Our CleanWatch Notables series is back. Designed to bring you a round-up of the most current trends and helpful tips to keep you at the forefront of the cleantech industry.
Strategic Communications: PR tips and trends
What is key to any successful marketing campaign? Communication. When speaking to investors, or your general public, make sure to speak the same language. Our messages can often get lost in industry jargon
when speaking about our products and service benefits. According to a Greenbiz blog post, discussion of ROI and efficiencies will peak a business partner’s interest, and mention of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) will resonate with executives as well. Another Greenbiz blog post points out that of all project benefits pitched to executives, those sustainability-related score the lowest. Executives want to hear about CSR. Learning how to communicate sustainability efforts in a targeted way can enhance your ability to engage your audience. Learn to speak their language and they will listen.
Companies are constantly looking to stay at the forefront of technology, with web and mobile development. A well-developed, targeted social media campaign can help build buzz around a company and establish a company’s representatives as industry thought leaders. What are new ways to stay engaged and utilize new media? Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) recently held a panel about commercial solar energy deployment with top name corporations such as Walmart, IKEA and GM—but no one was in the same room. SEIA held this panel through a Google hangout, a Google feature which allows users to video chat and share screens with multiple people. Check out the video here. This is just one way that organizations are using new engaging online features to engage the industry.
All About the EVs
There has been an incredible upsurge in this past month’s media regarding electric vehicles. Whether TESLA, Nissan, plug-ins or wireless chargers, EVs are gaining momentum. Here are some recent EV advances:
- Cleantechnica reports that Ford is helping to fund an $8 million lab that will help EV battery developers overcome the hurdle that lies between research to manufacturing.
- Via Motors developed the first mass-market electric pickup. According to Cleantechnica, it’s a plug-in hybrid electric truck that runs on gasoline if the electric range runs out.
- A new wireless charging system for Neighborhood EVs is being deployed in early 2014. HEVO Power is developing this technology, a charging system embedded in the pavement (similar in look to a manhole) to eliminate the hazards that comes with plug-in station.
- California is taking the lead with electric vehicle adoption. There were 6 new laws recently enacted to help encourage EV ownership even more, Gas2 reports.
Sandy: One year later
The devastating effects of Sandy have shifted the thinking about our electric infrastructure. Greenbiz reports there is a resulting emphasis on creating a more resilient grid through underground power lines and Smartgrid technology, using data analytics to predict effects of incoming storm. Other solutions are being deployed, such as the PowerFactorTM, targeting commercial solar power developers for more stability to the electric grid. Read this article to learn more about solar and storage solutions.
Final Food For Thought
The Cleantech Group released this year’s Global Cleantech 100, highlighting the top private companies in clean tech. The Greenbiz blog sums up the report indicating that the leading companies are focused on energy efficiency. What does this mean for innovative companies in the cleantech world? The emphasis on energy efficiency technologies “has a strong link to investors’ distinct preferences today for business models that more closely resemble those of traditional capital—lighter and faster-to-market, tech and software start-ups—proven money-winners of the past,” said Richard Youngman, who created and leads the Global Cleantech 100 program.
The post CleanWatch Notables- October 2013 appeared first on Eco Branding.