5 Things Every Renewable Energy Marketer Should know
The renewable energy space in 2024 looks a lot different than it did a year ago. A variety of significant factors at the global, national and state level are impacting businesses and consumers wanting to participate in the transition to clean energy. Many of these challenges are also affecting other industries, leading to more competition over the airways as brands try to communicate and engage with their respective target audience.
In many cases, your target audience overlaps with competitive industry segments. As a marketer in renewable energy, it’s important to be mindful of the changing landscape. Make sure you’re tuning your message to stay above the background noise of other industries. Here are five areas of thought marketers in renewable energy should pay close attention to.
ESG – It’s not just the “E”
The subject of sustainability is included in nearly every conversation about business today, regardless of industry. For marketers working in renewable energy, that means a heightened focus on the “E” in ESG. Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) are key principles in the measure of a company’s sustainability. Over the last two decades, it has become a larger part of nearly every organization, whether they choose to embrace it or not.
While the emphasis on environmental impact is at the heart of the renewable energy industry, the social and governance components are no less significant. Companies working in solar, wind, hydropower, and bioenergy exist because of their impact on carbon emissions, efficiency, waste, and resources. However, with heightened interest by the public, measuring the performance of businesses on their social impact and management practices is the norm today. Keep that in mind as you plot your marketing strategy.
Education gap – Drop some science
Whichever segment your brand occupies in the renewable energy space, there’ve been significant advancements in performance, efficiency, and capabilities. Innovation and new technology have made renewable energy more accessible and effective than ever before. However, to most of the population, including your target audience, the solutions you provide might not look that much different from what they did five years ago.
The public understanding of the latest systems technology, available options, and integrations is likely out of date or simply not accurate. Some may be intimidated by it because most of the population has little to no experience with it. This is an opportunity to educate your audience from your company’s position as an expert in their respective field. Communicating this information in a way that is inviting and easy to process can bridge the education gap. By demystifying renewable energy technology, you will be helping them gain a more accurate understanding of today’s solutions. This will enable you to build a stronger connection between your audience and your brand.
Misinformation
Educating your audience about a subject they’re not familiar with is standard practice for marketers in renewable energy. However, in today’s highly-charged environment with viral content on social media, political polarization, and the decline of traditional news media outlets, there’s a lot of misinformation being spread online, with a fair amount of it targeting renewables and sustainability.
The average consumer is spending longer periods of time scrolling on social media and being exposed to content based on algorithms that prioritize engagement instead of accuracy. Content designed to trigger or paint a polarizing image of renewable energy is being created, shared, and ending up in your audience's social media feeds. Much of it is content taken out of context or deliberately created with false or misleading imagery. If you spend enough time on social media or in certain social circles, you will encounter this content and the people that it has convinced.
While it’s next to impossible to change someone’s mind about something they have chosen to believe based on their trusted sources, you should be mindful of the fact that misinformation is out there. It’s part of the daily consumption of information by larger parts of the population, and your marketing needs to overcome it.
Transparency
During the last few years, user experience and customer satisfaction with renewables have been challenged by the practices of some bad actors. Businesses looking to get into a fast-growing market have damaged the trust of customers seeking energy independence. Much of it can be attributed to a lack of transparency from the businesses and unmet customer expectations.
As a marketer, you are charged with overcoming these obstacles and rebuilding the trust of your audience. Today, customers seek a greater understanding of the solutions available and assurances that their needs will be met. Being more transparent in your marketing can help restore that trust and give customers confidence in your brand.
Be original
New and established companies are entering the renewable energy market every day as the world scrambles to combat climate change. Solar has attracted a lot of interest due to lower acquisition costs, government incentives, and energy savings for the end user. It’s easy to see how crowded the other forms of renewable energy will get as those segments grow. To the companies or end users your organization is targeting, the products can tend to look and function in the same way, but there is much more to the story.
A lot of the content and messaging from some of these brands all tend to have a similar look and feel. Stock photography, cookie-cutter presentation, and bland messaging can all end up looking like a blur to your audience. Don’t let your brand get lost in the crowd. Give your brand an identity that sets it apart. The personality, look, and feel of your brand help create that valuable first impression.