Marketing the Tesla S: Letterman and Parties for the Faithful

The Tesla S is going to a gala party in New York tonight, after which it will sprint across town for a quick appearance (with Tesla founder Elon Musk) on David Letterman's show--the first drivable car so honored.

The road to that party and that TV appearance is a serpentine one, qualifying the $57,400 ($49,900 with an available $7,500 federal tax credit) S for frequent flyer miles. The car, which seats up to seven, can dash from zero to 60 in 5.6 seconds, has a 300-mile ranges and with quick charging can be ready to go in 45 minutes, made its debut in a March 26 media unveiling at the Tesla Design Studio in Hawthorne, California.

As Communications Manager Rachel Konrad explains it, the debut was followed by a second unveiling in Washington, D.C. so media and key politicians (who hold the purse strings for lucrative federal subsidies) could see the car. Already something of a party animal, the Tesla headed back to Tesla's flagship retail store in Menlo Park, where more celebrations were held. Tonight it's New York, followed by Chicago, Miami and Seattle.

All the venues include guest rides (but not drives) so people can experience the Tesla for themselves. "The central idea behind all the events is pretty simple," says Konrad. "Seeing is believing. The March 26 launch got insane exposure in the media, and we had hundreds of reservations [for the car] within the first week [more than 900 now]. But viewing the car up close and in person often prompts a more visceral, emotional response.

"People want to sit in the car and experience it for themselves. It's one thing to read the specs on the 17-inch touch screen--but it's another thing entirely to see the wireless Internet display and envision the possibilities--

"Also, Tesla's customer base is very passionate and communicative. Customers are our best source of marketing and spread their enthusiasm virally. Many are members of the same local EV or sports car clubs, or they know each other from blogs and user groups. Hosting parties for them in our largest consumer markets keeps the community strong and allows Tesla employees and executives to get their feedback in a highly interactive setting. You don't get nearly the same response out of an auto show."

I think this is smart. Toyota held a similar event for the new Prius, and I sensed real enthusiasm among the folks there--many of them were indeed the passionate user group posters Konrad references. This is marketing in the 21st century.