An analysis of how Moon Five’s messaging helps their mission to make EV charging accessible for renters — and what lessons their audience-centered approach offers other mission-driven organizations.

This article is the first in a series of “comms analysis” articles examining the effectiveness of mission-driven communications. For each analysis, I identify an environmental or social impact organization and conduct an audit of their messaging using Helix River’s 4 ACES messaging framework. The audit aims to identify what works, what doesn’t, and what we can learn from them. 

The 4 ACES approach covers basic communications principles that improve the impact of our messages: for example, targeting specific audiences, connecting with people emotionally, and using concrete language. By applying these principles, mission-driven organizations can stand out in a crowded field and attract support.

Today’s subject is Moon Five, a mission-driven for-profit company making electric vehicle charging accessible for renters.* 

* Note: Helix River has not worked with Moon Five in any way. This analysis is purely an outsider’s objective assessment of the messaging currently on their website.

Moon Five: The mission

Electric vehicles (EVs) play a crucial role in decarbonizing transportation — passenger cars and trucks currently account for roughly one fifth of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Over their lifetimes, EVs produce far fewer emissions than gas-powered vehicles.

However, one key demographic is mostly locked out of the EV revolution. Homeowners can (relatively) easily install a charging station, solar panels, and other renewable energy equipment. But for renters, it’s much harder. 

Multi-family dwellings with shared parking lots present countless logistical challenges for installing EV charging stations. Property owners don’t typically have any incentives for investing in this kind of infrastructure.

Moon Five saw these challenges, and like Mark Watney in The Martian, they decided to “science the s–t out” of the problem. Their stated goal: “increase renters’ ability to move away from fossil fuels and build electrical resiliency.” They produce an EV charger specifically designed for renters, working with property owners and renters to make installation seamless.

Let’s take a look at their comms.

What makes their messaging work

From the first moment I landed on their website, I was impressed. The problem they address is instantly apparent. It’s clear who their target audience is. They present a compelling case for how their technology and system address the audience’s problem.

The 4 ACES audit of their website reflected this initial assessment, scoring 92% and excelling across all 30 criteria in the 4 ACES framework:

• Four quarters (distilling big ideas): 100%
• Audience-centered (targeting to documented audience needs): 88%
• Concrete (painting a vivid picture): 93%
• Emotional (creating connection): 92%
• Simple (using clear language): 100%

Here are some ways their messaging stands out:

Crystal clear audience segmentation

One thing that stood out to me immediately was the audience segmentation. It’s instantly apparent that they target renters as a primary audience group. And since renters need to work with landlords, they also have clear messaging for property owners. On the homepage and dedicated pages for renters and owners, they included messaging carefully calibrated to the distinct needs and motivations of both segments.

The renters page emphasizes time and money savings (“Wake up recharged”), while the owners page leads with revenue opportunities and zero-cost amenities (“Maximize your building’s power”). Across the site, roughly 70% of content focuses on audience benefits rather than company features — a strong ratio that demonstrates Moon Five’s dedication to empathizing with what matters to their stakeholders.

Concrete scenarios and quantified benefits

Rather than abstract promises, Moon Five offers solid details: “Add up to 240 miles overnight” for $50/month, with “99% uptime” and installation completed in “1-2 weeks.” The renters page contrasts their solution against three concrete pain points: expensive public charging, property owner hesitation, and the high cost of self-installation under right-to-charge laws. These specific details help audiences visualize exactly how their daily experience would change.

The Company page also paints a vivid picture of the importance of their solution. It describes a scenario where “you could look across a city during a blackout and point to the single-family homes, running comfortably for days off of their cars, while renters sit in the dark.” Picturing this, we can easily understand the consequences of the current inequity in renewable energy access.

One idea per sentence

Throughout the site, their messaging is simple and clear. There are very few, if any, long and dense technical paragraphs. Their content embodies a principle that I advocate for my clients: “one idea per sentence.” A lot of mission-driven comms tries to pack in way too much complexity in every sentence. Their content is easy to skim, while not sacrificing depth or accuracy.

What could make their messaging even stronger

While Moon Five’s messaging really shines, every organization has room for improvement. Here are a couple of areas I’d love to see in their content:

Brief explanations for technical terms

Terms like V2X, OTA, NACS, J-1772, V2H, and DERs appear throughout the site without definition. While EV enthusiasts may know these terms, they create barriers for general audiences. Simple tooltips, a brief glossary, or alternative phrases would maintain the clean design while improving clarity and accessibility.

More human stories

The founder’s story, linked from the Company page, adds a great human touch. We can feel a connection with his purpose and what motivated him to launch Moon Five. And the homepage currently features one brief testimonial. However, in the rest of the site, that direct human voice is largely absent.

Adding a few more customer stories showing different perspectives would make the solution more relatable across different renter types and situations. These might include a family managing morning routines, a commuter calculating cost savings, a first-time EV owner navigating the transition, or a property owner seeing tenant retention benefits. 

Lessons for mission-driven organizations

Moon Five’s highly targeted messaging demonstrates an important distinction in how we define “mission-driven organization.” As a for-profit technology startup, they occupy a different space than nonprofits and government. The market-based context startups operate in pushes companies to conduct thorough research into their potential buyers — those that fail to understand their buyers will not succeed in the marketplace.

Nonprofits face a steeper challenge in defining audience profiles as precisely as Moon Five, since nonprofit donors have diverse characteristics. But difficult doesn’t mean impossible. By conducting interviews and creating user personas, any mission-driven organization can deepen their understanding of stakeholders. 

Ultimately, it comes down to one question, “Can your audience see themselves in your story?” Regardless of your organizational structure, your audience needs to feel your empathy for their needs.

Through clear targeting, vivid language, and distilling big ideas in simple ways, Moon Five exemplifies strong mission-driven communications.

Learn more about Moon Five’s approach to accessible EV charging at moonfive.tech.

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If you’re interested in how the 4 ACES methodology can improve your comms, drop us a line!