Case Study: Strategic Marketing Launch for Eclipse Energies Renouvelables

Client Background

Eclipse Energies Renouvelables, a Canadian company, focuses on Installation of solar power plants for businesses and residentials primary based in Cameroon and in Africa overall. With a core mission of improving energy independence, reducing electricity costs for their clients and providing green energy solutions. with Eclipse ER stands out for its innovative methods, skilled workforce, and commitment to ecological integrity. As a new player in a highly specialised market, Eclipse ER needed a robust marketing foundation to differentiate itself, build trust, and reach its target audience effectively.

Project Objectives

Our collaboration with Eclipse ER was centered around:

1. Establishing a Strong Brand Identity: Ensuring Eclipse communicated its unique value proposition to its target audience.

2. Creating a Compelling Marketing Strategy: Developing a strategic roadmap that outlined key marketing objectives, messaging, and channels to establish market presence.

3. Executing a Cohesive Plan: Providing a practical, step-by-step execution plan for Eclipse ER's internal team to implement seamlessly.

Challenges

As a new start-up who have decided to launch a new business in a highly competitive market, Eclipse ER faced specific hurdles:

• Building Brand Awareness: As a newcomer, it needed to differentiate itself from established competitors and build a recognisable brand.

• Limited Internal Marketing Resources: The Eclipse ER team required a strategy that could be executed with their existing staff.

• Technical Niche: Providing Renewable Energy solutions required messaging that educated potential clients without overwhelming them.

Our Approach

We designed a comprehensive marketing plan that optimised their brand online presence and reputation, leveraged the relevant offline marketing channels, digital marketing channels, and community engagement both offline and online to resonate with potential clients and stakeholders. Here’s how we addressed Eclipse ER’s needs:

1. Marketing Mix Audit

Objective: Conduct a marketing mix audit (Product, Price, Place, Promotion) to identify Eclipse ER’s strengths, address gaps, and shape a well-aligned marketing strategy.

·         Product

We analysed Eclipse ER’s services to ensure their renewable energy solutions were clearly differentiated. Through market research, we refined their messaging to align with client needs, emphasising reducing electricity costs for their clients and providing green energy solutions as a unique selling point.

·         Price

A competitive pricing analysis helped Eclipse ER position itself with a value-based approach, highlighting the long-term benefits of renewable energy solutions. We recommended tiered pricing to appeal to a broad range of clients, from small businesses, fortune 500 organisation, residentials to small contractors.

·         Place

Eclipse ER’s offline and online presence was optimised for lead generation, with SEO-driven content and a user-friendly website. We also advised local partnerships with construction firms, contractors, local businesses selling construction materials and offline social groups to build credibility and expand their reach.

·         Promotion

To boost visibility, we recommended an execution plan with an education-focused promotion strategy. This included engaging content (social media articles and on demand white papers), social media outreach, and targeted email campaigns to keep clients engaged and build Eclipse ER’s authority in the field.

Results: The marketing mix audit provided a solid foundation for Eclipse ER’s brand launch, refining messaging, pricing, and promotional tactics to align with market expectations. This approach positioned Eclipse ER as a trusted, knowledgeable player in the renewable sector in Cameroon, empowering them to make a strong, memorable entry into the market.

2. Brand Identity and Positioning

Objective: Establish a brand identity that reflected Eclipse ER’s expertise, eco-friendly commitment, and the positive environmental impact of their services.

• Brand Foundation Workshop: We conducted a workshop with Eclipse's CEO to define core values, mission, and unique differentiators. This resulted in a concise, memorable brand message: “Core mission of improving energy independence, reducing electricity costs for their clients and providing green energy solutions.”

• Visual Identity and Logo Design: We collaborated on a clean, earthy logo and visual identity that communicated Eclipse ER’s green energy focus. The color palette and font choices emphasised trustworthiness and green energy responsibility.

• Website: We manage the launch of their first website, and thereafter provided a consulting service for their website migration from Squarespace to WordPress. Their first website was designed to be intuitive, visually engaging, and educational. We provided SEO-optimised copywriting that combined technical insights with approachable language, helping to build credibility among industry professionals and potential clients alike.

2. Marketing Strategy Development

Objective: Outline a strategic marketing plan tailored to drive awareness and convert interest into partnerships and projects.

• Target Audience Definition: Through research, we identified Eclipse ER’s ideal customers, which included businesses, construction companies, and residentials. Each segment required tailored messaging that demonstrated Eclipse ER’s renewable energy solutions.

• Content Marketing Strategy: Given Eclipse’s technical service offerings, we created a content strategy to educate the audience. This included:

• Social Media Articles: Topics focused on educating their audience about renewable energy solutions and case studies of their projects.

• White Papers and Guides: On demand resources that offered deeper insights and built authority on complex subjects

• Visual Content: Infographics, videos, and “before-and-after” images were produced to illustrate the impact of Eclipse’s projects visually.

• Social Media and Offline Community Building: A social media strategy focusing on LinkedIn and Facebook and the build of an offline community (by targeting relevant social groups and strategic offline locations in Cameroon) was recommended, where the team could share project updates, client testimonials, relevant news in their industry and useful insights to educate their audience. This community-oriented approach positioned Eclipse as a proactive, knowledgeable leader in renewable energy in Cameroon.

3. Execution Plan for Internal Team

Objective: Provide Eclipse ER’s team with an actionable roadmap to launch and sustain their marketing activities effectively.

• 1 Year Marketing Calendar: A comprehensive content calendar was provided, outlining the frequency and themes for social media articles, social media updates and client engagement activities. Each entry detailed specific calls-to-action to drive engagement.

• Guidelines and Templates: We recommended content templates for social media, blog posts, and client newsletters, simplifying the content creation process. This allowed the team to consistently communicate Eclipse ER’s message without requiring additional marketing expertise.

• Training and Support: To empower Eclipse’s CEO, we held training sessions on essential marketing skills, such as content creation, SEO basics, and social media management. By enabling the CEO to create the relevant briefs to their marketing team to produce and manage content in-house, Eclipse ER could maintain the momentum of their marketing strategy sustainably.

• Performance Metrics and Tracking: We set up basic analytics tools and tracking mechanisms, allowing the Eclipse ER team to measure the impact of their marketing activities. Key performance indicators (KPIs) were established, including website traffic, social media engagement, lead generation, and customer acquisition, to monitor progress and refine strategies as needed.

• Referrals: We executed some inbound marketing campaigns that help to drive referrals to Eclipse ER team

Results

After implementing our tailored marketing strategy, Eclipse ER achieved several significant milestones in the first 6 months to 2 years:

• Increased Brand Visibility: Website traffic grew by 150%, with a high engagement rate on educational social media posts. Their social media content positioned Eclipse ER as an authority on renewable energy in Cameroon, building trust with their target audience.

• Effective Community Engagement: Social media followers (Facebook and LinkedIn combined) increased by over 300% within six months, as the team regularly shared project stories, technical and useful insights, and industry updates.

• Lead Generation and Client Acquisition: Through targeted content and outreach, Eclipse successfully attracted new leads, including local businesses, fortune 500 organisation, construction firms and residentials, resulting in a 40% conversion rate from inquiries to project proposals.

• Sustainable In-House Marketing Process: By following the execution plan and utilising our recommended marketing processes, Eclipse’s team maintained a consistent presence online, even with limited marketing staff.

Conclusion

Our collaboration with Eclipse ER highlights the impact of a well-structured marketing launch strategy. By establishing a clear brand identity, developing a multi-channel content plan, and empowering their marketing team with actionable tools, Eclipse ER was able to quickly gain market traction and build a recognisable presence in the renewable energy sector in Cameroon. This case study exemplifies the value of strategic marketing for new businesses, entrepreneurs and start-ups in specialised industries, especially when resources are limited but ambitions are high.

Our consultant, who is a MCIM Chartered Marketer and a HubSpot Champion User remains available to support Eclipse ER as they continue to grow, refine their marketing approach, and expand their offerings for renewable energy in Cameroon and Africa.

We have begun discussions to launch a new project aimed at optimising their HubSpot portal and integrating it with the system they use for post-sales activities.

Case study published in 2024