ElectricMotorcycleForum.com
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Richard230 on March 31, 2016, 04:31:40 AM
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Cleanrider is wondering why Zero seems to be so "under the radar" to the general public. I have to agree. I have talked to a number of vehicle owners over the years and can't recall a single person who had ever heard of the bike - and this is the SF Bay Area, the land of high tech and Zero's backyard. Does Zero need to step up their public relations efforts that will be seen by the general public? As I recall, they had a pretty hot PR program during the first couple of years of the company's existence (before they had much product to sell or dealers to sell it), but once the current investors took over, the PR stunts seemed to have faded away in favor of internet videos and links to motorcycle magazine reviews. That might work for internet-savvy motorcycle enthusiasts, but is unlikely to ever been seen by the general public, legislators or the national press. Here is Cleanrider's blog: http://cleanrider.com/is-zero-too-timid/ (http://cleanrider.com/is-zero-too-timid/)
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One thing to remember is the more PR they pursue the higher the price of their motorcycles as a response. Think of the cost of an apple device vs a comparable alternative device. Advertising isn't cheap ;)
At least 2 times a month I tell people who are interested in my bike about it ... and this is year round. I even told them where they can test ride it (granted it seems as of two weeks ago that location is now changed)
Some of the best PR they get is likely word of mouth.
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I didn't get my SR for attention, but I've had bars clear out like there was a fist fight just for everyone to have a look. I've only met a couple of admirers who knew what I was on.
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I really appreciate your posts Richard. You often bring things to the attention of this forum (and me) that would be missed otherwise. Thank you.
I'd like to see some out of the box thinking from Zero on PR. Something that doesn't cost them a bucket load of cash. A viral video campaign perhaps? Something that will really grab peoples' attention and create a buzz?
There is a lot of interest out there. I attended my last bike club meet and the speaker had to cancel at the last minute due to being caught in traffic. I offered to step in and talk about my bike and it was welcomed. I rode it into the conference room and rattled on about it for over an hour. There were loads of questions during and after my talk. More than a few hung around afterwards for more questions and to look at the bike and sit on it. That's a bunch of mature riders who train people on advanced riding, or are learning. There are a lot of GS riders. Apparently because they're good bikes? I wouldn't know, I've never ridden one. Anyhow, let's just say that they're very happy with two wheels and pistons and yet they displayed a genuine interest.
I'm afraid cost is still a big barrier. There are only so many wealthy geeks who happen to be bikers. Most of them are too sensible to ride. They'll just buy a Tesla. Commuters either ride a scooter or an old bike they bought off eBay for a grand. A bike they don't mind riding through the winter and is cheap to insure. Those that buy a new bike do so to ensure reliability, a warranty and a strong dealership network.
I often think I'm in a minority because I just don't fit most of the profiles or stereotypes. Other than being a not-so-wealthy geek.
Translating word of mouth to sales is the challenge. It requires the individual to give the purchase some proper thought. Most just see the upfront cost and walk away.
I'd like to see a strong finance offering. A clear and easy to understand package that shows how the monthly costs are offset by reduced running costs. A PCP deal with a low deposit, low monthly payments and the opportunity to get the latest model in three years time. A three year warranty to go with it and a service plan that ensures the bike is checked over at regular intervals at low cost, all wrapped into the PCP deal. That'll sell a few.
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Something that doesn't cost them a bucket load of cash. A viral video campaign perhaps? Something that will really grab peoples' attention and create a buzz?
When do you plan to publish the secret formula to creating a "viral video" on demand? It isn't as easy as one might thing :D (not picking on you as I have heard this come up in promotional meetings before and it is silly when you think about it)
I do think there are ways to cheaply get more attention for the bikes however ... just sitting here I came up with 3 in 10 seconds. The problem is metrics ... how will you measure success, it also won't be as easy as one thinks especially if they take an approach where they do a lot of different techniques at once.
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Well, let me come at this as a probable future customer of Zero...
They sell, what, a couple thousand bikes a year right now. Having only followed this site for only a few weeks, I see various problems folks are having both with their bikes as well as dealers (and deserved applause for Hollywood Electrics). A larger awareness campaign would likely bring in more customers, but if they were less informed about technical issues, then the problems being dealt with right now would also likely generate a LOT more negative press.
Zero's current targeting of more informed buyers (online ads, geared to the technology inclined) is probably spot on because those folks are going to be more patient with the shakeout processes with the product and dealerships. Could they target towards the general motorcycle market than they are now? Perhaps. Certainly the folks who are willing to plunk down serious money are tempting targets, but the reality is that a lot of those people are into buying style (big cruiser types) or insane performance. They still see this as mostly an experiment, and they have solid dealerships they can turn to that aren't far enough away to have to worry about getting the ride hauled there. Of course they have bad or unsupportive dealerships too, but they are still able to find better.
Zero doesn't have the resources yet to solidify that kind of support. They don't have millions to invest in that angle when they are working hard to improve their product. So, choosing to stay smaller in marketing presence makes sense as they try to grow organically. There isn't an Elon Musk here to make the big splash. And the bike styles they've chosen to build are basically the easiest point of entry in the motorcycle market. They have generally done the right things, as can be evidenced simply by the fact they are the most successful independent manufacturer of electric motorcycles.
That said, as awareness is increasing in the electric motive power solutions (Tesla, Nissan, Harley's LiveWire), Zero has got to grow up. Dealership support (and vetting) will have to become a focus at some point, and with battery technology gains continuing to become more and more expensive, there will be an inflection point where the product really is good enough for the general motorcycle market to be considered regularly, and that point is where Zero will fail if they don't have some committed partners in the dealerships. Especially if the competition in electric is coming from HD and Polaris, because they have those for their ICE equipment now. Don't get me wrong, Zero can't suddenly be like that, but being better than they have been is going to be a must.
A big marketing push (or even just a little more) is going to sap cash away from those things we would like to see in the future in these machines. It will sap resources away from making better ordering systems for dealerships (hint hint, Zero).
We are by far the best advocates, we know the strengths and weaknesses and aren't as willing to hide the bad (the Harley can do no wrong crowd). We know the things these machines can do, and continue to push them further. Targeting people like us, the technologically and/or eco-minded is exactly the right strategy (for now), to make sure the newcomers have people they can go to for help with ordering alternative parts and keeping things in check with reality.
it will have to change, but I don't think we are there yet, nor are we ready to deal with that influx of unmet expectations (Tesla's Model 3 may be very instructive here).
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Speaking of the Model 3, the local TV, radio and newspaper news today is reporting that people are waiting in line (and at least one person camped out) to get a chance to place a $1000 deposit on the Model 3 (which will not arrive until late next year) at local Tesla dealerships when it is announced tonight, even though no one has seen or knows much about the car yet. Cheap PR.
Maybe it is time for Zero to ride across the country on a couple of Zeros and visit various small cities along the way to promote their product. That would get the idea of electric motorcycles in the local news for little cost and likely make the national TV news as a "human interest" story (which is about all they ever report on lately). Cheap PR there too.
OR - how about this horrible thought to gain publicity for Zeros: Get Donald Trump to ride one and say something about it. :o Now that would get a lot of world-wide press. But would it be good or bad? ??? With him you just never know. ::) Might be cheap PR. Kind of like lighting a cherry bomb with a short fuse, though. ;)
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Welcome cheesymac. Some great comments there.
Funnily enough, I also thought about Donald Trump as a vehicle for a viral video. Burton is probably right though, it's a daft idea. Can't be easy either.
If we all agree that good word of mouth is the best PR strategy for Zero at the moment, then Zero definitely need to up their game. Much better customer service and sort out those reliability issues. I do love their product! We've got our cake and we want to eat it. :)
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Well, let me come at this as a probable future customer of Zero...
They sell, what, a couple thousand bikes a year right now. Having only followed this site for only a few weeks, I see various problems folks are having both with their bikes as well as dealers (and deserved applause for Hollywood Electrics). A larger awareness campaign would likely bring in more customers, but if they were less informed about technical issues, then the problems being dealt with right now would also likely generate a LOT more negative press.
Zero's current targeting of more informed buyers (online ads, geared to the technology inclined) is probably spot on because those folks are going to be more patient with the shakeout processes with the product and dealerships. Could they target towards the general motorcycle market than they are now? Perhaps. Certainly the folks who are willing to plunk down serious money are tempting targets, but the reality is that a lot of those people are into buying style (big cruiser types) or insane performance. They still see this as mostly an experiment, and they have solid dealerships they can turn to that aren't far enough away to have to worry about getting the ride hauled there. Of course they have bad or unsupportive dealerships too, but they are still able to find better.
Zero doesn't have the resources yet to solidify that kind of support. They don't have millions to invest in that angle when they are working hard to improve their product. So, choosing to stay smaller in marketing presence makes sense as they try to grow organically. There isn't an Elon Musk here to make the big splash. And the bike styles they've chosen to build are basically the easiest point of entry in the motorcycle market. They have generally done the right things, as can be evidenced simply by the fact they are the most successful independent manufacturer of electric motorcycles.
That said, as awareness is increasing in the electric motive power solutions (Tesla, Nissan, Harley's LiveWire), Zero has got to grow up. Dealership support (and vetting) will have to become a focus at some point, and with battery technology gains continuing to become more and more expensive, there will be an inflection point where the product really is good enough for the general motorcycle market to be considered regularly, and that point is where Zero will fail if they don't have some committed partners in the dealerships. Especially if the competition in electric is coming from HD and Polaris, because they have those for their ICE equipment now. Don't get me wrong, Zero can't suddenly be like that, but being better than they have been is going to be a must.
A big marketing push (or even just a little more) is going to sap cash away from those things we would like to see in the future in these machines. It will sap resources away from making better ordering systems for dealerships (hint hint, Zero).
We are by far the best advocates, we know the strengths and weaknesses and aren't as willing to hide the bad (the Harley can do no wrong crowd). We know the things these machines can do, and continue to push them further. Targeting people like us, the technologically and/or eco-minded is exactly the right strategy (for now), to make sure the newcomers have people they can go to for help with ordering alternative parts and keeping things in check with reality.
it will have to change, but I don't think we are there yet, nor are we ready to deal with that influx of unmet expectations (Tesla's Model 3 may be very instructive here).
Exactly. The bike isnt ready for main-mainstream yet... why rush it and make negative PR?