Tesla, a company known for not using conventional marketing strategies, appears to have launched its first full social media campaign. X users reported seeing ads on different platforms worldwide, including X, which is, of course, owned by Tesla CEO Elon Musk. However, advertisements have been popping up on YouTube and Facebook.
As Tesla ventures into social media advertising, the company is simultaneously preparing for a year that CEO Elon Musk anticipates might see lower growth rates. During the most recent earnings call, Musk provided insights into Tesla's strategic direction for 2024, emphasizing the company's position between two major growth waves. Despite this forecast, Tesla is actively implementing strategies to maintain its momentum and ensure long-term success.
A Strategic Shift in Tesla's Strategy
Although not the first instance of Tesla delving into advertising, the company's recent move to include social media platforms marks a significant expansion of its marketing efforts. Previously, Tesla tested the waters with targeted Google ads, primarily in the UK and the US, focusing on search engine visibility. These initial steps were indicative of Tesla's cautious approach to advertising, aiming to gauge its effectiveness without committing substantial resources.
The recent earnings call shed light on Tesla's advertising and educational campaigns' preliminary results and return on investment. Tesla did have a digital campaign underway at the end of 2023 that was highly targeted and aimed at driving awareness about the brand and its products.
These campaigns, particularly one in Texas, reached approximately 10 million unique viewers and generated close to 0.5 million visits to Tesla's website, many of whom were first-time visitors. This data suggests that digital advertising can significantly enhance Tesla's visibility and address misconceptions about EVs, including concerns about safety and affordability.
This expansion aligns with Musk's comments during the earnings call about the need to increase awareness in regions where Tesla's market share is low. Using a mix of social media platforms, Tesla can tailor its messaging to different audiences, ensuring its campaigns resonate with diverse consumers.
The Impact of Digital Advertising on EV Awareness
The strategic focus on digital advertising comes at a crucial time for Tesla and the EV industry. As competition intensifies and market dynamics evolve, Tesla must recognize the importance of addressing affordability, enhancing awareness, and correcting misconceptions about electric vehicles. The company's digital campaigns highlight EVs' benefits, such as their environmental impact, advanced technology, safety features, and increasingly competitive pricing.
By leveraging social media platforms' reach and targeting capabilities, Tesla can effectively communicate these messages to a global audience, potentially accelerating the shift toward sustainable transportation. This approach also allows Tesla to gather valuable consumer behavior and preferences data, informing future marketing and product development strategies.
New Buyers While Keeping the Loyal Customers Happy
The advertising campaign comes just one day after the company announced a significant offering to entice current owners to upgrade. Notably, Tesla now allows the transfer of Full Self-Driving (FSD) packages and supercharging benefits to new vehicles purchased by existing customers. The new cars must be delivered by the end of March.
While Tesla prepares for a year of potentially lower growth in 2024, its strategic moves highlight its proactive approach to overcoming challenges. By focusing on innovation, enhancing customer value propositions, and leveraging social media platforms for advertising, Tesla is taking comprehensive steps to ensure its resilience and long-term success.
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Tesla has begun to reach out to customers in the United States and is offering demo drives of the Cybertruck on an invite-only basis. @brandonhd on X shared the first invite image, and it looks like it's going out quite quickly to multiple locations that have Cybertrucks on display.
Up until now, display vehicles have been for just that – looking, but no touching. Some Tesla delivery centers and showrooms have also allowed viewers to take a seat inside and open it up, but most are still locked away behind the velvet rope.
It’s exciting to see that Tesla has begun to demo them – and it can only be so long until demo drives open up to everyone.
Advisor-led Demo
This Demo Drive is led by a Tesla Advisor – while you’re driving, the advisor will be in the passenger seat, walking you through the experience. They’ll explain steer-by-wire, off-road controls, and will introduce new-to-Tesla buyers to all the features that are currently available.
The list of locations so far for demo drives appears to be fairly limited, but we will hopefully see demo drives roll out throughout the United States, and eventually Canada too. Here is the current list of city/state locations that have seen demo drive invites.
Actually Smart Summon, the successor to Tesla’s Smart Summon feature, has been confirmed to be coming as soon as next month as per Elon Musk. Colloquially known as “ASS”, Actually Smart Summon is supposed to improve on the regular Smart Summon capabilities, which have historically used ultrasonic sensors (USS) to navigate parking lots.
We’re looking forward to Actually Smart Summon, and we’re quite excited about what other features will be unlocked once it finally shows up at our doorstep.
Vision-based Improvements
ASS is supposed to bring Smart Summon to vehicles that don’t have USS – using Tesla Vision. Most recently, Tesla has brought Autopark to vehicles without USS, and Vision-based Autopark has been a huge success. It is faster, more reliable, and smoother than the older USS-based solution. It can also park and maneuver in tighter locations.
Today, Smart Summon is sometimes useful at best, usually a party trick, or downright dangerous at worst. It’s excellent and best used in straight lines, where you have a clear line of sight of the vehicle, and can stop it if doesn’t see an obstacle.
I used Smart Summon today, just before writing this article – my 2022 Model Y (with USS) – did manage to show up just fine – in a straight-line location from where I was parked, after exiting the parking spot fairly cleanly. However, I’ve previously used Smart Summon and have had the vehicle turn towards obstacles, such as cart returns or curbs. Overall, it’s a sometimes-useful feature that has a lot of drawbacks right now.
Smart Summon is also restricted to a certain distance – and it's pretty small. The max distance is shorter than most parking lots, being only about 215 ft (65m). If you’re lucky enough to park close, it's very useful to bring your car right to you.
Actually Smart Summon
ASS will bring FSD V12-like capabilities to Smart Summon – the vehicle will primarily use Vision to drive toward you (or the location you’ve indicated). ASS has been supposed to be coming since about September 2022 and has seen many delays – we’re almost at the 2-year point today.
We’re looking forward to Actually Smart Summon being able to bring the vehicle – safely – right to you. ASS is also one of the key steps towards bringing some other cool features that Elon Musk has previously mentioned – Park Seek and Banish Autopark.
We’re also hopeful that Actually Smart Summon will increase the maximum range a vehicle can be summoned, because the current range is fairly small. Alongside Park Seek and Banish Autopark, we’re closing in on a Robotaxi-based future.
Park Seek and Banish Autopark
When the FSD v12.4 showed up, Elon also mentioned that going forward, vehicles would automatically park themselves when arriving in a parking lot – Park Seek – and that if you got out of the car at the entrance to a business, you could get it to automatically park itself in the parking lot – Banish Autopark. These are two features that are needed for Robotaxi to work – which itself is delayed to October 10th of this year. We’re looking quite forward to them – as in combination with Actually Smart Summon, Tesla has reached the cusp of vehicle autonomy.
A vehicle that arrives, driverless, at the location you’re at, then drives somewhere, parks itself there, and waits for you – is the definition of a Robotaxi.
While we’re likely to have to wait for Banish Autopark and Park Seek just a bit longer, Actually Smart Summon being around the corner is exciting! Gone will be the days of having to run out to your car when you forgot your umbrella – your car will just come right to you instead.
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