My Secret Swag Sauce for Advertising Electric Cars

I don't pretend to ignore that great advertising campaigns heavily rely on impeccable timing. However David Droga and other #dangerouslyawesome Creative Directors got sauce! Yes, I said "got sauce!" Sue me.

Personally, I believe that being a social media addicted extrovert with great fashion sense (who's also great in bed) does add to the brass I bring when I bring it! The chanllenge is consistency. That's why making sauce and recipe testing is critical to winning over critics without credentials. Yeah I said it!

I've got sauce in my back pocket which makes me hot at one thing: my ads are different then what the others are doing! 

Example: Who agrees that car ads are all the same nowadays? I'm not sorry for saying what needs to be said. Car ads are all about unrealistic stunts, flash, and the illusion of top %10 status. Ok! Been there, done that, so what's next?

What if there was a car ad with no car in it? Given the opportunity I would make an electric car ad with my basketball hero Scottie Pippen! 

Why Pippen? Why hasn't it been done already?!

Pippen is without a doubt the ultimate symbol of performance, dependability and the number one asstistant to Michael Jordan! Without Pippen, Jordan would not be the greatest! To make that connection that your electric car assistants you to "Be Jordanesque" is different. And I would have the ad appear during the NBA Allstar Weekend and run all through the NBA finals with a deferent series of achievement like a TV show. Each new ad is an event.

Pippen is one of the greatest that ever played and his swag is influential. Influence works in this business, and so does social media! 

I totally respect Jeep for tapping another hero of mine, Baron Davis, but the execution was definitely missing sauce.

Now, I'm not gonna layout my entire Creative Brief and spell out the execution that I'd bring, however if you see this ad next year at the NBA Allstar Game... Just know that my sauce will do what it do...

Sell electric cars!

 

Update: TNT’s presentation of last night’s NBA All-Star Game was watched by eight million viewers, a 13 percent increase over last year’s telecast, reports TVbytheNumbers.com.

They don't call me the #FreshPrinceofCleantech for nothing!

Follow me on Twitter at @frshprnzcleantc.

Why Solar Needs To Win Marketing And Advertising Awards In 2014?

What do we want? Sales!

When do we want it? Yesterday!

Well, if you had met or exceeded your sales goals then you wouldn't need me. Am I right? I'm here to disrupt the industry with award winning work and provide new compelling reasons to lease Solar in 2014.

If 'moving the needle' is truly the objective then it's time to do something different according to where your Solar business is on the adoption curve. See below:

Based in the number of customers most companies currently have, my estimation is that all Solar Companies in the US are in between the early adopters column and barely into the early majority. After years of following the teachings of Geoffrey Moore, author, speaker, advisor, best known for Crossing the Chasm, I am absolutely clear that Solar needs to get more strategic in digital marketing and mobile advertising. 

Mr. Moore's teaching are simple: As you maneuver thru the adoption curve, the compelling reason to buy is not the same bewteen early adopters, the early majority, and the late majority. So what's my solution to do kick sales into overdrive?

Peanut Butter and Jelly:

Marketing solar in 2014 needs to achieve a clear cut "peanut better and jelly" moment where plug-in electric cars and solar are sandwiched together in an effort to create context of: saving lots of money everyday! Context is King in 2014 and branded content needs to drop the hard sales pitch. Once context is established, targeting electric vehicle owners to adopt solar will lead to setting sales records. 

Why electric car owners? With US plug-in electric vehicle sales up 84% in 2013, that means there's movement within the early majority (also known as "Pragmatists in pain") who've discovered their compelling reason to adopt. In fact, InsideEVs.com and the Detriot News have both report:

“In 2013, automakers sold nearly 49,000 plug-in hybrid vehicles — up 27 percent over 2012 — and 47,600 electric vehicles — up 241 percent, according to data complied by Ward’s Automotive.”

And guess what American City is the epicenter of plug-in electric vehicle adoption? Sunny San Diego

San Diego Now Has More EVs Per Capita Than Any Other US City: http://t.co/AV4ap44fOa

Why San Diego? Um, well... Maybe because we endure some of the highest gas prices (high cost of living) in the country, and the majority of drivers commute less than 50 miles per day. In fact, several plug-in owners acquire a second electric car within a year or two after there first purchase after realizing the money saved on a daily basis. San Diego Gas and Electirc estimates there are roughly 5000 plus plugin hybrid, electric vehicles currently on the road in America's Finest City and 2014 is the watershed for pragmatists in pain.

The definition of Pragmatism alone explains why marketing solar in 2014 must adapt: ^[1]Pragmatism is a rejection of the idea that the function of thought is to describe, represent, or mirror reality. Instead, pragmatists develop their philosophy around the idea that the function of thought is as an instrument or tool for prediction, action, and problem solving. Pragmatists contend that most philosophical topics—such as the nature of knowledge, language, concepts, meaning, belief, and science—are all best viewed in terms of their practical uses and successes rather than in terms of representative accuracy.

What's the silver bullet to target electric vehicle owners via advertising? Mobile and Native advertising... Duh!! Fact: the majority of all electric vehicles owners also own a variety of mobile devices and use apps on a dialy basis related to their vehicles especially charging. This also includes news apps. 

Now, I'm not going to give all of my secret sauce away, especially my advertising concepts, however pay attention this year to who's doing what and when because I'm determined to win  lots of these (below) for solar in 2014:

Follow myself and Geoffrey Moore on Twitter. My handle is @frshprnzcleantc. They don't call me the Fresh Prince of Cleantech for nothing!

Geoffrey Moore is a Venture partner at MDV. Chairman emeritus of The Chasm Group, Chasm Institute, TCG Advisors.

The Fresh Prince of Cleantech

I might possibly be the most self absorbed, 'selfie-taking', Facebooking, Tweeting and retweeting obsessed Instagrammer you'll ever meet w/ deep LinkedIn 1st connections in the realm of Sustainability. I really don't care what you think bc I'm a Mad man who made another breakthrough happen in Cleantech's history.

I started at the bottom of the Cleantech industry back in 2006-2007. San Diego only had a hand full of dreamers, thought leaders, and risk takers and I paid my dues with my blood, sweat, and ideas on a paper napkin. My scars are deep so my insight comes at a higher price.

Fast forward to 2014... No more paper napkins. It's time for real talk. The industry is severly lacking diversity and style. No matter the sector (green building, electric cars, solar, wind, algae, green consumer products, etc), there are no icons where their style influences "early majority" adopters to... Well... Adopt. And guess what... Innovation without adoption is... Well... Failure.

Let me break this down for those who are slow. Women, Blacks, and Hispanics don't adopt electric cars well from white men in corporate shirts handing out large pamphlets. And if you're not campaigning like your running for President and doing all you can to win Women, Blacks, and Hispanics... Well then... You are just slowly falling into the Chasm instead of crossing it like Apple. Every company in Cleantech, Sustainability dreams for an Apple iPhone moment... Well here's the secret. Without style and diversity... Kiss that dream goodbye. Ask Mitt Romney and the Republican Party.

I believe 2014 needs to be the year where Solar and electric car adoption doubles, and I'm the stylist. I'm the answer. I'm the agent of disruption that will sell the American dream of Solar on every roof and an electric car in every garage as the symbol of 'full recovery' from the Great Recession. 

My style is sophisticated, bullish, and decisive. I don't wear corporate whites. I wear cool clothes. I rock a beard, a fro-hawk, and I speak Swaghili fluently. I prefer Nike Dunks over loafers and my personal hashtag is simple: #freshprinceofcleantech.

This is #HowIRockIt just having coffee. I am a maven and my handle is: @frshprnzcleantc. In 2014, my resolution is to be the most successful public figure in all of Cleantech using my personal style as a weapon to move the needle. Social media is my sword and mobile advertising is my spear, and I'm ready to lead my army into battle and sack whole cities and counties. States even. 

As an award winning Creative Director, I see the weaknesses and patterns in my industry... I see what's not being done in Cleantech that should be... And I recently rectified some of that. Cleantech needs more Women, Blacks, and Hispanics in 2014 or else. The best Digital marketing and mobile advertising is the key.

Cleantech also needs more "selfie-taking"  mavens that are willing to display how cool it is to be green. I recently took a much needed vacay and stayed in a King suite in a Kimpton Hotel... I made it look so fucking cool, that many of my friends want the exact experience I had and price didn't matter. The experience mattered. As a Mad man, living life your way and loving yourself is the doorway to true influence.

Sustainability will forever remain boring without changing.

I'm a AMY winner, and I want to win in 2014. I want to win at the EMAs, the AMAs, the Clio awards, and even take Cleantech to the Super Bowl plus... I want to take Solar and electric cars to promise land... Winner at the Cannes Lions awards... But at the moment nobody in Sustainability knows nothin bout that! Exception: This Leo named Yeves Perez, the Fresh Prince of Cleantech. 

Name someone... One person who even talks like that. Image with me an award winning solar or electric car advertising campaign that earns top nods from the public as the best Super Bowl ad and takes home a Cannes Lion award! That's how you spell a-d-o-p-t-i-o-n.   

Follow me in 2014 because I have a freedom in my speech to say what needs to be said. I have people to pay back and a desire to pay it forward, so failure in not in my vocabulary. So, pick your New Years resolutions carefully and make sure the envolve winning. I'm clear I have.

I'm about to go HAM! www.yevesperez.com

I Just Earned My 29th LinkedIn Endorsement From Stone Brewing Co.'s CEO

I am honored by this endorsement and I'm humbled to be a player in this emerging EV industry:

“Yeves Perez is an agent of disruption. He's proven himself to be extremely passionate about his work since I first met him during the Chevrolet Volt introduction to San Diego County back in 2009. Yeves worked to bring the Volt out of political turmoil with his idea of a Open Letter from Chevy Volt Owners titled "Why are Chevy Volt Owners Keeping Their Keys?" (which I signed).” October 27, 2012


Read more here: www.linkedin.com/in/yeves
http://yevesperez.blogspot.com/p/glowing-recommendations-real-yeves.html

An Estimated 2500 Electric Cars On The Road In San Diego County

I know it's a bold claim but here's the math:

Nissan and Chevrolet have been on a role in 2011 and there are several factors to consider.

#1 - On Sunday, October 16th, 2011 North County Times reporter Eric Wolff reported the following:

Officials from San Diego Gas & Electric Co. estimate 800 electric vehicles are on San Diego County roads, and about 1,000 in Southern California Edison's territory, which includes Southwest Riverside County.

Read more: http://www.nctimes.com/blogsnew/business/realside/article_aa6cdbc4-d363-531f-adb8-abda3643f670.html#ixzz1inGSBx00

#2 - After reviewing Tesla owner Meetup photos and talking to friends, I think it's fair to estimate about 50 are here on the road.

#3 - This is where the story gets better. I attended a Chevy Volt owners meetup and a source from GM said that about 1000 Volts have be delivered in San Diego County!

I tweeted this out:

@frshprnzcleantc YEVES PEREZ

I went to the #SanDiego Volt Meet-up, learned over 1000 Chevy Volts have been sold in San Diego County! #chevyvolt #EV pic.twitter.com/LPhVER0R
17 Dec

#4 - Most people will say it appears there are more Nissan Leafs of the road in San Diego. So let's just Estimate about 1200.

#5 - Then you have Car2go! The car sharing company with an all electric fleet that boasts 165 EV Smart cars in Downtown, Point Loma, PB, and North Park.

So let's add it up!

50 + 1000 + 1200 + 165 = 2415

Not bad! Now for the hard part --- where the hell are all the charging stations?

I made this prediction for 2012:

For every 5-10 electric car charging station installed in and around town dealers will sell 50-100 electric cars. Morgan Lee's Dec 2nd article in the SDUT titled "Vehicle owners seek a charge" clearly points out "there is nearly enough momentum in the plug-in car market to break through the chicken-and-egg game as car buyers await more charging stations and station hosts await more drivers." http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/dec/02/vehicle-owners-seek-a-charge/

I also posted this on Facebook back of Dec 4th: I am very proud of this fact: Nearly 1,100 electric vehicles now circulate in the San Diego area — the highest per-capita penetration of owners in the United States — with major automakers poised to introduce a string of electric and hybrid plug-in vehicles in 2012 and 2013. Read more here: https://sites.google.com/site/therealyevesperez/Musings

I don't know about you, but I can't wait for the official numbers!