It really didn't cost anything?
In the past few weeks, I have had quite a few pub conversations about the introduction of the Tesla Cybertruck. Both industry professionals and non-professionals were of the opinion that what a cool guy Musk is, that he could be the extra "musketeer" (sorry for this pun), selling so many cars, tanks, or whatever, with zero dollars in marketing spending. Many already envisioned a new kind of marketing approach that fundamentally changes communication. Yet he didn't do anything extraordinary, he simply reached back to an old new tool, Live Communication.
Let's set aside how much Musk's persona contributed to the success, as I won't dwell on whether the blunder was intentional or not (I don't think it was). However, I would refute the increasingly common argument that this little presentation cost nothing, that it was a zero-dollar communication campaign. Tesla used a tool that marketing professionals have somewhat forgotten, dismissed, and considered somewhat outside of communication lately. This tool is the event, or as I wrote in the introduction, Live Communication, as it is called today.
What actually happened?
What is certain is that a Cybertruck did not just happen to pass by where Musk and the other Tesla heads were present at the same time. Just as journalists and other guests did not accidentally stumble upon Musk on stage and his latest car monstrosity. The „laser” also did not randomly appear above the stage and zigzag around, just as the videos and animations did not render themselves and did not crawl up to the projector and start at exactly the moment they were needed.,
Not to mention that not one mobile phone camera was left on and accidentally in "Live" mode on Facebook, so that anyone could follow this accidental big meeting.
Yes, I want to point out that this was a textbook example of Live Communication, which until now was mastered by Steve Jobs (RIP). Now Tesla is doing the same. It creates hype around a product and an event (their common intersection is the product launch), using all other communication tools to support this. Because what happened here? We saw a product launch event based on carefully crafted dramaturgy, spiced up with an audiovisual show, to which influencers, journalists, and certainly quite a few VIP guests were invited.
Beautiful show elements, animations and image videos that aid information transfer were presented at the right time. Executive greetings and interest-boosting "performances" followed one another. All of this live, in front of cameras, which were used not only to document the event elements for the tax authority (to prove in case of an inspection that there was food, lasers, projectors, and it was a professional event) and did not narrow down to the limited few-minute slots offered by television news. They took it upon themselves, organized the whole thing, and broadcasted it on the internet. Worldwide.
Was it really free?
There is nothing „tricksy” about it – Elon Musk simply made perfect use of the opportunities provided by the event. However, this was definitely not free. It cost money for the organizers, the cameramen, journalists had to be lured and invited, the projector and on-site staff also had to be paid, and I could go on. If we look at it from the event perspective, it was certainly expensive compared to how many people were present. However, if I consider how much hype he managed to generate with this, how many people he was able to reach, and how well he utilized the power of live communication, it doesn't seem like such an expensive affair at all. But everyone should forget that it was free. I am sure that the coordinated work and creativity of many hundreds of people were needed for this to happen.
There was nothing new or groundbreaking in this. We, as domestic event market players, do such things weekly, and perhaps even prettier and better ones. Perhaps the only difference is that we rarely have the opportunity to organize a worldwide presentation of a global brand, but we can provide the same level, the same content, and the same quality here at home.
I encourage everyone not to ponder whether this presentation was a communication market revolution or a zero-dollar campaign, but to talk to domestic Live Communication experts about how this old/new tool can serve their brand and goals. Take advantage of the opportunities it presents.
