Michael J. Christianson

CAMPBELL MITHUNLUCKY 13

SUMMER 2014

THE ASSIGNMENT• Elon Musk unveiled the Hyperloop concept in August 2013.

• Develop and articulate a communications strategy that will reach the desired target audience.

THE HYPERLOOP• The Hyperloop is a conceptual high-speed transportation system.

• The initial proposed route is from the Los Angeles area to San Francisco Bay Area.

• The expected time for transport is thirty-five minutes.

• The average traveling speed would be 598 mph with a top speed of 760 mph.

• The Hyperloop would send “capsules” or “pods” through a continuous vacuum-like tube.

• Turntables at the end of every tube will turn the “pods” and send them back.

• Air bearings would ride on the inner surface of the tube, thus producing very little friction or drag.

• An electric compressor fan on the nose will transfer high pressure air from the front to rear of the vessel.

• Can be built on pylons and can be dropped into place one section at a time which will avoid having to purchase land for rails.

• Pylons will also mitigate earthquake risk and avoid need for expansion joints.

THE PROBLEM• Investors and general people alike are leaning more towards

going with a traditional high-speed train instead of using the Hyperloop.

THE SWOTSTRENGTHS:• Less expensive than other ideas• Modern• Fast• Easier to build• Earthquake resistant• Reduced drag and friction

OPPORTUNITES:• New• Exciting• Safety• Efficiency• Route runs along I-5• Faster than normal trains

WEAKNESSES:• New and unknown• Not everyone wants to travel that fast• Not much room in each “capsule”• Trains work fine and people like them• Turns prevent it from hitting top speed

THREATS:• Foreign mode of transportation• Fast speeds may deter people• Hyperloop is not yet perfected• Overlap with other proposals• Proposed tube size may “choke” airflow

THE SOLUTION

The Fifth Mode

THE FIFTH MODE• “The Fifth Mode” works a few different ways:

1. It presents the Hyperloop as a new and exciting way to get around.

2. It’s a more modern form of transportation, so giving it its own category among planes, trains, cars, and boats will make it more exciting and futuristic.

3. There’s nothing else quite like it out there. Trains are close, but the Hyperloop is still different in many ways.

THE TARGET AUDIENCE• There are two different target audiences to pursue: potential

investors and consumers. With this communications strategy, both will be easily reached. Some investors may be consumers too, so overlap is a possibility.

THE IDEA• Using the unique selling proposition and emotional messaging

strategies, we will entice potential investors and consumers into believing the Hyperloop is the way of the future.

• The Hyperloop will be viewed as an astonishing advancement in current transportation technology. Because it will be safer, quieter, cheaper, environmentally friendly, and most importantly, faster, people will see there really is no other way they’d want to get around.

THE UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION• The Hyperloop is unlike anything else, so why not show that? This messaging strategy

will more likely appeal to potential investors.

• Show the Hyperloop speeding by planes, trains, cars, and boats in a commercial.

• Show the other four modes (planes, trains, cars, and boats) in a race from Los Angeles to San Francisco with the Hyperloop as the dominant transportation option.

• Show the evolution of transportation through time concluding with the Hyperloop as the most advanced technology.

• A commercial showing the severe impact of an earthquake to current transportation modes, yet the Hyperloop remains unscathed and operable.

• Compare the smooth operating ability of the Hyperloop to clouds drifting in the sky.

THE EMOTIONAL• Show how the Hyperloop impacts the daily lives of the target audience. This messaging

strategy will more likely appeal to consumers.

• A woman’s husband is critically injured on a business trip in Los Angeles while she is home in San Francisco. Display the speed of the Hyperloop as she reaches his side in the amazing time of only thirty-five minutes.

• Commuting with the Hyperloop makes it a reality to live in San Francisco and work in Los Angeles, opening up the job market for individuals.

• A farmer’s land is minimally disturbed with the construction of the Hyperloop compared to farming land greatly reduced by an enormous freeway system or setting up tracks for a traditional train.

THE SOCIAL• Social media can also be utilized for “The Fifth Mode” approach.

• Facebook

• Instagram

• YouTube

• Google+

• Twitter

• Using social media offers a way for target audiences to keep updated with the project and make them feel connected to it.

• Social media can offer a way for target audiences to “share their hopes for the future.”

THE PUBLICS• With this being a new form of transportation, it’s important to show the Hyperloop as

enhancing everyday life without creating potential issues.

• Launch a mini campaign called “Bettering the Future.”

• The Hyperloop could show how they will be doing less harm to people, the environment, etc.

• Donate some of their money to things such as a cancer cure, which will be seen as the Hyperloop trying to better the future.

• Educate people on how to wisely spend their money. This would be smart because the Hyperloop is cheaper than the other modes of transportation.

THE CONCLUSION• Through the use of “The Fifth Mode,” people will see how the

Hyperloop really is the way of the future. This communications strategy will bring the many positives of building the Hyperloop forward so potential investors and consumers alike will see that investing and using the Hyperloop is a smart choice for everyone.

THE ENDThank you for your time and consideration,

Michael J. Christianson