PEACOCK SOLAR CASE STUDY

Submitted by : Manan Gupta

 Business Plan
 Executive summary:
Peacock Solar aims to be the energy partner for 50
million Indian urban households by leveraging data
analytics and innovation finance to provide access to
solar electricity and enhance the quality of their
lifestyle by adding energy efficient appliances.

Peacock Solar solves for multiple climate related

issues such as access to clean, reliable, affordable modern
energy for all and use of energy appliances at household
level
Marketing Strategy:

1. Connect with customers while they are most engaged

A solar installation company’s website is the central element of a
strong digital solar marketing strategy. This is where other digital
marketing initiatives will drive web traffic.
A polished website that answers questions and clearly showcases a
company’s quality can make a lasting impression with prospective clients.
Once a company’s website is optimized, Search Engine Optimization
(SEO)—including the strategic use of keywords that customers may be
searching for—can help make the website rank higher in Google search
results. Paid options like Google Adwords, which allow companies to rank
higher for certain relevant search terms, can also increase the visibility of
a website. These digital solar marketing options can help many more
interested customers find a solar installation company— with little effort
on the company’s part.
2. Keep leads warm and turn visitors into customers:

Once prospective customers encounter a solar

company online, digital solar marketing also offers a
variety of ways to keep in touch and re-engage with
them as they consider a solar installation.
Remarketing can deliver targeted ads to individuals
who have previously visited a specific website,
helping to keep that company at the top of their
minds. Additionally, there are a variety of ways to
encourage visitors to enter their email address on a
solar company’s website so companies can use email
marketing to keep their interest and showcase what
makes that company a great choice.
3. Educate potential customers and answer their
questions 

Solar is still a new topic for most consumers, so there

are a lot of questions they’ll want answered before
they make a decision. Companies that take the time to
post high-quality educational material about the
process of going solar, with accessible answers to
common questions, can establish themselves as
trusted resources. This solar content marketing, which
can include blog posts, e-books, infographics and
other informative resources, will help customers
become more comfortable the decision to install a PV
system—and more inclined to choose that installation
company.
Hiring of senior citizens

A young mind is often unconstrained by established

dogma. Disruptive unconventional thinking comes
them naturally. But are youthful energy and
innovation the only ingredients to business success?
Don’t factors like experience, discipline and
composure matter ? Of course, they do, and the best
way to bring in these qualities into the team is to get
a few senior members on board.
Keeping up with fast-paced technological changes in
solar industry is probably one critical area where a
young recruit would score over a senior candidate.
But not all business functions in a startup are tied up
with ever changing technology. Marketing, customer
liaisons , funding pitches, governmental obligations
etc. are all areas where processes are somewhat
conventional and past exposure can be a critical plus.
General administration such as planning office space,
infrastructure requirements is also a function which
a senior member will handle much better,as they don’t
have to figure out things by trial and error.
Designation to offer
The designation offered to a senior candidate can be
a tricky affair. More than money , a respectable job
title befitting their seniority would attract them.
Startups can afford to be unconventional and
innovative in their job titles, as they don’t have to
conform to fixed designations bands and pay scales.
Product coach intern, brand strategist intern , support
specialist intern-fancy sounding designations such as
these might serve to inspire the candidate.
Team management
There must never be a deliberate attempt from the
management to keep senior candidates away from
younger colleagues. Just like a natural family structure
consisting of the young and old, companies would also
benefit from the synergy that develops between the
mixed age groups. Educate the younger lot to treat
their senior counterparts with respect and encourage
the older lot to drop their reserve and have fun!
Age is nothing but a number. Empathy, effective
communication and a shared vision are all that
matters.
Designing of employee
experience
Creating a positive employee experience is key to
building greater levels of engagement, enthusiasm ,
involvement and employer brand commitment within
the organization .
Core elements:
1. An overall set of employee perceptions across time
and touch points.
2.A collection of environmental factors : cultural,
physical and technological.
3.A broadening of traditional HR functions that
recognize the correlation between employee engagement
and positive customer experience.
 Employee experience design is a participatory systems approach to
workplace improvements that applies methods and principles
of experience design, such as design thinking, co-creation and empathic
design . It also uses tools and techniques that are typical to customer
experience management and service design, e.g. employee experience
journey mapping or  touchpoint  analysis.
Primary design object is the employee experience, which – when
successful – an employee finds unique, memorable and sustainable over
time, would want to repeat and build upon, and enthusiastically promotes
via word of mouth. It is suspected to encourage loyalty by creating an
emotional connection through engaging, compelling, and consistent
context. The categories for employee experience design context are
products, processes, artefacts, content, space and interactions.
While employee experience design is beneficial to create positive
customer experiences, it is also beneficial for non-customer-facing roles.
Many elements can make up a successful employee experience,
including office environment, reward and benefits, flexible working and
casual dress policies.
 Strategy to attract candidates
and other startups
Be proactive in implementing a scalable recruitment
plan :
Company’s recruitment plan is essentially where it build it’s DNA. It should demonstrate
values and mission of the company. It should also provide a crystal clear profile on the type
of people company want on the bus .
 Recruiting Strategy
According to recruiters, company’s recruiting plan should consist of four parts:
Clearly defined roadmap – why, when, where and how to move forward with recruitment.

A mission statement for each role – to help attract candidates who are truly aligned to the
business vision.

Detailed job description – including KPIs and a clear understanding of what is required of
the role and how it contributes to the business.

Realistic and clear interview process – candidate should be aware of what to expect
through the entire experience.
Test for Attitude:

Candidates should be well versed in answering questions

like, “What is your greatest strength and why?”, “What
motivates you?” and “What about this role interests you
most, and why?” So what recruiters recommends is digging
deeper to see how adaptable candidates are to thinking on
their feet. Ask recruiting questions like:
 “If you were made the manager in your last position, what
would you have changed?”
 “Can you demonstrate a time you used skills that fell outside
of your job description to complete a project?
 “Three years from today, what has to happen for you to feel
fulfilled both personally and professionally?”
 Keep Quality Candidates Engaged:

According to experts, when it comes to engagement, don’t reinvent the

wheel, instead, stay in the driver’s seat. This is one of the most commonly
overlooked startup recruiting tips:
“Candidates do not want to be surprised during the process. No one likes to
be continually asked to meet with just one more person or complete just one
more test. However, what candidates do appreciate is being given clear
expectations and to feel fairly considered.”
In addition to providing candidates with a detailed description of what they
can expect during the interview process, and sticking to it, experts also
suggests engaging candidates by building “Get to know the team days” into
the recruitment process.
Getting to know the team can consist of simply inviting candidates for an
informal lunch with the people they will be working with so they can learn first
hand the company culture and team dynamic. Or by offering “Shadow Days,”
so candidates can experience what the average day feels like at the startup.
Financial model and operations
strategy when senior citizens are
hired
A senior person is probably financially responsible for a family – kids’
education, home loans, medical expenses, etc. being some of his/her
concerns. So insufficient take-home pay is a deal breaker in their case.
When startups are in the nascent stage, external funding is not yet
through and the founders are still making do with their personal
money. If senior candidates are being roped in at that stage, they must
be clearly educated on the financial constraints. Unless the senior
candidate is cushioned against financial contingencies, it’s not a
feasible pick. However, if the candidate is ready to fight it out through
that stage, offering him/her attractive incentives such as a stake in the
company, variable pay based on customer conversions, etc. would be a
great idea. Remuneration is directly proportional to the value-add one
brings to the company, irrespective of age and seniority. This point
needs to be emphasized right at the start.
As one gets older, variety and constant change cease
to be topmost priorities. Career stability and
consolidation become more desirable. It is common
knowledge that job attrition rates among the
workforce in their 20s are considerably higher than
those in the 30s-40s. Cash in on the inherent loyalty
that senior employees have to offer. While a 20-
something on his first or second job wouldn’t pay
much heed to a 3-5 year career growth path, a senior
candidate would attach great importance to this. If
the path eventually leads to the candidate becoming
part of the top management, then so be it.