CapHillDC
Active Member
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2022
- Messages
- 134
- Cars
- Air Pure
I have had some ideas buzzing around in my head for a couple months about how I could proactively help generate buzz/create awareness for the stunning and unique Lucid Air. I have a specific plan and would greatly value input from members of this forum. I wasn’t sure what category this post could fall under since the plan involves all these topics: Lucid in the Wild, Best Reactions to your Air, Lucid’s Opportunity to Create Brand Ambassadors, and Lucid Business Cards.
I have been following the evolution of Lucid Motors for a long time. Lucid has made some good progress in how they market the company and its vehicles, but it’s an uphill battle for quite a few reasons, none of which are new to any of you. It’s not because of a lack of interest in EVs or even in Lucid Motors. Lucid is attracting attention judging by the number of articles about the car and the company, both positive and critical. What’s fascinating is the number of YouTube videos about the Air. Many of you have no doubt watched the video posted by Marques Brownlee, “Lucid Air: How to One-up Tesla!” It now has a staggering 4.7 MILLION views! Some other really good videos posted over the past year have had more than 2 million views. That’s some serious interest in Lucid Air!!!
The problem is that it’s one thing for more and more people to know something about Lucid, but there is nothing like actually seeing one in the wild! Sadly, I’m in that category of never seeing a Lucid in the wild…or I WAS until Sunday! I drove to the Baltimore area to visit my son in college. I stopped at a store, then came out and started down the street. To my utter joy and amazement, there it was…a beautiful Stellar White Air GT! It was truly something to behold!! I stopped long enough to tell the owner that I have a Pure on order.
Having so few cars on the road is a problem for Lucid, but it’s also a big opportunity. That’s why I’m writing this post. The MOST important thing Lucid can do is to get more of its vehicles on the road in places where they are most likely to be seen, admired and photographed. There aren’t many Lucid vehicles on the road in different parts of the country because not many have been produced. Even less have been delivered. Demand for high-end luxury EVs is weakening and there seems to be a growing inventory at the Lucid factory.
I think Washington DC is easily one of those places where Lucid Airs could get significant exposure (buzz generated).
In some of my earlier posts I mentioned that my family and I have lived on Capitol Hill for many years. It’s been a great place to live and raise our kids. There is a lot to see and do without having to go too far. The US Capitol, Supreme Court, Library of Congress, the Senate and House Office Buildings, Union Station and more are within walking distance of our house. That also means that all these places and MUCH more are very close by car. The Lincoln Memorial is the furthest away at 3 miles while most of the major attractions are about 2 miles or less from my house. Please see the attached map which shows the general area where we live just east of the US Capitol. The National Mall, museums, memorials, monuments and parks are all to the west or southwest of Capitol Hill.
My Plan
Here are the 3 high-level ways I plan to generate buzz for Lucid Air and Lucid Motors. I will then present more details for each point.
The foundation of this plan starts with using a Zenith Red Air GT. I like all the colors offered by Lucid, but I think red will attract the most attention. This Air GT would be the long range version with 19” wheels. Why? Because far more people who see an EV are most interested in range, not horsepower.
Following are the details from each of the 3 high-level points above.
1. Drive the Air around some of the most visited parts of the city.
More than 20 million tourists come to visit DC each year and more than 90% are from somewhere in the US. They come throughout the year, but more in the spring and summer. Washington DC also has the unique distinction of having Members of Congress and congressional staff living and working in the area along with hundreds of Ambassadors and embassy staff from around the world. Also, many people commute into DC from Maryland and Virginia.
Imagine how someone driving a Lucid Air around the area can expose a LOT of people to the car in a short time.
I don’t have a lot of free time, but since I work from home, it would be easy to take a break. I could hop in the car, then drive around for a half hour to an hour before returning home and getting back to work. Depending on my meeting schedule, I could take a break at different times of the day and of course drive around some in the evenings, time permitting. Just a few days ago when my mother-in-law was visiting, I drove her and a friend to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture, which is across the street from the Washington Monument. I drove there, dropped them off and returned home, all in less than 30 minutes!
The second map is a closer look at the area around the National Mall. Large avenues like Independence Avenue and the more famous Constitution Avenue are on either side of the area from the US Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial and beyond. Driving on these avenues offer very high visibility for the Air. However, there are two small one-way streets that run either side of the National Mall, with museums on the other side of these small streets (Madison Drive NW and Jefferson Drive SW.) Driving down these, low speed limit streets offer many people the best chance to see the Air up close as it drives by.
There are a number of other places to drive around in the Air that are high-visibility areas. Here are some of the best.
Whether I’m driving the Air around during the week or on weekends, there are places to park so that people can naturally come by and see the Air up close. Others on the forum know how often that happens!! I’ll hang around the car and talk with people as they admire the beautiful car and ask questions. I’ll let them photograph the car (not me).
I will ask them if they want me to take a picture of them in front of the car. The best pics will have a landmark in the background. I’ll ask if they can post their pictures to social media. This is a way to create major buzz for Lucid across the most popular social media apps.
Since I want them to know more about Lucid Air and Lucid Motors, I’ll have a plain “business card” that has the Lucid Motors website and the address for Tyson’s studio. I’ll just say that so many people ask about the car that it was just easier to give out the card
NOTE: I won't allow anyone to sit in the car, but they can look inside!
3. Make use of my Residential Parking Permit.
The parking zone I’m in, Zone 6, includes parts of downtown and Penn Quarter in Northwest Washington, the Southwest Waterfront, the Capitol Riverfront near Nationals Park, and Capitol Hill. Since I have only street parking, I can park the car in different high-visibility areas during the day or night. Where I park each time will be walking from my house. Having the car parked on a street as people walk by gives them a chance to stop and look as long as they want. Some of these people could be part of the demographic that Lucid wants to target.
For all three points I make above, I understand that there is NO guarantee that anyone who sees the car will be driven to check out the Lucid website or visit a Lucid Studio. I’m confident that some will, especially if they have the “business card” in hand. In any case, it’s all very good exposure for Lucid when it needs this kind of exposure the most. With Tesla cutting prices of the Model S and X, people need to see that Lucid is much more than a viable alternative.
So, here’s the big issue…I don’t own an Air GT,. I have a Pure RWD, no DDP or SSP on order, but getting it is a long way down the road.
My proposal is that I work with Lucid and arrange to use one of their unsold Air GTs for 6 months. It may seem like a long time, but each day there is a different audience. People who live and work in the city could be exposed to Lucid Air several times during the course of these 6 months. Many people from the greater DC metro area come to enjoy all the green space, relax, play sports, etc. could also be exposed to the Air more than one time over the course of 6 months.
I think Lucid has a LOT to gain from this arrangement and not much to lose. The main cost to Lucid will be depreciation on the car because of use, but they could then turn this vehicle into a loaner or test drive vehicle at Tysons. The cost of this depreciation could easily come from their marketing budget.
I know there would be a lot of details to work out with Lucid if they are interested. If enough people on the forum think this plan could be beneficial to Lucid, does anyone know the people from the marketing team at Lucid Motors? If so, could you run this idea by them?
I have been following the evolution of Lucid Motors for a long time. Lucid has made some good progress in how they market the company and its vehicles, but it’s an uphill battle for quite a few reasons, none of which are new to any of you. It’s not because of a lack of interest in EVs or even in Lucid Motors. Lucid is attracting attention judging by the number of articles about the car and the company, both positive and critical. What’s fascinating is the number of YouTube videos about the Air. Many of you have no doubt watched the video posted by Marques Brownlee, “Lucid Air: How to One-up Tesla!” It now has a staggering 4.7 MILLION views! Some other really good videos posted over the past year have had more than 2 million views. That’s some serious interest in Lucid Air!!!
The problem is that it’s one thing for more and more people to know something about Lucid, but there is nothing like actually seeing one in the wild! Sadly, I’m in that category of never seeing a Lucid in the wild…or I WAS until Sunday! I drove to the Baltimore area to visit my son in college. I stopped at a store, then came out and started down the street. To my utter joy and amazement, there it was…a beautiful Stellar White Air GT! It was truly something to behold!! I stopped long enough to tell the owner that I have a Pure on order.
Having so few cars on the road is a problem for Lucid, but it’s also a big opportunity. That’s why I’m writing this post. The MOST important thing Lucid can do is to get more of its vehicles on the road in places where they are most likely to be seen, admired and photographed. There aren’t many Lucid vehicles on the road in different parts of the country because not many have been produced. Even less have been delivered. Demand for high-end luxury EVs is weakening and there seems to be a growing inventory at the Lucid factory.
I think Washington DC is easily one of those places where Lucid Airs could get significant exposure (buzz generated).
In some of my earlier posts I mentioned that my family and I have lived on Capitol Hill for many years. It’s been a great place to live and raise our kids. There is a lot to see and do without having to go too far. The US Capitol, Supreme Court, Library of Congress, the Senate and House Office Buildings, Union Station and more are within walking distance of our house. That also means that all these places and MUCH more are very close by car. The Lincoln Memorial is the furthest away at 3 miles while most of the major attractions are about 2 miles or less from my house. Please see the attached map which shows the general area where we live just east of the US Capitol. The National Mall, museums, memorials, monuments and parks are all to the west or southwest of Capitol Hill.
My Plan
Here are the 3 high-level ways I plan to generate buzz for Lucid Air and Lucid Motors. I will then present more details for each point.
The foundation of this plan starts with using a Zenith Red Air GT. I like all the colors offered by Lucid, but I think red will attract the most attention. This Air GT would be the long range version with 19” wheels. Why? Because far more people who see an EV are most interested in range, not horsepower.
- I will proactively and strategically drive the Air around the most visited parts of the city.
- While driving around, I’ll park the car in places with the most visibility. I know most of these places already. There are more places to park on the weekend, such as on the west (National Mall) side of the US Capitol. I’ll have “business cards” that have the Lucid Motors website and the address for Tyson’s studio.
- Make use of my Residential Parking Permit. The parking zone I’m in (Zone 6) covers what is described as the “heart of Washington, D.C.” Since I have only street parking, I can park the car in different high-visibility areas during the day or night. Where I park each time will be walking from my house.
Following are the details from each of the 3 high-level points above.
1. Drive the Air around some of the most visited parts of the city.
More than 20 million tourists come to visit DC each year and more than 90% are from somewhere in the US. They come throughout the year, but more in the spring and summer. Washington DC also has the unique distinction of having Members of Congress and congressional staff living and working in the area along with hundreds of Ambassadors and embassy staff from around the world. Also, many people commute into DC from Maryland and Virginia.
Imagine how someone driving a Lucid Air around the area can expose a LOT of people to the car in a short time.
I don’t have a lot of free time, but since I work from home, it would be easy to take a break. I could hop in the car, then drive around for a half hour to an hour before returning home and getting back to work. Depending on my meeting schedule, I could take a break at different times of the day and of course drive around some in the evenings, time permitting. Just a few days ago when my mother-in-law was visiting, I drove her and a friend to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture, which is across the street from the Washington Monument. I drove there, dropped them off and returned home, all in less than 30 minutes!
The second map is a closer look at the area around the National Mall. Large avenues like Independence Avenue and the more famous Constitution Avenue are on either side of the area from the US Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial and beyond. Driving on these avenues offer very high visibility for the Air. However, there are two small one-way streets that run either side of the National Mall, with museums on the other side of these small streets (Madison Drive NW and Jefferson Drive SW.) Driving down these, low speed limit streets offer many people the best chance to see the Air up close as it drives by.
There are a number of other places to drive around in the Air that are high-visibility areas. Here are some of the best.
- Washington Nationals Baseball Stadium
- Audi Field (home of DC United soccer team)
- The Wharf - A huge new waterfront development called The Wharf that has hotels, restaurants, apartments, condos, concert venues and office space. https://www.wharfdc.com
- The Yards Park, another waterfront development near the Washington Navy Yard and the Department of Transportation. There are many new condos and apartments in that area along with shops and restaurants. There are outdoor concerts and other events that bring people to the Yards Park along the Anacostia River.
Whether I’m driving the Air around during the week or on weekends, there are places to park so that people can naturally come by and see the Air up close. Others on the forum know how often that happens!! I’ll hang around the car and talk with people as they admire the beautiful car and ask questions. I’ll let them photograph the car (not me).
I will ask them if they want me to take a picture of them in front of the car. The best pics will have a landmark in the background. I’ll ask if they can post their pictures to social media. This is a way to create major buzz for Lucid across the most popular social media apps.
Since I want them to know more about Lucid Air and Lucid Motors, I’ll have a plain “business card” that has the Lucid Motors website and the address for Tyson’s studio. I’ll just say that so many people ask about the car that it was just easier to give out the card
NOTE: I won't allow anyone to sit in the car, but they can look inside!
3. Make use of my Residential Parking Permit.
The parking zone I’m in, Zone 6, includes parts of downtown and Penn Quarter in Northwest Washington, the Southwest Waterfront, the Capitol Riverfront near Nationals Park, and Capitol Hill. Since I have only street parking, I can park the car in different high-visibility areas during the day or night. Where I park each time will be walking from my house. Having the car parked on a street as people walk by gives them a chance to stop and look as long as they want. Some of these people could be part of the demographic that Lucid wants to target.
For all three points I make above, I understand that there is NO guarantee that anyone who sees the car will be driven to check out the Lucid website or visit a Lucid Studio. I’m confident that some will, especially if they have the “business card” in hand. In any case, it’s all very good exposure for Lucid when it needs this kind of exposure the most. With Tesla cutting prices of the Model S and X, people need to see that Lucid is much more than a viable alternative.
So, here’s the big issue…I don’t own an Air GT,. I have a Pure RWD, no DDP or SSP on order, but getting it is a long way down the road.
My proposal is that I work with Lucid and arrange to use one of their unsold Air GTs for 6 months. It may seem like a long time, but each day there is a different audience. People who live and work in the city could be exposed to Lucid Air several times during the course of these 6 months. Many people from the greater DC metro area come to enjoy all the green space, relax, play sports, etc. could also be exposed to the Air more than one time over the course of 6 months.
I think Lucid has a LOT to gain from this arrangement and not much to lose. The main cost to Lucid will be depreciation on the car because of use, but they could then turn this vehicle into a loaner or test drive vehicle at Tysons. The cost of this depreciation could easily come from their marketing budget.
I know there would be a lot of details to work out with Lucid if they are interested. If enough people on the forum think this plan could be beneficial to Lucid, does anyone know the people from the marketing team at Lucid Motors? If so, could you run this idea by them?
