• Environment. Going solar gives me the power to do something about global warming.
• Money. I will eventually save money on my electricity (perhaps right away, based on the state and financing options).
• Energy independence. We as a country are too reliant on foreign fuel. Solar on my roof is my own personal power plant.
• Statement. Solar on my roof makes a bold statement that I’m doing something to help the environment, and that you – my neighbors – can follow my lead.
• Cool factor. Ironically, this massive ball of ultra-hot burning gas called the sun is the coolest power source on earth. It makes me feel like a cooler person just because I have it.
• Hate. My utility has been making me angry for years. Having solar says to them, “eat my sun.”
• Status. My environmental credentials are…
• Passion. I believe passionately that my country should never again fight a war for oil. Power from the sun is my way of saying, “enough.”
• Hedge. Having a solar installation helps me lock in a rate for my power, so I won’t suffer as much from rising electricity rates over the years (see “hate” above)

Not long ago, before the days of generous federal and state subsidies, the environment was the dominant single driver for going solar. The very early adopters for solar tended to be green in two ways: they had money to throw around, and they wanted to stop global warming. That equation has changed. Today, two factors in combination are the main drivers:

Money and Environment. I can save money and help the environment at the same time. So, why wouldn’t I? Many or all of the other factors play a role in the decision, but these appear to be the top two. Incorporating money saving and environmental preservation together is critical to the success of any solar marketing campaign in 2010.

Captains of Industry has years of experience in renewable energy, but thanks to the economic slowdown in early 2009 landing a solar account was proving to be a daunting challenge.  One day Captains’ creative director, Ted Page, blurted in frustration, “If we don’t land a solar account this year I will eat my shorts!” Thus was born the Solar Shorts blog, with a video in which Page pledged to actually eat his shorts and put the video on YouTube unless the company landed some solar business. To launch the site, Captains reached out to friends and colleagues through social networking channels such as Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin. The result? Emails and blog posts from around the world starting coming in immediately after the site went live, and within 2 weeks Captains had started its first project for the largest solar installer in the Northeast. The blog was featured in the Boston Business Journal. Renewable Energy World online magazine provided free web banners to promote the blog. And the videos have been seen throughout the solar industry. It’s another example of how good web content (in this case a funny video), combined with social networking can deliver terrific results on a budget.

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Alteris Renewables, the largest solar installer in the Northeast, came to Captains when they needed to launch an innovative new solar program in Massachusetts. Instead of paying a fortune up front for a solar installation, households could in effect rent the sun. Homeowners put down just $1,000, and pay every month just for the clean energy produced by their solar panels, instead of buying the panels outright. The mailer, showing how easy it now is to be green, helped build the Alteris brand in the state and draw potential customers to a seminar on solar energy.

Contact us to find out how to Captainize your direct mail