Tesla Motors

Tesla Motors was founded in 2003 by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning, and today stands as one of the most innovative car manufacturers in America. Tesla's aim is to provide an accessible mode of sustainable transport to society, leading the world into a more sustainable future. It's CEO Elon Musk has taken it upon himself to continue to promote innovation within his company, now focused on the construction of Tesla's first Gigafactory which will be used to construct the famous electric cars Tesla Motors is famous for.

Product:

Tesla Motor's main product (as of July 2016) is the newly released Tesla Model S (>$100,000 AUD). A high-end car that has drawn a great deal of controversy in recent times (see http://www.dmnews.com/marketing-strategy/five-marketing-lessons-from-tesla/article/510913/) as it has been criticized for going against Tesla's original plan to make cars accessible to everyone (not just the super-rich). The car is fitted with electric motors in all wheels, can be used on Tesla's extensive US-based long-distance charging network, and boasts a safety-rating higher than any car ever tested to date.

Place:

Tesla's cars are exclusively sold at 'Tesla Showrooms' - stores across the globe which allow potential customers to experience the car up close, place orders for custom builds, and overall get an idea of the brand's core concepts. There have been some downsides to this strategy (as noted by the article found here: http://jalopnik.com/no-tesla-you-aren-t-a-special-special-snowflake-1784263215).  On a recent test of dealerships where the ability of their dealers to make a sale was tested, Tesla's dealers rated last in the industry. This reliance on the product selling itself may result in drastic numbers of lost consumers, however Tesla Motors itself has assured its investors that the current selling model they have adopted has been more than satisfactory for the brand. An alternative strategy could be to temporarily change the attitude of the dealers for a short time basis, to determine which method really is more effective.


Promotion and Price:

The promotion strategies Tesla has adopted ties in with both the pricing and place of distribution. In recent times, Tesla has been marketed to the rich and elite of society (based on it's high 'skimming price' and exclusive selling process).  Mr Musk however stands by Tesla's founding plan:

"1. Create a low volume car, which would necessarily be expensive
2. Use that money to develop a medium volume car at a lower price
3.Use that money to create an affordable, high volume car And...
4. Provide solar power."

The announcement of his much anticipated Model 3 (a car retailing for $35,000USD) is proof of his commitment to providing sustainable transport to the world. While the Model S has been sold at a high cost, the company expects to be selling cars at far less than this amount in the near future.