbers 10 x minimum.
IF we want to save the future of planet earth, why not take EVERYONE with us? Why don't we talk to everyone? Is that "arrogance" (I don't think we are arrogant people, we want the good...)?
Would we rather burn a multiple (!) of money for trivial price reductions that cannot have their full effect without communication anyway and are currently causing confusion among consumers? ("Should I buy it now, hm... no, it's better to wait until ALL the fat in pricing is gone! I'm smart!")
Isn't clarity and enlightenment better than letting the ICE lobby's brazen lies stand? What does the inveterate "petrolhead" think about Tesla? I could make a frightening list made up entirely of errors.
(Tesla is: "Unsafe, probably explodes, the "T" stands for Trump / or "Twitter", poor quality, battery only lasts 3 years, mega expensive repairs, confusing CEO, no service, no dealerships, no contacts, confused prices, so complicated, can never leran that without PHD, elite community, you need a solar roof, you can't do without it, fear of range, features don't work, callbacks to the workshop every month, old models, false promises... FSD will never work, tbc blah blah blah.") Me I'm sure you can think of more tragic fallacies and misinformation for us to „admire“ out there...
Now how do we manage to get rid of all this without going out of the house to the people and communicating the truth in their language? By persuasion. By presenting.
Alternatively, of course, I may also stay at home and hope that love will come to me because I am so extremely beautiful and intelligent. Spoiler: Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way in real life. - Do good and talk about it: It helps. Selling myself cheaper and cheaper, on the other hand, only helps to a very limited extent and it costs me quite a bit.
Advertising is not "cocaine". Especially not in the virginal (re advertising) situation Tesla is in. Advertising is not "evil". If we want to make the analogy to hard drugs, then it's price reductions that are very difficult to get out of the system in detox. THEY are the „sugar shock“ that only increases performance in the very short term. They are empty calories.
On the other hand: Bringing information and enthusiasm to ignorant people has some substance. This is bread, flesh and blood and forms a permanent basis for sustainable market leadership. And it helps the energy transition as a whole. Good news should be proclaimed meaningfully and not remain silent. Peace out and you all have a lovely day!
Interesting topic. As a longtime owner and shareholder, I fall somewhere in the middle. Would like to see Tesla educate about the advantages of ev’s, not pump traditional advertising. With that said, the fact that Tesla is not advertising/educating hard on Twitter is mind blowing to me. Huge opportunity for ev education is being missed…
How about the people with the Megaphone on YouTube and Twitter ending their episodes with the usual phrases of "like, subscribe, ring the bell .. ." add "and take a new friend for a ride in your Tesla"
Not all that impressed as it seems to be the same old, same old and approaches the situation with the premise that a Tesla is an automobile so not unique or different.
Do we really need to spend the money? Is inventory piling up?
The macro economics of interest rate hikes and capital scarcity is a significant drag on the market and potential buyers pockets.
The key to this kind of logjam is lower prices on a steady dependable rate of decline.
All Tesla should be concentrating on is ensuring cost reductions keep ahead of the price cuts.
The noise that this will cause in the market will keep those planning a car purchase well informed. As it will be a unique selling point [USP] the other manufactures will not be able to follow Tesla down. For them it would be like entering a minefield where as Tesla has the protection of no great corporate debt.
As discussed by Larry Goldberg interview with Brighter by Herbert on YouTube,
total EV sales will reach a critical level where suddenly ICE vehicle owners see gas stations going out of business, car manufacturers reducing numbers of trims, types of vehicles, and OEM shutting down factories. This might happen over a couple of years, or over months. A tipping point will be reached where its obvious to the majority that they need to buy an EV, maybe a used EV.
I am about ready to come back. My nerves are better. LOL. Be back soon.
Miss you. Janet
Miss Alexandra - Are you still active on this platform? Thank you Janet
jvbimages22 Velveteen Rabbit
Excellent ideas here. The word has to get out beyond the echo chamber that we're all part of as (I would guess) Tesla owners, or certainly as people who recognize the magnitude of the paradigm shift(s) that Elon and Tesla have put into full gear.
But for now, I'm looking for new ways to convey my own Tesla enthusiasm to friends and others who amazingly (or maybe understandably?) know NOTHING about Tesla other than Elon runs it and ... well you know the rest of that illogical thought stream. So I wrote my first Mumbling Old Man Substack article (shameless plug) that I can just forward, instead of always going into that tiresome geek mode with them. Please share if useful!
The Atypical Truth About Tesla(s)
https://mumblingoldman.substack.com/p/the-atypical-truth-about-teslas
I think that the best way to advertise Teslas is in movies and TV shows. A perfect example is Season 2 of The Last of Us. Let main characters find and use a Cybertruck in the post apocalyptic environment, to show its extreme durability and every other selling point of the truck (make them transport big solar panels in the truck bed to keep going forever just recharging by day and travelling by night). Another example is the Fast and Furious franchise, where a Tesla S Plaid would smoke every other car in the market. Also huge accidents could show how secure Teslas are (a tipical situation in James Bond movies that, btw, are now undergoing a change of main actor, so that this would be a great moment to switch to EVs). I also suspect that if Tesla does not follow this path, competitors will. And seeing a Mustang EV in a movie like those mentioned above could give the audience the wrong idea that Tesla is being left in the dust
Great suggestions. All of them! As a side note, I have been researching Tesla products for several months now as I prepare to buy a car and solar array for charging at home. I still can’t find those videos on the website detailing different features of the cars! When I read the article, I clicked the link and then afterwards went to the website to go through the videos about the model Y. I can’t find it on the Tesla website!!!
This needs to be addressed by the website creators, big time! I found these videos to be the exact detailed information to practical questions I have had about operating a Tesla if I buy one!!!
These videos were a powerful motivation for me to buy a Tesla and the website is THE FIRST PLACE most people will go when curious about owning a Tesla EV!
I really think Tesla has enough on it's plate. It is more important to continue strategic planning. Where to put new factories and what does the world need them to produce. If we are still dealing with labor problems, Tesla Bot is a key project. The Mega pack and solar and wind is key to stop coal. When the afforable auto comes on line it may be time to scream it out to everyone. But I see nothing worth spending money advertising on a car you can't get for 2 years. It is much more important that we get it RIGHT than it is to get it done. I think a PBS type documentary on Carbon, the grid, Tesla efforts to sustainable could go along way. Then Bits and peices of this can be used in all type of media.
I would like to share a couple of things about Tesla and why I think some sort of advertising, education would benefit. I am not suggesting TV ads running non stop, that's crazy. Paying for Super bowl ads-super crazy. Just a few simple fixes IMHO and I am a nobody so here goes. For starters Tesla staff does not go on test drives with the prospective buyer and I think this is not good and here is why. My first test drive was in Jacksonville. Never been in a Tesla and the closest thing to it has been a golf cart OK so I arrive with a friend of mine from Amelia Island. The Tesla location is in one of these high end shopping areas. Walk in and provide ID/Insurance, good to go. Young lady walks us (both of which are well into our 60's) to the car. Shows us blinker, shows us P/R/D. Tells us about regenerative braking, says it is like golf cart braking. She programmed our route which was to Tesla destination #2 which I would have maybe had a better experience starting at #2. So she did that already so no problem, we know what GPS is. She then starts to walk away. I nervously ask "wait, you are not coming with us"? in which she replied they are not allowed. It's middle of August in Florida, it's HOT, I am trying to focus on driving while my friend is desperately searching for air conditioner, radio, blah, blah...We were in middle of downtown Jacksonville, traffic a mess and my friend was having a meltdown literally!! She tells me to get her the .... out of this car immediately. We get back to Tesla #1 and I was embarrassed at myself that I took her in something that I thought I was going to test drive and learn about the car. That did not happen. So she shares her horrific experience with people to this day.
OK, within last couple weeks went to Savannah Ga. Husband had big boy checkbook in his pocket and if I found what I wanted I would have driven home with it, paid in full. I fell in love with a white M3P but they said it was a demo and they could not sell it until middle of June...(did not understand)...but ok. There was a demo red X there too. We watched as the young lady spent maybe 3 minutes with this young lady. We stood there and watched her literally shaking and sweating as she backed up. My husband said OMG she is terrified. She pulled out of Tesla and went I would say 2-3 blocks and came back and left immediately. So back to the demo I wanted...We came back to SC and I went online and sure enough there was the 2 demos mentioned above except the red X is available for sale. Kinda upset me but I assumed since it was such a high cost vehicle they probably did want it off the lot. The very next day I went back online and the car that my husband was going to pay in full for me was sold.
I wrote all of the above to underscore the need for education. The staff needs to go on test drives. Not to act as a salesperson but just to be there if questions arise.
Another thing IMO Tesla needs to include the chargers, BOTH of them.
All it takes is one little jingle.
Examples:
Mayhem - Allstate
Jake- State Farm
Flo-Progressive
They're GREAT -Kellogs
Not sorry - Reeses
California sets the trends for the rest of the country and it normally takes 2-3 years to see the effects.
People DO NOT KNOW about Tesla, they do not know safety, price, all the good at their fingertips if just some sort of education or very small jingle.
What people DO KNOW is what they hear on the news and this is "they catch on fire" - and no pushback from the company.
Let's work this out Elon. Thank you for your patience.
While admirable, this is way too complicated and old fashion.
This can be better done in-house and with community sourced creative.
Phase 1 - Posts on twitter
All that is needed is each of Tesla's advantages (there are soo many) to be conveyed in a 10-second clip and posted by Elon on Twitter and a week later it becomes an ad buy. No agency work. All that is needed is copywriting, an iPhone, editing, and Elon doing a post on his platform. The existing in-house Tesla graphics team can do this lift.
Phase 2 - Posts become ads buys on Twitter
After the post ages, turn it into an ad buy on Twitter. Tesla can keep the ads fresh with frequent creative re-dos of each advantages. Ad views among non Elon followers will take off in this phase.
Phase 3 - Community Sourced
Ask the Tesla community (through the phone app, car IP and website), to make and submit their own ads. Incentivize the creators with enumeration associated with the media buy, on a flat fee and CPM basis. The creativity ideas will expand exponentially in this phase.
Why do this? Branding and Advertising is essential to growth. 95% of car buyers do not know any of Tesla's advantages and never considered buying a Tesla because they think EVs are 100% inferior.
A few of Tesla's advantages:
+ Superchargers
+ Charge time
+ Range
+ Total cost of ownership
+ Performance
+ Safety
+ Maintenance
+ No more gas stations
+ Whoopee cushions
.
Q E D
https://youtu.be/zZJByh_V3p8
At this point all the Tesla bulls are preaching to the choir when it comes to the product. How do we spread the word more widespread? I think your ideas are creative and cost effective. It may be time to pull the advertising lever.
I am very pleasantly surprised by the very interesting feedback on the article and thank you Alexandra for your platform and efforts - and to all of you for the thoughts. All perspectives in the spectrum are interesting and valuable.
This being said I just want to briefly clarify my position in a few sentences of prose. Please don't feel offended by this, it's just supposed to show my perception a little more clearly.
In my view, the questions that one must ask oneself if one strictly rejects advertising are in the case of Tesla:
Why should we willingly renounce the consumers "in the ICE bunker" and the uninformed (or wrongly) informed? Why do you want to leave these target groups behind?
Why do you want to deny these people (40% of the adult population of the USA?) the chance to get correct and fresh informations about Tesla?
Why shouldn't these 100 million(?) fellow people have a chance to make a well-informed decision and buy a Tesla and be happy with it instead of picking up another ICE car from the dealer?
Globally, we probably multiply these numbers 10 x minimum.
IF we want to save the future of planet earth, why not take EVERYONE with us? Why don't we talk to everyone? Is that "arrogance" (I don't think we are arrogant people, we want the good...)?
Would we rather burn a multiple (!) of money for trivial price reductions that cannot have their full effect without communication anyway and are currently causing confusion among consumers? ("Should I buy it now, hm... no, it's better to wait until ALL the fat in pricing is gone! I'm smart!")
Isn't clarity and enlightenment better than letting the ICE lobby's brazen lies stand? What does the inveterate "petrolhead" think about Tesla? I could make a frightening list made up entirely of errors.
(Tesla is: "Unsafe, probably explodes, the "T" stands for Trump / or "Twitter", poor quality, battery only lasts 3 years, mega expensive repairs, confusing CEO, no service, no dealerships, no contacts, confused prices, so complicated, can never leran that without PHD, elite community, you need a solar roof, you can't do without it, fear of range, features don't work, callbacks to the workshop every month, old models, false promises... FSD will never work, tbc blah blah blah.") Me I'm sure you can think of more tragic fallacies and misinformation for us to „admire“ out there...
Now how do we manage to get rid of all this without going out of the house to the people and communicating the truth in their language? By persuasion. By presenting.
Alternatively, of course, I may also stay at home and hope that love will come to me because I am so extremely beautiful and intelligent. Spoiler: Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way in real life. - Do good and talk about it: It helps. Selling myself cheaper and cheaper, on the other hand, only helps to a very limited extent and it costs me quite a bit.
Advertising is not "cocaine". Especially not in the virginal (re advertising) situation Tesla is in. Advertising is not "evil". If we want to make the analogy to hard drugs, then it's price reductions that are very difficult to get out of the system in detox. THEY are the „sugar shock“ that only increases performance in the very short term. They are empty calories.
On the other hand: Bringing information and enthusiasm to ignorant people has some substance. This is bread, flesh and blood and forms a permanent basis for sustainable market leadership. And it helps the energy transition as a whole. Good news should be proclaimed meaningfully and not remain silent. Peace out and you all have a lovely day!
Thank you Miss Alexandra. 😊
Interesting topic. As a longtime owner and shareholder, I fall somewhere in the middle. Would like to see Tesla educate about the advantages of ev’s, not pump traditional advertising. With that said, the fact that Tesla is not advertising/educating hard on Twitter is mind blowing to me. Huge opportunity for ev education is being missed…
How about the people with the Megaphone on YouTube and Twitter ending their episodes with the usual phrases of "like, subscribe, ring the bell .. ." add "and take a new friend for a ride in your Tesla"
Not all that impressed as it seems to be the same old, same old and approaches the situation with the premise that a Tesla is an automobile so not unique or different.
Do we really need to spend the money? Is inventory piling up?
The macro economics of interest rate hikes and capital scarcity is a significant drag on the market and potential buyers pockets.
The key to this kind of logjam is lower prices on a steady dependable rate of decline.
All Tesla should be concentrating on is ensuring cost reductions keep ahead of the price cuts.
The noise that this will cause in the market will keep those planning a car purchase well informed. As it will be a unique selling point [USP] the other manufactures will not be able to follow Tesla down. For them it would be like entering a minefield where as Tesla has the protection of no great corporate debt.
As discussed by Larry Goldberg interview with Brighter by Herbert on YouTube,
total EV sales will reach a critical level where suddenly ICE vehicle owners see gas stations going out of business, car manufacturers reducing numbers of trims, types of vehicles, and OEM shutting down factories. This might happen over a couple of years, or over months. A tipping point will be reached where its obvious to the majority that they need to buy an EV, maybe a used EV.