Does Advertising Create the Momentum Needed for Solar Growth?
Assessment of TV Ad Campaign and Its Impact on Customer Awareness and Purchase Intent
Objective
The objective was to comprehensively analyze the effectiveness of a TV advertising campaign in various aspects, such as improving awareness, brand perception, advertising recall and purchase intent for solar power solutions among MSMEs in India. The other objectives of the study included understanding the purchase journey, identifying the factors driving the adoption of solar power solutions, assessing purchase timelines, evaluating brand consideration, and determining the most effective media channels to reach the decision-makers of the MSMEs.
Business Challenge
Solar adoption among MSMEs remained limited despite increasing market awareness and growing promotional activity. Uncertainty regarding the tangible benefits of solar installations, concerns around installation, ownership costs, competing energy alternatives, and limited understanding of the economic advantages of solar adoption are the key obstructions for the adoption. The business also required clarity on whether advertising exposure was translating into meaningful improvements in brand awareness, consideration and eventual purchase intent.
How We Did It
This study was built around a structured, multi-stage approach to understand how MSMEs think about solar — their awareness, perceptions, decision-making factors and purchase intent — while also gauging how well the TV campaign actually landed. We used stratified random sampling to make sure different industrial clusters and MSME types were properly represented, with a particular focus on manufacturing businesses running out of factory setups. The sampling frame itself was pulled together using industry associations, business registries and relevant authorities, and we added an electricity-consumption filter of ₹1 lakh and above to zero in on businesses that were genuinely more likely candidates for solar. In total, we covered 1,049 MSMEs across major industrial hubs — Punjab, Haryana, Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Aurangabad, Hyderabad, Raipur, Manesar and Neemrana. The questionnaire mixed closed and open-ended questions with Likert scales, top-of-mind and aided/spontaneous brand-awareness measures, plus ad recall, relevance, engagement and purchase-intent indicators. Data collection ran through both online and telephone modes — CAPI and CATI — with informed consent taken from every respondent. We used Kobo Tool Box to manage survey collection, monitoring and evaluation, which kept responses consistent across locations. Before going live, we ran pilot testing to check the questionnaire actually made sense and gave reliable answers, with validation checks built into the interview process throughout. Quantitative responses went through statistical analysis, while open-ended inputs were reviewed thematically to pull out recurring patterns, motivations and barriers. We also looked at brand recognition before and after ad exposure, aided versus unaided awareness, media habits, adoption status, installation timelines and what actually drives the purchase decision. All of this got pulled together into comparative tables, charts and written analysis so we could look at patterns both nationally and city-by-city. Respondent data was handled confidentially throughout, with proper consent and ethical safeguards in place.
Key Findings
- Strong awareness was observed for leading solar brands.
- Cost and uncertainty around benefits remained important adoption barriers.
- Advertising improved brand recognition, although awareness did not always translate into immediate purchase intent.
- Television remained an important communication channel among the target audience.
- Solar purchase consideration was generally longer-term, with customers evaluating financial benefits, product quality and company reputation before purchase.
- After-sales service and trust were important components of the purchase decision.
Findings
There's a real gap between how many MSMEs know about solar and how many actually go ahead and buy. Awareness of the top solar providers is fairly high, but that hasn't translated into adoption — just knowing the brands isn't enough to push someone toward installation. When evaluating solar solutions, respondents cared most about product quality, after-sales service, brand reputation, visible performance and the extra services that come bundled in. But the single biggest thing holding people back was simply not being sure what they'd actually get out of switching to solar — bigger than cost concerns or worries about alternative energy sources. That tells us MSMEs need a lot more clarity on the real, practical payoff before they'll commit. And this isn't a quick decision either — 94% of prospective buyers are still just considering it, with a good chunk planning to install sometime in the next one to two years.
The TV campaign clearly did more for brand recognition and consideration than it did for driving people to actually buy. Overall recall went up by 15.8% after the ads ran — a solid sign that television still works when it comes to staying top-of-mind. Among viewers who saw the ad, relevance to solar solutions came through strongly, and what stuck with people most was the promise of lower electricity bills, along with the brand's expertise and leadership in the solar space. A number of respondents also picked up on the future-facing, sustainability angle of the messaging. In terms of what people did after watching, a fair number went back to rewatch it, checked out the website, or shared it with others. That said, the campaign didn't move the needle much on actual interest for most viewers — which tells us that ad exposure by itself isn't enough to shorten the long decision cycle or ease the financial hesitation that still surrounds solar adoption.
Business Impact
15% jump in brand awareness — that's the headline number, and honestly it tracks with what we expected once the audience targeting got tightened up. We spent weeks going back and forth on the messaging before landing on cost-effectiveness and the after-sales angle for solar, and it paid off. Budget also moved toward channels where the audience actually fit, not just reach. You can already see it in the funnel: more people are sliding from just-aware into actually-considering-a-purchase. Keep this pace up and the market share numbers should start showing it too.
