Impress Labs, a brand-driven communications agency for the solar and clean energy industries and other technology sectors, has launched the Solar Marketing Think Tank, an idea forum and blog hub for solar marketing, public relations and communications professionals.
Solar Marketing Think Tank provides a platform for solar marketing innovators to contribute their ideas and experiences for promoting solar and related energy solutions to the industry’s various target markets.
Unlike most traditional think tanks, Solar Marketing Think Tank’s contributors will be sourced virtually, from the entire global solar community. All solar communications professionals are encouraged to submit original solar marketing-related articles and research for publication on the Solar Marketing Think Tank blog, newsletter and other social channels.
Submissions will be reviewed by Tor “Solar Fred” Valenza, chief marketing officer of solar at Impress Labs. A well-known solar marketing strategist, Valenza has published more than a hundred solar marketing and advocacy posts on Renewable Energy World. He is also a solar social media leader with over 12,000 followers on Twitter and the host of sold-out “Solar Tweetups” at the Solar Power International and Intersolar North America tradeshows.
“I’ve been wanting to create this type of forum for a long time,” said Valenza. “Solar communicators can read the occasional marketing research report, blog or article in various solar industry publications. But there has never been a central solar marketing hub where solar pros and advocates can read relevant, focused content and add their own commentary and input.”
Example topics for Solar Marketing Think Tank exploration might include:
- The commoditization of solar-related products and services: How do manufacturers build brand loyalty when price is often the most important decision factor?
- Door-to-door marketing: Is it an expensive nuisance or a cost-effective, personal interaction marketing tactic?
- Outbound telemarketing and the use of purchased email lists: Should solar installers rely on these methods to achieve lead volume, or are there other approaches that work?
- How can B2B and B2C solar marketers reduce customer acquisition costs?
- What percentage of operating budgets should go to solar communications and marketing?
- B2B solar brands mostly matter to installers more than consumers. Should solar manufacturers invest resources to change that status?
Valenza explained, “The idea here is to share ideas and inspire each other to improve marketing and communications across the solar community.”
In that cooperative spirit, Impress Labs will accept Solar Marketing Think Tank original contributions from all solar marketing and communications professionals, regardless of whether the contributor is an Impress Labs client or works for a rival solar marketing firm.
Professional solar marketers and communicators can request Solar Marketing Think Tank content guidelines and submit outlines or fully written posts to solarthinktank@impresslabs.com.
