Slate Requests Shipping Info, Promises 'Thank You' Gifts to Reservation Holders
If you're one of the more than 100,000 people who dropped $50 to reserve a Slate truck, you might have received an intriguing email recently with the subject line "SIGNED. SEALED. DELIVERED?" The message is simple: complete your profile with a shipping address, and Slate will send you "a small thank you for reserving a Slate."
This appears to be a standard startup engagement tactic to maintain contact with pre-order customers during the long wait until production. By getting you to provide shipping details and offering a physical touchpoint, Slate accomplishes several things at once.
The Psychology Behind the Swag
First, there's the data collection aspect. Getting your shipping address moves you from a $50 reservation holder to someone who's provided more detailed personal information. It's a step toward deeper customer engagement, and it gives Slate additional data for future marketing.
Second, there's the physical connection. Whatever they're sending creates a tangible link between you and the brand during what could be a two-year wait until delivery. It keeps the Slate name visible in your life, whether that's a hat on your shelf or a sticker on your laptop.
The timing is notable. Over 100,000 reservations in just two weeks created significant buzz, but now comes the challenge of keeping those reservation holders engaged long enough to convert them into actual orders.
What's Actually in Their Store
Speaking of swag, Slate has quietly launched their merchandise store with what they describe as "official SLATE apparel, accessories, and gear. Designed for drivers who move different." They're offering items like trucker hats with a "sleek, low-profile silhouette" that's specifically noted as "not your grandpa's trucker hat."
The merchandise aligns with their brand positioning. Just like the truck itself, the swag appears to be taking familiar concepts (trucker hats, branded gear) and giving them a more modern, simplified twist.
This email campaign reflects where Slate sits in the EV startup landscape. They need to maintain engagement during what could be a challenging production timeline.
The "thank you" gift strategy also fits their DIY, customer-focused brand identity. Rather than flashy marketing campaigns, they're taking a more personal approach that reinforces their message about putting customers first and keeping things simple.
Whether this approach will successfully convert reservations into orders remains to be seen. The real test will be how many of those 100,000 reservations turn into actual purchases when production begins and final pricing is announced.
If you got the email, it's probably worth filling out your shipping info – so they know where you'll be parking that new Slate truck after it arrives late next year.
