As a marketer, if you haven’t been following Tesla Motors LA to New York cross country rally campaign you should. The basic premise is simple…
At midnight tonight, a Tesla Motors team will depart Los Angeles en route to New York City in two Model S sedans to mark the completion of the first cross country Supercharger route. We’re aiming to complete the journey within about three days and set a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS achievement for lowest charge time for an electric vehicle traveling across the United States.
By doing this Rally they’re taking their perceived weakness, electric range and durability and turning them into strengths, while at the same time sharing the fun of being a Tesla owner across their blog and Instagram.
Some of the key numbers from the Rally
Total miles travelled
3,427
Longest distance between Supercharger locations
247 miles from Flagstaff, AZ to Blanding, UT
Longest drive time between Superchargers
4 hours, 56 minutes, 29 seconds to travel 162.5 miles from Silverthorne, CO to Cheyenne, WY
This overnight leg included a blizzard, more than 12 inches of snow, icy roads, and high winds, resulting in significant traffic delays, the closure and then re-opening of I-70, the closure of the I-25, and the re-routing of the drive to CO-14 and then US85.
Lowest temperature encountered
-4F / -20C
For me, the big take aways are–
- Get creative – a perceived “weakness” may actually be an opportunity
- Use the right tool for the job – Instagram, blogging and Google+ were fantastic platforms to tell this story
- Make it fun – ask yourself “Is this story interesting? Are the visuals compelling? Why would someone care about what we’re doing?”
