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Power marketing requires balancing fear-based messaging with positive benefit communication to drive high-stakes purchasing decisions.
In this episode of Marketing Vanguard, host Jenny Rooney sits down with Amanda Teder, CMO of Generac Power Systems, to explore the fascinating world of power solutions marketing.
Learn how Generac balances fear-based messaging with benefit-focused communication, navigates both B2B and B2C markets, and transforms customer education into sales.
Amanda shares invaluable insights on driving business growth through data-driven marketing, building effective pricing ecosystems, and leading organizational transformation.
At Generac, Amanda leads a comprehensive marketing organization that includes customer support and pricing strategy. Her team is driving the company’s transformation from a backup power manufacturer to a broader energy solutions provider, serving both residential and industrial markets.
Previously, she spent 20 years at P&G in various brand management roles before joining Michelin and later Generac.
Whether you’re managing discretionary purchases or essential services, this conversation offers practical strategies for connecting marketing initiatives directly to business outcomes.
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Key takeaways:
[19:42] The Psychology of Fear in Marketing — Amanda reveals the core challenge of marketing backup power: “It is that fear of losing power that ultimately drives the purchase. So there’s a tension for us as marketers to say, how much do we wanna play on that fear versus how much do we wanna flip it and really talk about the benefit when you’ve sort of eliminated that.” She explains how the approach varies by region and recent power outage experiences, requiring nuanced communication strategies that meet consumers where they are.
[08:04] The Power of Weather Data in Marketing — Amanda discusses an innovative approach to demand forecasting: “We actually have a meteorologist on staff because it is so critical to our business that having one voice that everybody in the company is gonna listen to to coordinate against has proven to be really helpful.” She notes the complex relationship between weather events and power outages, explaining how they’re leveraging real-time power outage data across the U.S. to better predict and respond to demand patterns.
[10:23] B2B vs B2C Market Dynamics — Amanda explains how Generac serves both markets: “In both of those markets, what we’ve really focused on doing is building an ecosystem of solutions that can help our customers, both on the residential side and on the industrial side.” She notes the growing importance of data centers and energy-intensive industries in driving B2B demand.
[16:17] Expanding the Marketing Function — Amanda describes her broader marketing mandate: “My function is comprised of a lot of subfunctions and is a little bit broader than some of the traditional definitions of marketing. We have a lot of the traditional functions. We also have a large customer support team, and then the team also owns the pricing and value realization for the company.” This comprehensive approach reflects Generac’s evolution toward a solutions-oriented business model.
[22:06] Leadership as a Midfielder — When asked to describe her leadership style using a soccer analogy, Amanda chooses the midfielder position: “A lot of my job is to make the connections between those team members and help them work together. Marketing is uniquely positioned as the group that really touches the consumers to be a bridge in a lot of those conversations.” She emphasizes the importance of building connections within her new team and serving as a bridge between different business units.
