SolarCity Case Study

SolarCity: A National Leader in Solar Power

SolarCity grew into one of the nation’s leading residential solar installer in 2008, during which time ZDS Communications served as the company’s Southern California public relations representative.

PR Objective:

Based in the Silicon Valley, SolarCity has its Northern California PR needs covered. It needed and continues to draw upon a Southern California expert to penetrate media markets in L.A., Orange, Ventura, Riverside and San Diego Counties and other Southland regions.

Challenges:

After several months into the assignment, ZDS Communications encountered media “green fatigue,” wherein subjects such as residential solar power that had been newsworthy only six months before couldn’t raise an eyebrow. A second challenge, the 2009 economic downturn, required a shift of focus. Finally, while media in the Silicon Valley tends to cover every twitch of the clean tech industry—thriving in its own back yard—Southern California media does not.

Results:

ZDS Communications has concentrated primarily on consumer print, electronic and online media, overcoming these challenges through ingenuity, flexibility, excellent media connections and simple hard work. Some of our results, which include breaking news, reaction and feature stories, include:

Time Magazine: Solar Power Hits Home

ABC News: Church Installs Solar Panels

Los Angeles Times: $60 Million Infusion

Forbes Magazine: A Solar Solution?

Curbed LA: Solar Church

CNN Headline News/Time Warner Cable: Light From Above

Orange County Register: Solar Power Shines