How has Renewable Energy Marketing Evolved in 2023?

As the renewable energy sector has evolved this year, the best renewable energy marketing has been dynamic enough to respond.

From objection handling, to myth-busting, to storytelling that matters, as renewable energy technologies advance, so too have the strategies used to promote and integrate these crucial alternatives into our daily lives.

Marketing leads these strategies: winning heads and hearts, marketers can forge a unified path towards a future powered by renewable energy, where informed decision-making and strategic communication drive positive change.

Let’s dive into the insights and messages we’ve garnered over the past year of our own renewable energy marketing - and reflect on how far we’ve come.

The Early Days of Renewable Energy Marketing: Education and Awareness

In 2007, according to Pew Research Center, only 12% of Americans considered themselves well-informed about renewable energy.

In the earliest renewable energy marketing, the focus was therefore on education and raising awareness: with campaigns aimed to inform consumers about the positive impact of choosing clean energy options over traditional fossil fuels.

For example, the campaign by SolarCity (now part of Tesla) in the mid-2000s was instrumental in popularising residential solar installations through straightforward messaging and visuals to educate homeowners about the advantages of solar energy.

As renewable energy solutions have become a larger part of the mainstream conversation - and the world sets ambitious decarbonisation goals, the role of marketing has changed.

Key Messages of Renewable Energy Marketing in 2023

Understanding the essential messages that resonate in the renewable energy sector - and serve customers - is about getting to the core values and benefits of sustainable energy, guiding marketers to craft compelling narratives to engage and educate consumers, and encourage adoption.

If you’re providing solutions or services to the renewable energy sector or a renewable energy business involved in the energy supply chain, the battleground is now less about the environmental benefits (which can still feel abstract to consumers) but instead respond to their needs, expectations and fears.

What are the four key messages for renewable energy that aren’t going to change?

Energy consumers want their energy to be:

• Secure
• Reliable
• Accessible
• affordable

Tasking marketing to build confidence, trust and credibility that your business can deliver in these areas is essential. Read more

And embracing innovation could be part of your strategy,

Technological Innovation and Personalisation In Renewable Energy Marketing

According to a 2021 Salesforce report, 84% of customers say the experience a company provides is as important as its products and services. This highlights the significance of interactive and personalised marketing experiences.

Virtual reality (VR) experiences, augmented reality (AR) apps, and interactive websites enable consumers to explore and understand renewable energy solutions in immersive ways.

VolksWagen’s Buzz Cargo VR experience, for example, allows users to explore their electric van's features and learn about its sustainable design through a virtual showroom. This approach engages consumers on a deeper level.

But in B2B marketing, where there are multiple decision-makers, how does this play out?

Decoding Decision-Makers in Renewable Energy

To navigate the complex landscape of renewable energy adoption, it's crucial to identify and understand the key decision-makers steering the ship. By unveiling the personas and needs of these influencers, marketers can tailor strategies that resonate with their unique perspectives.

This could involve VR or AR scenarios, but there are other tactics where the tech is perhaps more in reach of most businesses. According to Forbes, viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it on video, compared to 10% when reading it in a text, so utilising media like video and animation to simplify complex ideas for new audiences can encourage the adoption of green energy sources.

And the most effective B2B strategies still leverage one simple asset: the talent of your team in face-to-face or online forums with prospects.

Read more about how you identify and speak to the decision-makers in renewable energy.

Marketing to give green energy the green light

At its best, marketing can do more than win hearts and minds. It can change them.

And it needs to.

Only 39% of energy professionals are confident about meeting decarbonisation and climate targets.

Several barriers are inhibiting the readiness or willingness to embrace green energy as a trusted energy source. Among them are investments in grid infrastructure, supply chain issues, finance/investment, and governmental policies and actions - or lack of them.

Alongside these, myths and misconceptions about renewables' viability are actively pushed into the public arena, slowing communities' willingness to adopt them.

In 2023 and into 2024 as the world sits on the brink of irrevocable climate change, getting the message right has never been more critical, combining storytelling, education, and compelling messaging to engage audiences and promote the benefits of renewable energy.

Overcoming Barriers: Marketing's Vital Role

From technological challenges to regulatory hurdles, here, we explore six major barriers to renewable energy’s adoption and shed light on how marketing plays a vital role in overcoming these obstacles, driving the industry towards widespread acceptance.

Navigating Trends in Renewable Energy Investment

Google's commitment to being 100% powered by renewable energy since 2017 was a benchmark in corporate sustainability - with marketing that emphasised not just environmental benefits but also the economic viability of renewable energy.

Companies began to formalise their commitment to environmental stewardship via CSR policies - within which showcasing renewable energy adoption was a tangible demonstration of their dedication to sustainability.

Take the RE100 initiative, where over 360 companies have committed to consume 100% renewable power. This increase in corporate power from renewable energy sources (RES) demand saw RES consumption in RE100 companies sourced through Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) triple from 2016 to 2020.

Dive into our learning on trends shaping investment decisions to provide marketers and decision-makers with insights for navigating the complex terrain of PPAs.

Get Found, Be Heard, and Grow your Renewable Energy company

There is no silver bullet to fast-track our transition to green energy, nor secure its large-scale adoption.

But we know the more specific and clear your marketing can be as to who your solutions help most and how they help them will help to cut through the barriers slowing the momentum of the energy transition .

Effective renewable energy marketing is a mission that’s critical for businesses and the planet. Using a specialised renewable energy company can help move the needle faster,

Let’s talk: reach out to Andy on: andy@wearewildtribe.com