Effective Electric Vehicle Advertising Coming in 2015?

Will 2015 be the year of effective advertising for EVs?

Fire up the band, 2015 is here and electric vehicle (EV) advertising may be heading in the right direction. The reason for my optimisim is the efforts by BMW, Nissan and maybe Volkswagen (KIA too?). At EV Parade, this is one of my favorite topics and a foundation for the blog (Along with 1) Workplace Charging, 2) Opposition to Electric Vehicles, and 3) Tesla Motors).

The marketing optimism comes from a couple of sources, but for this post, it centers around a recent email from BMW that stated the joys of "one-pedal driving." Why is that such a big deal? It's a differentiator from regular ICE cars and it's SO freakin' enjoyable! I love it with my Tesla Model S, very fluid and it offers a ton of fun with local driving; trying not to use your brake pedal for stop signs. 

It's a feature that should be emphasized and really hasn't in any tangible marketing campaign. 

This is smart branding from BMW as the email focuses on the fun and nothing on the environmental benefits—taking a cue from Tesla Motors Model S page. It's a car, plain and simple

Copy from the BMW email: 

Discover how single-pedal driving, 50/50 weight distribution, and a tight turning radius can make it exciting to take on the road in the all-new BMW i3. You may never need to do donuts in the street, but it’s good to know you could.

Coming from a online media perspective in the B2B space for many years, this is how you want to craft an sales email. One message and video, boom. Effective, simple and it aligns nicely with your brand, while educating the public on the benefits of a fun (electric) car. 

Chevy has not been able educate or entertain the public in the states for four years and the Volt 1.0 is a sporty looking car. They never went near the car's aggressive design in marketing this alternative car, but leaned on their overall brand theme: "Drive Further" or some other rubbish. (One note, I did see a great commercial for Opel, the European version of the Volt 1.0, "That's an Electric Car Commercial, Nicw Work Opel"). 

With this anti-marketing context, EV sales are quite robust with little or no marketing from the major automakers. There's been no advertising push from any auto OEM in four years, with last year Nissan and BMW engaging the general public a bit more...and doing a good job. Inside EVs reports that through end of 2014, US sales reached 287,249 in four year and a limited number of brands to choose from. 

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Related Content:

Perfect Demographic for this i3 Test Drive
Bloomberg Report Reveals i3 Popularity? 

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A recent article by Daniel Sparks at Motley Fool talks about how he's been driving a Tesla Model S for 10,000 miles and people don't have a clue about the car. Tesla is production constrained and they can barely meet their current demand, plus advertising is expensive for a start-up automaker.

From the article, 4 Things I Learned Driving a Tesla for 10,000 Miles (Reg Reqd):

One of the most common initial questions we get from strangers and friends is, "Who makes the car?" After we explain the car is made by Tesla, they often persist: "But who makes Tesla?" Furthermore, most people don't know Tesla now has an all-wheel-drive version of the Model S, are completely unaware of the fast-growing Supercharger network, and have never heard of regenerative braking.

Now you have cheap oil coming into play in 2015, but effective advertising should keep EV sales strong this year and automakers have CAFE regulations coming fast. By 2025, global automakers have to hit a fleet average of 52.5 miles. Alternative drivetrains aren't going anywhere and Tesla Motors is pushing the market, too.

This is why I see those sales numbers from a different perspective, no advertising really hurts a brand. That's why a geek showman like Elon Musk is needed to stoke the fires a bit for his company and their stock price helps a bit, too. However, Ford and GM does not have that new company smell.  

Should be fun year for adverstising and I hear BMW has a new commercial for the Super Bowl. Go EV marketing!