Abby O’Connor
MODERATOR
With any communications strategy, it’s important to have
a mix of proof points and data that customers trust — whether it’s B2B or B2C. Although electric transportation is on the rise, there is still some hesitancy from many consumers.
It’s relatively new technology, so in these early stages,
building trust that electric vehicles are as safe and reliable
as gas-powered vehicles will be key for long-term success.
EVs are considered B2B2C in many ways. As the industry gains momentum, what should communicators be thinking about now to maximize impact
in the long-term energy transition?
Educating and Building
Trust with EV Marketing
Click headshot for response
Kellie Woods
Senior Manager,
Energy Communications
Reagan Costa
Manager,
Energy Communications
Consumer education is an essential driver (pun intended)
in accelerating the larger EV transition. Successfully electrifying transportation isn’t contingent upon one single sector or group, but the general consumer audience
is an especially critical piece of the puzzle.
This means it’s important for all players in the EV space, whether B2B, B2C, or B2B2C, to prioritize communications that speak to and educate both their target customers
and the general consumer audience (in varying capacities,
of course).
The bottom line is that building knowledge and understanding of the many benefits of electrifying transportation
is the foundation of mainstream EV adoption and taking steps toward our national net-zero emissions targets.
Liz Chavez
Manager,
Energy Communications
To tie things together, trust is built through education.
Every marketing effort should begin with asking ourselves, “what does our audience care about?” and “how do they learn about EVs?”
For instance, commercial audiences (e.g., fleet operators
and businesses) are highly focused on balancing cost savings with meeting near-term corporate sustainability and emissions goals. They often rely on fleet management companies
for information.
On the other hand, everyday consumers have personal environmental concerns while wanting to successfully
and conveniently complete the family road trip. And they often rely on car dealerships when making their purchasing choice.
To build strong trust that will help champion this industry into future decades, we need to meet our customers where they are and help solve their problems.
Reagan Costa
Manager,
Energy Communications
Education still very much has a role here. Developing unique and innovative EV education efforts is an effective way that many automakers are capturing media attention, setting their brand apart from competitors and ultimately driving sales.
For example, GM recently launched an EV Live tool, a no-sell online platform for consumers to learn everything about EVs.
I thought it was fantastic. PR efforts like that support journalists’ coverage with a clear solution to an identified problem and the “no-sell” aspect reinforces the company’s commitment to the larger cause while attaching their name
to the EV transition in a non-promotional way.
Liz Chavez
Manager,
Energy Communications
Be a source of data and human-interest stories. A brand has access to so many stakeholders and information, which
is a sure-fire way to connect with media and see PR wins.
Think about all the narratives your business is a part
of and the questions you could answer: How does the company see new policies driving adoption? How do charging patterns change from state-to-state? How do electric vehicles support or hurt the grid during extreme weather? Is there a bus driver who is experiencing better commutes and happier passengers with an electric bus?
Kellie Woods
Senior Manager,
Energy Communications
The media has been buzzing with EV news coverage lately,
like big players announcing their move into the EV scene
or the Biden administration announcing new policies
and incentives for the e-mobility industry. Any news buzz lends itself to newsjacking opportunities.
EV communicators who want to have a voice in the market should keep an eye on what’s happening in the industry overall and find places to comment on other news. This can be a helpful way to have a voice and differentiate yourself from competitors in a market that is only growing.
Abby O’Connor
MODERATOR
The EV industry is jam packed
with big, legacy names like Ford
and VW, along with new splashy players like Tesla. How do brands stand out in the crowd?
Click headshot for response
Standing Out from
the EV Crowd
Liz Chavez
Manager,
Energy Communications
To stay ahead of the curve, become the top source
of information. There’s an incredible amount of nuance
in the transition to electric transportation, and both consumer and commercial audiences have questions.
Bring data and human-interest stories to educate reporters, your social followers, and EV sellers. To really make an impact, position your brand as a thought leader. There is a massive narrative here, and you have the expertise in your toolbelt.
Be bold and get out there to shape it.
Reagan Costa
Manager,
Energy Communications
I agree with Liz. Build your marketing and comms programs
to position yourself as a go-to resource and industry leader
for EV-related information and expert insights.
But also, in doing that it’s important to be strategic
in choosing which opportunities or moments to contribute
your perspective. You need to strike a balance between only pursuing topics that directly relate to your business offerings and going too far outside your expertise.
Kellie Woods
Senior Manager,
Energy Communications
And to back up a little, with any communications program,
it’s important to start with an audit of the industry
and competitors. You need to know what’s currently being said and where the white space is before you dive in.
Without a solid understanding of the market from
a communications standpoint, companies won’t be able to stand out in their messaging or know what’s going to resonate most with the media. Once that initial audit is done, then you can begin thinking through the marketing strategy.
Abby O’Connor
MODERATOR
Some great stuff here. As the industry kicks into high gear, is there any advice you can give on building an EV marketing and communications program that stays ahead of the curve?
Click headshot for response
Getting Ahead of the Curve
Kellie Woods
Senior Manager,
Energy Communications
The direct impacts of the IRA on e-mobility remain
to be determined, and consumers and companies are still figuring out how to best leverage the legislation. In this stage, EV companies should closely monitor news coming out
of the White House and be prepared to quickly get messaging out about how the company is impacted.
Also, working with a communications agency that specializes
in energy and e-mobility can be helpful to quickly
and effectively get marketing materials, thought leadership content, and unique messaging out.
Liz Chavez
Manager,
Energy Communications
Kellie is totally right. A ton of questions remain around how
to best take advantage of IRA tax credits and the impact it will have on the energy transition. Right now, EV marketers can lean on their educational power and let people know there’s money sitting on the table waiting for them.
We saw this in early 2022 with the $5 billion Clean Bus Program from the EPA. While the legislation gave funding to replace existing school buses with low-emission alternatives, most schools didn’t know how to get started. EV companies had
to knock on the front doors of schools and let them know
the funding existed, then start proposals. While we figure things out with the IRA, we have to meet consumers where they are.
Abby O’Connor
MODERATOR
One more question to close us out. As we look to the future of the EV industry, we can’t ignore the Inflation Reduction Act. How can EV communicators take advantage of its passage?
Click headshot for response
Harnessing the IRA in EV Comms
Abby O’Connor
Senior Manager,
Content
Yes, exactly. A thought leader needs
to have more than just expertise — although that’s crucial. What sets
an industry thought leader apart from a subject matter expert is perspective. They layer analysis, opinion,
and personal experience on top
of expertise and share it generously.
Paige Buescher
Director,
Content
Thought leadership is going below
the surface. A good analogy would
be getting an interview with the White House Press Secretary versus getting an interview with the president.
They will both probably hit on the same talking points, but one is going to be more impactful. To be a good thought leader, knowing your audience is critical because then you know what questions you need to answer.
Thought leaders give people information they can’t find from
a million other places — they don’t go broad, they go deep.
And it may seem obvious, but it’s important to remember that great thought leaders are first and foremost great leaders. Yes, they are visionaries in their dedicated fields and expertise, but they also inspire and lead
by example.
Kersa Haughey
Director, Marketing
and Business Development
Let’s address the buzzword
in the room. How we we define thought leadership, really?
Click headshot for response
What Makes a Great
Thought Leader
Abby O’Connor
Senior Manager,
Content
Yes, exactly. A thought leader needs
to have more than just expertise — although that’s crucial. What sets
an industry thought leader apart from a subject matter expert is perspective. They layer analysis, opinion,
and personal experience on top
of expertise and share it generously.
Liz Chavez
Manager,
Energy Communications
To tie things together, trust is built through education. Every marketing effort should begin with asking ourselves, “what does our audience care about?” and “how do they learn about EVs?” For instance, commercial audiences (e.g., fleet operators
and businesses) are highly focused
on balancing cost savings with meeting near-term corporate sustainability
and emissions goals. They often rely
on fleet management companies for information. On the other hand, everyday consumers have personal environmental concerns while wanting to successfully and conveniently complete the family road trip.
And they often rely on car dealerships when making their purchasing choice.
To build strong trust that will help champion this industry into future decades, we need to meet our customers where they are and help solve their problems.
Reagan Costa
Manager,
Energy Communications
Consumer education is an essential driver (pun intended) in accelerating the larger EV transition. Successfully electrifying transportation isn’t contingent upon one single sector
or group, but the general consumer audience is an especially critical piece of the puzzle. This means it’s important for all players in the EV space, whether B2B, B2C, or B2B2C, to prioritize communications that speak to
and educate both their target customers and the general consumer audience (in varying capacities,
of course).
The bottom line is that building knowledge and understanding
of the many benefits of electrifying transportation is the foundation
of mainstream EV adoption and taking steps toward our national net-zero emissions targets.
Kellie Woods
Senior Manager,
Energy Communications
With any communications strategy,
it’s important to have a mix of proof points and data that customers trust — whether it’s B2B or B2C. Although electric transportation is on the rise, there is still some hesitancy from
many consumers. It’s relatively new technology, so in these early stages, building trust that electric vehicles
are as safe and reliable as gas-
powered vehicles will be key for long-term success.
Abby
O'Connor
Moderator
EVs are considered B2B2C in many ways. As the industry gains momentum, what should communicators be thinking about now to maximize impact
in the long-term energy transition?
Click headshot for response
Educating and Building
Trust with EV Marketing
Kellie Woods
Senior Manager,
Energy Communications
The media has been buzzing with EV news coverage lately, like big players announcing their move into the EV scene or the Biden administration announcing new policies
and incentives for the e-mobility industry. Any news buzz lends itself
to newsjacking opportunities.
EV communicators who want to have
a voice in the market should keep
an eye on what’s happening in the industry overall and find places
to comment on other news. This can be a helpful way to have a voice
and differentiate yourself from competitors in a market that
is only growing.
Liz Chavez
Manager,
Energy Communications
Be a source of data and human-interest stories. A brand has access
to so many stakeholders and information, which is a sure-fire way
to connect with media and see
PR wins.
Think about all the narratives your business is a part of and the questions you could answer: How does
the company see new policies driving adoption? How do charging patterns change from state-to-state?
How do electric vehicles support
or hurt the grid during extreme weather? Is there a bus driver who
is experiencing better commutes
and happier passengers with
an electric bus?
Reagan Costa
Manager,
Energy Communications
Education still very much has a role here. Developing unique
and innovative EV education efforts
is an effective way that many automakers are capturing media attention, setting their brand apart from competitors and ultimately driving sales.
For example, GM recently launched
an EV Live tool, a no-sell online platform for consumers to learn everything about EVs. I thought it was fantastic. PR efforts like that support journalists’ coverage with a clear solution to an identified problem
and the “no-sell” aspect reinforces
the company’s commitment
to the larger cause while attaching their name to the EV transition
in a non-promotional way.
Abby
O'Connor
Moderator
The EV industry is jam packed with big, legacy names like Ford, VW, and new splashy players
like Tesla. How do brands stand out in the crowd?
Click headshot for response
Standing Out from the EV Crowd
Reagan Costa
Manager,
Energy Communications
I agree with Liz. Build your marketing and comms programs to position yourself as a go-to resource
and industry leader for EV-related information and expert insights.
But also, in doing that, it’s important to be strategic in choosing which opportunities or moments
to contribute your perspective
and strike a balance between only pursuing topics that directly relate
to your business offerings and going too far outside your expertise.
Liz Chavez
Manager,
Energy Communications
To stay ahead of the curve,
become the top source of information. There’s an incredible amount
of nuance in the transition to electric transportation, and both consumer and commercial audiences have questions. Bring data and human-interest stories to educate reporters, your social followers, and EV sellers.
To really make an impact, position
your brand as a thought leader.
There is a massive narrative here,
and you have the expertise in your toolbelt. Be bold and get out there
to shape it.
Abby
O'Connor
Moderator
Some great stuff here. As the industry kicks into high gear, is there any advice you can give on building an EV marketing and communications program that stays ahead of the curve?
Click headshot for response
Getting Ahead of the Curve