Marketing Management Individual Project (MMIP) 2
Provide a Description of the Product/Service and a Brief History of the Firm
Tesla, Inc is an exciting and innovative enterprise into the domestic and global
automotive market, and since its inception in 2003 has made serious waves within the long-time
established automotive market and industry, becoming a recognized and highly competitive
brand. When entering the marketplace, Tesla has little to no competition, and the then
automotive industry top brands did not have a lineup of Electric Vehicles (EV’s), but since one
will notice that almost all car makers have numerous EV’s and more electric focused hybrids.
The company was revolutionary and has started a revolution to bring EV’s to the marketplace, at
a reasonable price point, and helped to build the infrastructure that continues to be developed
today. Started by Elon Musk, who is currently the CEO and a member of Tesla, Inc Board, in
cooperation with Martin Eberhard, Marc Tarpening, J.B. Straubel, and Ian Wright (Thomas &
Maine, 2019), the companies mission has been to “accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable
energy” (Tesla.com, 2025). Tesla first model was the Roadster sports car, which premiered in
2008, and followed by various other models, including a sedan, and SUV, a semi-truck, the
Cybertruck, and most recently, a compact SUV. Slightly diversified, Tesla, Inc also created three
energy storage products – the Powerwall, the Powerpack and the Megapack, as well as the Solar
Roof (2025). Musk and co-founders found that consumers would be interested in purchasing an
EV as a primary or secondary vehicle in households, if the vehicle was presented as a high-end
vehicle, direct from the manufacturer, that could compete with combustion engine and hybrid
vehicles.
Marketing Management Individual Project (MMIP) 3
Explain the Organization’s Current or Possible Global Marketing Efforts
Tesla, Inc. currently operates in three continents, North America, Aisa and Europe, with a
total of “six huge, vertically integrated factories” (Tesla.com, 2025), employing over 100,000
employees. Tesla, Inc. operates globally as well as domestically, with an established global
marketing effort, as they sell all over the world, with their key markets being the UK, Germany,
France, US and China. In 2024, Tesla, Inc. sold a total of 1.79 million cars worldwide, made a
total of $97.7 billion, and market cap in the US was $1.3 trillion (Tesla.com, 2025). The United
States is the hub of Tesla, Inc. manufacturing, with plants in numerous states, and is its primary
market, but that does not force them to slow down selling globally. The Tesla Model 3 became
the most popular U.S. made vehicle in 2021, overtaking the ever-popular Ford Mustang, and
Ford-F150. In terms of operating in China, one of its key non-domestic markets, conducting its
manufacturing out of Shanghai, Tesla was the second best-selling EV in the China market in
2024, and aside from the US, China was Tesla, Inc’s biggest market for EV’s, selling 603,304
units there in 2023 (Tesla.com, 2025). 20% of revenue comes from China, and over 30% comes
from the rest of the world (Thomas & Maine, 2019). Since it is easier to operate, manufacture
and sell all in the same market, Tesla, Inc. appeals to a consumers sense of national orientation,
producing and marketing in the region of operation, to consumers of that region. The company
will continue to expand and diversify, although certain car models are built only at certain plants.
Therefore, if a customer wants a vehicle produced at a factory outside their country, it will be
more difficult to procure, especially with the higher tariffs and taxes currently affecting the car
industry globally.
Marketing Management Individual Project (MMIP) 4
Explain the Organization’s Mission. Provide its Mission Statement or Create One if
Necessary. Please Format This with Quotation Marks, Italics, or Bold Print
According to the Tesla.com website, “Tesla’s EHS&S mission is to accelerate the world’s
transition to sustainable energy by safely building, selling, servicing, and delivering all-electric
vehicles, and infinitely scalable, clean energy generation and storage products” (Tesla.com,
2025). Its Vision, according to the Global Environmental, Health, Safety and Security (EHS&S)
policy, is “to accelerate to a sustainable tomorrow, being safe, fair, and fun today” and its values
are “Do the right thing”, and “EHS&S is part of everything we do” (2025). The principles and
objectives state that they “value and protect people, planet, property and products by maintaining
a safe, healthy, secure and environmentally conscious workplace without compromise for
production or profit” (2025). These are all very transparent, clearly defined, and straightforward
declarations of purpose and operational guidelines, mission and value statements. The mission
has always been to provide consumers with innovative, sustainable, affordable and accessible
solutions for EV’s. Since expanding its offerings of vehicle choice, they also developed EV
accessories, built with the same purpose in mind, such as charging hubs, replacement or
upgraded batteries, solar panel roof systems, and charging stations at home (Thomas & Maine,
2019). The stated mission, purpose and values guide the entire operation and include a purpose
more inclusive than just manufacturing a product to make revenue, they make sustainable
products for all, with as little impact on the environment and communities as possible.
Marketing Management Individual Project (MMIP) 5
Explain the Organization’s Competitive Strategy. Chapter 3 Provides the Names of Specific
Strategies. Select One of These Specific Strategies
Just like Tesla, Inc. operates, the company has a unique strategy for competing in the
marketplace. The strategy that stands out as most apparently used by Tesla, Inc. is a
differentiation approach with a broad target competitive scope. The company was founded to
create top-performing, rowdy, sustainable, stylish EV’s, and create a new market within an
already well established one, being first to market, and gamble on consumer acceptance. It was
an overall win that continues to give the company wins. Early on though, the price of their EV’s
was a barrier for entry for most consumers, as their Roadster vehicle had a price tag of roughly
$110,000 – just too high to be competitive with US car manufacturers, especially with an
untested and somewhat impractical vehicle in the minds of consumers. Since Elon Musk and
Tesla were motor vehicle innovators, it is not a stretch to figure out they were marketing
innovators as well, and in subsequent years, they have developed more affordable models of their
vehicles to cater to variable income levels of consumers, without sacrificing quality, innovation
or pazazz. With a more respectable price point, consumers were more willing to buy something
completely different from what they were used to, even with such a high value purchase as their
next motor vehicle, which is a hard-sell to capture the hearts and minds of consumers concerning
big purchases. These consumers were also more willing to pay a little higher price but still
within purchase range, or even a little outside, than they would for an equally equipped
combustion engine vehicle, since they are getting something unique (Marshall & Johnston,
2023).
Marketing Management Individual Project (MMIP) 6
Conduct a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) Analysis for the
Organization. Structure This with a Heading for Each of the Four Components
Strengths
Currently, the most valuable
automotive company in the world
Highest market share in US, and
highest income of any global car
manufacturer
Highly effective and adaptive global
and domestic marketing strategies
Very strong organization
infrastructure, uniquely positioned
product, strong and educated worker
base
Diversification of product, constant
innovation and ability to manufacture
it all first-party
Weaknesses
Some technology issues, like battery
safety, efficiency, sustainability, ease
of upgrading or repair (terms of cost
of parts, repair locations, warranty
issues)
Some issues with employee labor
unions and retention, possible issues
with overworking some workers in
some manufacturing plants, long
hours but low turnover
Battery sub supplies are always a
challenge, including lithium and other
key battery components, new
technology advances in energy draw
Opportunities
New technology means staying cutting
edge and integrating these
technologies into vehicles and at home
Staying on the leading edge of auto-
drive vehicular advances, and being
early-to-market with first offerings
Finding ways to make an even more
affordable product available on the
market, locking in even more market
share domestically and globally
Leading Green Space and continuing
to find ways to operate with
sustainability and environmentally
ethical
Continue to expand into new
manufacturing markets, like Inda,
Africa or other nations in Europe other
than just Germany to continue growth
and ease to market where
manufacturing takes place
Threats
Already established car makers
developing a continuing growing fleet
of EV’s to compete directly with
Tesla, often at a lower price point, but
still at high quality and chock full of
innovations
New technologies that could make
EV’s battery system obsolete, further
distancing the market from carbon
consumption for fuel and giving an
advantage to an emerging threat
Lithium or other battery components
become unavailable in an already
dwindling supply and highly coveted
marketplace, access to goods might
become scarce and unaffordable
Increased tariffs and taxes on exported
vehicles or parts for overseas
manufacturers could put a threat on
revenue streams and slow down
production
Marketing Management Individual Project (MMIP) 7
References
Additional resources | Tesla Mission Statement and Ethics. Tesla Business Code of Ethics.
(2025). https://www.tesla.com/legal/additional-resources#tesla-business-code-of-ethics
Marshall, G., & Johnston, M. (2023). Marketing Management (4th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education
Thomas, V. J., & Maine, E. (2019). Market Entry Strategies for Electric Vehicle Start-Ups in the
Automotive Industry–Lessons from Tesla Motors. Journal of Cleaner Production, 235.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.06.284
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