Wind turbine maker Vestas Wind Systems has launched a $100-million ad campaign.
But, as CNNMoney.com reports, the company isn’t trying to convince everyone in the country to pick up one of its 100-ton wind energy machines:
Instead, the world’s largest seller of wind turbines sees the need to raise Americans’ awareness of wind energy’s potential. To that end, Vestas budgeted $ 100 million for the next two years to bring its “Vestas, No. 1 in Modern Energy” campaign to U.S. living rooms, company Chief Executive Ditlev Engel told Clean Technology Insight.
This is the first year that the company has come out with consumer-targeted ads that will run in print, online, on the radio and on television.
“We want to show people: Here’s technology you have but don’t use,” Engel said.
The article goes on to point out that the marketing effort has political intentions, too, as the industry is still smarting from Congress not mandating more energy from renewable sources:
At a time when the renewable energy industry is hoping to secure favorable legislation, aiming ads to the public makes more and more sense. Congress hasn’t extended what many in the industry consider critical federal tax credits to alleviate the tax burden for wind-energy producers, which expire at the end of the year.
“Being in the hearts and minds of the public can make a big difference if you’re in a political fight,” said Julia Bovey, media director at environmental nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council.
In addition, the 2007 Energy Bill didn’t go as far as some in the industry hoped because it doesn’t have a nationwide mandate to source a specific proportion of electricity from renewables. Finally, many expect a debate over regulating climate change to enter the political fray soon.