A Startup Ready to Shine
SunPower Solutions is a fast-growing renewable energy startup based in San Diego, California. Founded just five years ago by a team of engineers and clean energy advocates, the company’s mission is to make solar energy accessible, affordable, and reliable for everyday homeowners. Their flagship product—a line of high-efficiency residential solar panel systems—has earned praise for its sleek design, robust 25-year warranty, and measurable impact on reducing energy bills.
The company prides itself on offering premium solar technology and providing access to substantial federal and state solar rebates for buyers. Their value proposition centers on helping homeowners save money on energy costs while making an environmentally responsible choice.
While SunPower has gained traction in select local markets through grassroots outreach, direct mail, referrals, and email campaigns, the company is now ready to scale. With increased manufacturing capacity, improved installation logistics, and generous government tax incentives backing the industry, SunPower believes the time is right to expand its reach—but they know they must do so strategically.
SunPower’s leadership team has approved a $10,000/month digital advertising budget with the goal of accelerating customer acquisition and brand visibility in five high-solar-potential states: California, Arizona, Texas, Florida, and Nevada.
Their primary marketing goals are to:
- Generate qualified leads for residential solar consultations
- Increase brand awareness in a highly competitive market dominated by big players like Tesla Energy, Sunrun, and GreenTech
- Build a full-funnel marketing strategy that reaches potential customers at every stage—from awareness to loyalty
- Create authority and trust in a crowded industry and provide education and thought-leadership
SunPower is especially interested in using Google Ads as a performance-based platform to track ROI and scale what works. The team is open to experimenting with new campaign types, but they are also cautious about wasting budget on tactics that don’t convert.
Target Audiences
SunPower’s ideal customer is a homeowner aged 30 to 55 who is thinking ahead—about long-term savings, property value, and environmental impact. Many live in suburban areas where energy costs are high, and solar incentives are attractive. Some are early adopters, while others are more pragmatic—motivated by savings rather than sustainability.
Common characteristics of this audience:
- Owns a single-family home in sunny states
- Pays more than average for electricity
- Has disposable income or financing options available
- Interested in home improvement, clean energy, and financial incentives
- Frequently researches products and reads online reviews before buying
Current Challenges
SunPower has hit a plateau in customer acquisition and faces the following marketing challenges:
- Low Brand Recognition in a competitive solar market dominated by names like Tesla Energy and Sunrun.
- A disconnected digital strategy, with underperforming ad creatives and fragmented messaging.
- A high cost-per-lead on previous campaigns due to poor targeting and lack of media diversification.
- Difficulty reaching and converting qualified homeowners outside of their existing emails and referrals.
SunPower believes that a more strategic paid ad approach using Google Ads can help resolve these challenges—but they’re unsure of the right ad types, targeting tactics, and budget mix.
Your Mission
As a digital marketing strategist, your task is to analyze the case and develop a full-funnel Google Ads strategy to solve SunPower’s challenges and meet their goals.
Build A Strategy For SunPower
1. Keyword Strategy
- Identify 3–4 high-intent keywords to target
- Recommend match types (broad, phrase, exact) for each and explain why
- Estimate potential CPC using tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs or Google Keyword Planner
2. Location Targeting
- Define the appropriate geo-targeting settings
- Explain your rationale for including or excluding specific markets
3. Ad Copywriting
- Write 2–3 compelling headlines and at least 2 ad description lines
- Focus on SunPower’s value proposition and unique selling points
4. Ad Extensions
- Choose 3–4 ad extensions (sitelinks, call, promotion, image, etc.)
- Justify how each will enhance CTR or conversions
5. Google Ads Type Mix (Media Mix Strategy)
- Choose the best combination of ad formats to reach SunPower’s audience and meet campaign goals (choose at least 3):
- Responsive Search Ads
- Display Ads
- YouTube Video Ads
- Local Service Ads
- Shopping Ads
- Remarketing Ads
- Responsive Search Ads
- For each format above, explain:
- Why it’s a good fit for the audience and message
- What stage of the buyer journey it targets
- Why it’s a good fit for the audience and message
6. Performance Max: Yes or No?
- Should SunPower use a Google Performance Max campaign to automate media placement?
- If yes, explain:
- What Performance Max will optimize for (leads, conversions, etc.)
- How it complements or replaces other ad types
- Any potential downsides
- What Performance Max will optimize for (leads, conversions, etc.)
- If no, explain why manual control is preferable for this campaign
7. Organic Content Creation: Yes or No?
- Should SunPower also develop a strategy for organic content given their goals for the future?
- If yes, explain:
- What types of content (blogs, videos, infographics) should they be creating
- How will this content help them achieve their goals
- Create a short list of 3-5 topics that could drive awareness and qualified leads
- What types of content (blogs, videos, infographics) should they be creating
- If no, explain why organic content is a bad fit for SunPower at this time