Narrative & Analysis: Tesla

BCOM 314
September 9, 2020
Eller College of Management
 Presentation Sections
❏ Tesla’s story/public image (Iden)

❏ Challenges with Tesla’s story (Haley)

❏ A key issue or challenge (Vail)

❏ Stakeholder analysis (Jef)

❏ Communication objective (Torre)

❏ Index & reference areas

 Tesla’s Public Image
Tesla is working to bring renewable energy
to the mass market at an affordable price.
 Elon’s Comments
“What I hope we are “From
“From the
the beginning,
beginning, “The thing that bugs
doing in five years my
my dream
dream for
for Tesla
Tesla me the most is that
has
has been
been to
to make
make mass
mass our cars are not
is our mass market
market
market electric
electric affordable enough. We
vehicle” vehicles” need to fix that.”
vehicles”
 Convenience & Comfort
Tesla’s cars include the following amenities:
amenities:
❏ 2.3 Second 0-60 Acceleration
❏ Various Model Sizes
❏ 400+ Mile Range
❏ Fast Charging
❏ Autopilot
❏ AWD
Tesla’s Stakeholder Image
 Pricing
Model 3 Starting Price: $37,990

Model X Starting Price: $79,990

Model S Starting Price: $74,990

Model Y Starting Price: $52,990

Part 1, Section 1 End
 Challenges to Tesla’s Story

❏ Affordability
❏ Safety
“Tesla continues “The result is that Tesla’s safety
to make products rate continues to improve while
accessible and production ramps.”
affordable to
more and more
people”
2.

1.
Part 1, Section 2 End
 The Challenges With Being First

Safety concerns
● Exploding batteries

● Investigations into deadly

autopilot crashes
 The Opportunity

IS TESLA A CAR OR
TECH COMPANY?

The Free Dictionary points out that

a car company is a company that
makes and sells automobiles (in case
that wasn't clear). Tesla is clearly
an automaker, but it is also clearly
a tech company.
Part 2, Section 1 End
Stakeholder Analysis
 Key Stakeholders

❏ Customers

❏ Shareholders

❏ Employees
Key Stakeholders|Customers

❏ Affordability

❏ Safety
Key Stakeholders|Shareholders
Key Stakeholders|Employees

❏ Compensation

❏ Unity
Part 2, Section 2 End
How do we bring everybody together?
❏ Honesty

❏ Transparency

❏ Accountability
Part 2, Section 3 End
 Index
❏ Tesla’s story/public image (Iden)

❏ Challenges with Tesla’s story (Haley)

❏ A key issue or challenge (Vail)

❏ Stakeholder analysis (Jef)

❏ Communication objective (Torre)

❏ Index & References

 References
1. Wagner I. Topic: Tesla. Statista. https://www.statista.com/topics/2086/tesla/. Accessed September 9, 2020.
2. Ray S. Tesla Cars Rank Lowest Among Major Automakers In Influential Customer Survey. Forbes.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2020/06/25/tesla-cars-rank-lowest-among-major-automakers-in-influential-customer-survey/#6e39a9ed4eef . Published June 25, 2020.
Accessed September 9, 2020
3. Bryant C. Tesla’s $200 Billion Question Remains Unanswered. Bloomberg Opinion. July 2020:N.PAG. Accessed September 9, 2020.
https://search-ebscohost-com.ezproxy4.library.arizona.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bsu&AN=144732953&site=ehost-live
4. Joining Tesla Motors - Employee Onboarding. Comparably. https://www.comparably.com/companies/tesla-motors/joining-employee-onboarding. Published August 15, 2020. Accessed
September 9, 2020.
5. Lambert, F., & Fred Lambert @FredericLambert Fred is the Editor in Chief and Main Writer at Electrek.You can send tips on Twitter (DMs open) or via email:
fred@9to5mac.comThrough Zalkon.com. (2020, May 07). Over half Tesla employees surveyed say CEO Elon Musk's tweets harming company. Retrieved from
https://electrek.co/2020/05/07/tesla-employees-believe-elon-musk-harm-survey/
6. 10 years ago, Elon Musk took Tesla public. These days, he wants to take us to Mars. (2020, August 18). Retrieved from
https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/18/success/elon-musk-tesla-ipo-vault-interview/index.html
7. About the Author Johnna Crider is a Baton Rouge artist. (2020, July 23). Elon Musk: "The thing that bugs me the most is that our cars are not affordable enough. We need to fix that."
Retrieved from https://cleantechnica.com/2020/07/23/elon-musk-the-thing-that-bugs-me-the-most-is-that-our-cars-are-not-affordable-enough-we-need-to-fix-that/
8. Model S. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.tesla.com/models
9. Investors Overview. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://ir.tesla.com/investor-relations
10. (n.d.). Retrieved September 9, 2020, from https://orbis-bvdinfo-com.ezproxy3.library.arizona.edu/version-202094/orbis/1/Companies/Report
11. Matousek, M. (2019, March 23). Tesla is having another chaotic year - these are the biggest challenges Tesla has faced so far in 2019. Retrieved from
https://www.businessinsider.com/teslas-biggest-challenges-in-2019-2019-3#a-controversial-conference-call-6
12. About Tesla: Tesla. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.tesla.com/about
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14. Martinez, M. (2019). Troubled Tesla hopes Y will be the answer: Big potential, heavy burden, long wait for small crossover. Automotive News, 93(6873), 3.
15. Ohnsman, A. (2019). Tesla Keeps “Gas Savings” Pricing On U.S. Website After Germany Tells It To Stop. Forbes.com, N.PAG.
16. Eidelson, J. (2019). Tesla Committed Unfair Labor Practices, NLRB Judge Rules. Bloomberg.com, N.PAG.