Banking on green cred
On top of the industry’s baseline complexities, there are solar scams to watch out for. Homeowners also run the risk of choosing a company in this fast-growing market that then goes out of business, leaving the buyer with orphaned solar panels that other companies may be unwilling to service.
While SunPower offers different options for financing, many of which require little upfront, solar is still a long-term commitment. The brand is betting that the decision will be easier for homeowners after watching Orme’s content.
“The way I run my platform, I’m not churning out content constantly telling people to buy things,” Orme told Adweek, explaining that she’s highly selective with her brand deals. She’s never worked with a clothing company, for example, instead urging her over 500,000 followers to buy secondhand.
With a degree in environmental science and years of experience as a sustainability focused creator, she brings a level of expertise to her followers that they seem to trust—asking questions in the comments and for advice on different green swaps they’re thinking of making.
“Influencer marketing works best when the influencer has expertise in the area that they are discussing,” Richard Hanna, marketing professor at Babson College, told Adweek. “For a product like this, the influencer can simplify the message for the brand and help make something that seems scary or expensive, the way solar is perceived by many, be approachable and affordable.”
