Free Solarcity Marketing Plan Business Plan Sample

Executive Summary:

Given the high saturation of solar players in the market, the competition level is huge. The other players in the market have been in the market for a good number of years, with limited but repeated clients. On the other hand, the non-branded Chinese ones dominate the solar market, but with one-time clients. For SolarCity, the brand competitors are the branded ones; as per price and quality and the penetration competitors are the non-branded ones. Since this is the first of its kind project in the country, the brand has tried adopting a push strategy, but the sales are not as expected. The next consignment and expansion of the SolarCity are due in January, and there have been no increased revenue or sales as there is no clarity. However, no promotional strategy has been adopted for a global idea and platform, with hesitations regarding the value proposition and positioning that should be taken for the promotions of a unique brand.
The marketing plan below has been prepared after conducting an extensive research. The research helped in developing the POPs and PODs for the new brand that we are offering. It also helped in the creation of marketing strategies in the long run once the construction phase is ready. The research was descriptive in nature which means that the research helped in determining the characteristics of the service and perceptions of relevant groups. The basic research design was based on survey research method. The unit of analysis were the consumers that could be the target market for our unique product and the value propositions that they consider during purchase.
The ultimate aim was the preparation of a marketing plan based on the results of the research, which indicate competitor threats and areas of opportunity. Since it is a new concept, it was necessary to consider the dynamics of the market through a competitive analysis so that positioning can be done well.
The problems thus solved with this marketing plan for the brand is the positioning and the marketing mix strategies that the Company needs to adopt. The main considerations in the preparation of the marketing plan are the major competitors that the brand has, the competitive profile (meaning the objectives, assumptions, strategy, and capabilities of the competitors) and the major influencing factors for consumers for using the new concept of Solar City. Thus, this marketing plan is holistic in nature which takes into account the overall factors for a successful and sustainable strategy for SolarCity.

Company overview:

The steady pace of globalization has opened doors for many global brands to expose themselves into the virgin and saturated consumer market. SolarCity, a leading energy concept in other parts of the world, aims to specialize in creating sustainable lighting solutions for an emerging energy opportunity in the developed parts of the world as well.
SolarCity gives you cost and energy savings up to 88%, adds to the organizational and individual concern of being environmentally conscious and provides better and long-lasting energy options. These are the primary advantages of the solar technology used by SolarCity. But having the largest construction site and real estate facility in the whole of the globe and a precise organizational focus provide SolarCity the edge of lighting benefits that surpass other solar contemporaries in the market.
Specialized designs with innovation options for each industry, the only solar brand that has patented the flicker-free technology, bright lights that can compete with the biggest of brands and a vision that adds impetus to future energy efficient Nepal- SolarCity is what the global energy sector has been long waiting for.
We are committed to building a global brand with local treatment; which promotes lighting solutions which are creative, efficient and complementary to the modern infrastructure development format. We want consumers to resort to this globally trusted idea in our vicinity to know Why SolarCity is the best solution to your energy needs. Choosing the best energy solution for oneself and others is not just another choice; it is the reflection of our pledge to quality and a secure future. By choosing SolarCity as our project, we aim to choose to commit to overall greater good.

Situation Analysis:

With almost a significant amount of costs being spent on artificial energy development and lighting, the world is suffering from a serious artificial energy takeover. Given the current scenario of fuel and LPG shortages and the intention of global consumers shifting towards alternative energy, many opportunities lie hidden for aspiring entrepreneurs.
In fact, one of the areas where entrepreneurship can optimally foster and create greater benefits for the global as well as developed economies is the energy sector. As a group of potential entrepreneurs who are mostly interested in innovating ways of making sustainable energy alternatives available to greater masses, the vision that we have for our entrepreneurial journey is leading an alternative energy development project. The aim of the Company is to do so by creating a SolarCity, with quality and affordable equipment and solar lights, which will be used for the future saving of artificial energy crisis solution in my homeland and later on in the world.
The aftereffects of a wrong energy decision haunt an economy for ages; the world is not an exception. While there needs to be significant reconstruction in infrastructure in different parts of the world to make them energy sufficient, the energy sector also needs to be redefined in terms of usage. The lesser the energy consumed, the lesser will be the energy costs, dependency on energy equipment and energy as a whole. In fact, with the use of solar in significant amounts, we can increase the percentage of electricity reach for other energy deprived parts of the globe of a mere 20% to 50% (International Energy Agency & Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 1990).
We had also shared this idea of entrepreneurship with some of our colleagues. The feedback is clear- there is high competition in the market. However, the business model that we intend to develop focuses on innovative marketing campaigns, sustainable partnerships, and unique value propositions so that the energy savings in the global urban sector can be transmitted directly to the energy deprived sectors.

SWOT analysis:

Strengths:
A new market to capture and win over
The regulations of Government supporting solar initiatives
Opportunity for differentiation
Technology based; which is recently in hype
Weaknesses:
Comparatively a new industry
The costs related to differentiation are quite high
There is no much experience with the company
Opportunities:
Increasing demands for natural sources of energy
Expansion opportunities
The decrease in alternatives related to sustainable energy sources.
Threats:
High level of market competition
Differentiation is tough
Imitation is high
Objectives- Problem being solved:
The objective that we have is clear: As entrepreneurs, we want to create an energy independent world where renewable sources of energy can be most promoted. Let us start with SolarCity promotion by bringing in quality and affordable products that can be easily run with Solar.

The objectives of the marketing plan can also be summarized as:

STDP:
The segmentation, targeting, differentiation and positioning is done as follows (Process & Process, 2016). 
Segmentation:
The consumer segment and especially the household sectors are the areas where a lot of opportunity for SolarCity exists. These customers can be broadly put into two categories: household consumers and the corporate consumers. There is increased demand for alternative energy sources in both the segments. The major difference is that the corporate consumers look after the benefits to them in terms of the cost and the household consumers look for the overall cost of the products and the immediate value that they are deriving from it (Smart Insights, 2013).

Targeting:

The initial target of the SolarCity will thus be the corporate sector which has higher vicinity towards using efficient energy resources in the modern days. This target will comprise of small as well as bigger corporates which have the need to be energy efficient so that they can save on costs that are rather be utilized somewhere else. The target market will thus be corporates like hospitals, business houses, hotels, resorts and the like.

Positioning:

The positioning statement for SolarCity will thus be,
“An energy efficient solution to the energy needs of the corporates so that they can save on their cost and instead invest in areas where they are better needed and multiplied.”

Research and Research Methodology:

The methodology part is a little complex as there needs to be two-tier analysis. In the first tier, the corporate consumer segment that has used solar will be researched about their solar preferences, influencing factors and feedback on their used brand. In the second tier, the major competing brands will be researched regarding their strategies and other market dynamics.

Research Design:

The research will be descriptive in nature which means that the research will be determining the characteristics of the service and perceptions of relevant groups. The basic research design will be based on survey research method. The unit of analysis was the corporate organizations, which either use or sell solar.
Under the survey method, a quantitative method was used for both the tiers with varying interference of the researcher. Close and open-ended questionnaires were asked so that each sample respondent is interviewed at specific locations. The timing of the interviews was about 10 to 15 minutes, although there may be differences in the timings depending on a number of externalities like the attitude of the person in-charge and time constraints. A cross-sectional study is best suited for this research as the collection of data is done on the organizational basis from the sample respondents, one at a time. The role of the researcher usually depended on the amount of language knowledge of the surveyed individuals.
The population was all those corporate organizations in the area which use solar in their lighting systems. The sample was taken considering the percentage which will give a tentative picture of how the consumers see the solar market.
The sampling method employed was simple random sampling. Each sample had the same or equal probability of being chosen. This method is also the least bias and offers most general applicability. The sample was random consisting of organizations which have used or are using solar lights in their premises.
The population of organizations that use solar in their lighting, whether branded or non-branded may be taken tentatively around 10% of the total corporate populates in the area. The sample size could be taken as 15 organizations. For the second tier, the sample size was taken was 20.

Marketing Mix:

Product:
We are providing solar energy options to corporate consumers. Our product is value based; quality focused with reasonable pricing. Our product is “SolarCity” which would be used in such a manner that there are cost and energy savings for a Company.

Pricing:

Since our main focus is to deliver high value to the customers, we will be focusing on perceived value pricing. During our research, customers were willing to pay a high price if they could control their energy and cost consumption. But we also have to consider the incurring production and promotion cost as well as the markup/ profit. After considering all the factors and keeping in mind the concept of perceived value pricing, we will be setting two price systems (Grey Advertising Inc & United States, 1977).

Promotion:

The communication objective of SolarCity is based on categorical need because of its new services. The objective is to communicate this new service to create value for consumers and meet the needs of parents and targeted customers. The company can promote their product through personal and non-personal communication channels.

Personal Communication Channel (Below the line) (Mindtools.com, 2016):

Word of mouth: Proposal presentations in selected corporate houses
Short presentations in meeting
Events and Experiences:
Direct Marketing: Distributing pamphlets
Interactive Marketing: Official account on Facebook for receiving feedback and providing information
Focus group interaction
Non-personal Communication Channel (Above the line):
Place:
Raw material suppliers: We will be purchasing all the equipment from China as quality, and cost-efficient raw materials can be purchased.

Financials:

The company’s major investments are made in furnishing the accessories and equipment to make it more efficient and effective. The total capital is $50000. The sources of capital are 30% debt, and 70% are from promoters i.e. owner’s equity. The loan has 12% interest rate.

Control

SolarCity will be monitoring and controlling on following ways:
Strict monitoring on purchase of quality equipment
Quality specialist will make sure about quality of equipment
Proper inspection before dispatching the goods
Feedback from the users every month
Delivery on time
Keeping track of all the expenses and always looking for possible cost reduction areas.
Implementation:
The implementation will be based on how fast passed the business becomes once it is formally launched (BusinessDictionary.com, 2016).

Conclusion:

The marketing plan for SolarCity identifies the need for a basis of marketing activities for SolarCity in its vicinity. As a globally active concept, SolarCity has been adopted with differing marketing campaigns in varied nations depending on the individual target market need. In our case, the primary target market is taken as the corporate sector, and there is no evidence as to what drives the solar demand and supplies in these institutions.
A research was thus carried out in an attempt to understand the POPs and PODs for Solar City in the corporate sector. Since the industry is fragmented and there are not much feature based benefits that can be established as points of differentiation, the paper will hopefully help identify the gaps and fill in our product where our competitors lag. The marketing plan fulfills this purpose.

References

BusinessDictionary.com,. (2016). What is implementation plan? definition and meaning. Retrieved 8 January 2016, from http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/implementation-plan.html
Grey Advertising Inc, & United States. (1977). Marketing plan to accelerate the use of vanpools. Washington: Dept. of Energy, Office of Conservation and Solar Applications.
International Energy Agency, & Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (1990). Energy policies of IEA countries. Paris: OECD.
Mindtools.com,. (2016). The Marketing Mix and th 4 Ps: Understanding How to Position Your Market Offering. Retrieved 8 January 2016, from https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newSTR_94.htm
Process, T., & Process?, W. (2016). What is the STP Process?. Segmentationstudyguide.com. Retrieved 8 January 2016, from http://www.segmentationstudyguide.com/stp-process/what-is-the-stp-process/
Smart Insights,. (2013). The Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning model. Retrieved 8 January 2016, from http://www.smartinsights.com/digital-marketing-strategy/customer-segmentation-targeting/segmentation-targeting-and-positioning/