Clean Energy Businesses Need Precise Market Insights
I thought it might be a good idea to make a list of the types of activities that have been most helpful to our clients in renewable energy and electric transportation. At the top of that list is market research.
As I’m fond of saying, “It doesn’t matter what you think, or what I think; we’re not buying the product or service. What matters is what the market thinks.”
Let me ask you ten quick questions:
1. What market segments have the most intense demand for your product or service?
2. What are the gut-wrenching emotional issues that keep your prospects up at night?
3. What sources of information do they trust most highly?
4. What price-points are most attractive for what you’re offering?
5. What positioning statements communicate an instant understanding of — and attraction for — your product or service?
6. What are the most critical frustrations in your prospects’ professional (and private) lives that motivate them to take risks and make big-dollar commitments?
7. How do your prospects see themselves? What is their self-image, and how does that affect their decision-making?
8. What are your prospects’ key aspirations that drive their purchasing behavior?
9. Through what sales channels are your target market segments most likely to purchase?
10. What would motivate channels partners (reps, dealers, distributors, OEMs, etc.) to embrace a partnership agreement with your company?
If you have airtight answers to these questions, that’s great. But if you’d like to discuss a rigorous and disciplined yet low-cost way to derive rock-solid data points on these and other strategic business issues, please let us know. CONTACT us here.
First, an electric recharging, battery replacement, infrastructure has to be built. Second, as batteries now allow for 40-80 miles on a charge, indicate that over 80% of the American people do not go beyond those limits on any given day. Also, marketing to city serving business fleets would increase production and, hopefully, reduce costs. There would always have to be a range extender vehicle like the volt. But instead of burning gasolene, the charging engine should be a diesel burning hemp oil, a thoroughly renewable fuel. Of course, the irrational prejudice against the cultivation of industrial hemp will have to be addressed.
My favorite book on the subject of invention marketing is “Will It Sell?” by James White
http://www.willitsell.com/
Thanks, Dan. That looks really good. Certainly the premise is correct: people waste a FORTUNE taking ideas to market that have no merit — and patent attorneys welcome them with open arms.
Most books for inventors hype the positive. This was the first I saw that was neutral to negative about the prospects of marketing an idea. When only 1 in 1000 inventions makes enough money to even pay for the patent, I think that anyone who starts talking positive about the invention business should be ignored. When you add in the problems with the patent system (patents issued on prior art, the delays in processing, the picket fences of large corporations), I find it hard to believe that people are so gullible as to file ANY individual patents any more. They talk to a lawyer because they are supposed to be able to trust ‘legal’ advice, but there is no way for a lawyer to lose any money on an invention unless they invest in the production facility themselves. A lawyer will always tell you to file for a patent (if you have enough money to pay the lawyer, that is). A marketer will always tell you to do an assessment or a survey (as long as you pay for it). There are very few people around (other than cranky family members) who are qualified to be able to tell you NOT to waste your time and money on a stupid idea.
In my opinion the electric recharging battery replacement infrastructure is an antiquated idea, there are potentially better solutions for range extending vehicles without the need of any I.C.E’s.
The notion of being limited to only a 40-80 mile range is
not a very ambitious marketing goal or strategy for the automakers, which may be doomed to fail!
Imagine a vehicle that could potentially travel 400-500
miles on a single charge.
How valuable would this be to a consumer?
I think there is a way to make this happen!
I’d sure like to hear about it, Maurice.
Craig, I’m sure you’re not willing to sign an NDA but, I wouldn’t mind discussing this privately.
I’ll sign one. If you need to talk to someone technically or about the prospects of marketing an idea, I’ll give you a half hour.
Not sure if you are Dan Conine, Futurist at Nature Creek Farm but, thanks for the interest.
Not clear on how this can be done privately!
Sure. I’ll email you.
The best thing is Nissan is taking care of this for EVeryone with their new Nissan LEAF.
It’s made in the far east, Smyrna Tennesse.
They are installing thousands of charging locations all over the USA, but since it has a 100 mile range you should be able to charge at home, Off Peak and not add any starin to the GRID at all.
The batteries are non -toxic and long lasting at 10 or more years. They work in the cold and heat.
They cost less to own and operate , with 10 Kwh of electric (80 cents at 8 KWh) here in Arizona. You don’t need oil changes, transmission, air cleaner, exhaust pipes , emmissions , air cleaners, .
They don’t make any air pollution so you help the air quality and global waming. (don’t think power plants make as much pollution as oil and deisel) remeber to charge off Peak when the GRID has mega watts extra.
They are much safer that gas cars, you don’t die from the carbon monoxide, you don’t die from fires when gas explodes or burns after an accident, you are not top heavy since the batteries are low and in the center of the vehicle, all power is fused and safe !
We won’t import 60% of our oil-gas so we can save 22 million a day that goes to the middle east. Hmm this may help stop terrorists.
We won’t have massive oil spills like the EXXON Valdez and many many others you don’t hear about.
We won’t have to subsidies oil like we have for over 30 years at 13.1 Billion in 2009. Look up HR 6 in Jan 2009, the bill that tried to stop paymetns to big oil and was short by 1 vote.
Oh it is hard, you have to remember to plug them in at night. You have to plan where your going and not just drive all over the country. LOL but I think the USA can handle it.
In fine tradition, we chip away at the portions of the market showing the best promise. Right now, the technology reliably available suggests the good old american commute, with charging at home, is the quickest pathway. You did not hear me say that’s all there is. Its simply a good first step. Working in a university, I can say without equivocation that the technology takes care of itself. If there is something of a stealthy, disruptive technology in a lab somewhere – one I doubt it, and secondly, I welcome it in any case. Battery technology is exploding. I know of multiple areas of research that will easily get us down to the $200 kWhr range. By the time this first wave of cars comes to market, there will already be batteries that are probably twice as cost effective as those within the vehicle.
A different question I can only fairly answer personally is – Do I want an electric car that goes 400 miles? Not yet. I experience way too much enjoyment in my long range vehicles at the moment. That will, of course, change. Off the top of my head, there will likely be a fully loaded Mercedes / Lexus like fully electric vehicle ten years or so from now.
Co-req of course is that our grid infrastructure evolves significantly away from coal. I consider that largely inevitable as well, unless of course we hit a climate tipping point that suggests we lost the “war”. So, for now, there is investing in the transportation side of the equation and investing in the power generation side – consumption and supply.
First off, we don’t need any sort of infrastructer, hemp, get real ! Power grid concerns, I don’t think so ! Combine what we already have and leave the corn for which it was intended, all we need is a highly efficent electric motor, 10hp (ice)engine propelled by HYDROGEN to turn a 140-200amp altenator to charge a few batteries, with enough juice left to manufacture hydrogen (onboard)as needed, no need for service stations, no strain on the grid, no need for high tech batteries, NO NEED FOR A LOT OF OTHER PRODUCTS; & THIS MY FRIENDS IS THE SOLE REASON THAT ALL THIS TECHNOLOGY IS SUPPRESSED,(by an elete 33 people) that want a one world gov’t. SORRY TO BURST YOUR BUBBLE, BUT THIS IS REAL ! GASOLINE WAS ENVENTED IN 1870; THE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE WAS INVENTED IN 1810, RUN BY (NONEOTHER THAN HYDROGEN) THE ELECTRIC CAR WAS INVENTED IN THE LATE 1800’s ! Do the math ! or do you still believe in the “magic” bullet of the Warren Commission??????? People, you all need to do some serious studying ! Pull your head out of the sand, (arabian sand) Some of this website energy should be used on EV’s !! The best thing anyone can do with this messed up ordeal is PRAY ! & I’M NOT A RELIGOUS FENATIC, JUST DOWN TO EARTH AND REALISTIC. “THE WORLD DOES NOT NEED OIL”