Here he is on a testing run:
Press release from Porsche: (more…)
Archive for the ‘Technology/Product’ Category
Jeff Zwart will race a purpose built Porsche GT3 at Pikes Peak
Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010
“Old News” that’s worth hearing again, or maybe for the first time…
Wednesday, April 21st, 2010When I first saw this Acura commercial it got me thinking about what constitutes “old news” versus something relevant and important:
This Acura commercial is about crumple zones and their ability to absorb energy in a crash while directing it around the passengers ensconced in a safety cage. It’s a nicely executed commercial that provides people with information that gives them confidence that Acuras are safe.
But it isn’t new and it certainly isn’t exclusive to Acura. Many of us would say that crumple zones are “old news.”
In 1952, Mercedes-Benz received a patent for a crumple zone in an automobile. Up until that point rigidity was regarded as the key to protecting passengers in an automobile accident. The 1959 Mercedes-Benz W111 series included crumple zones and was actively crash tested by the company.
I can still vividly remember the first time I actually saw a crash test. It was at the Mercedes Benz Safety Center in the Sindelfingen plant outside Stuttgart. I was amazed at the devastation created by a thirty mile an hour off-set crash. Right then and there I learned the value of a crumple zone.
Today, every automobile manufacturer uses crumple zones to make their cars safer.
Yet here is Acura, using their version of a crumple zone to differentiate themselves from their competitors.
If every car has crumple zones, then what’s differentiating about Acura’s? (more…)
Is Mini moving out of its niche? How to avoid the automotive equivalent of a comb-over.
Wednesday, April 7th, 2010An article in the April 2nd edition of the New York Times was headlined: “Despite Expansion, Mini Says It’s Still a Niche” and confirmed something that had occurred to me at the New York Auto Show.
In New York last week I saw the new Mini crossover, the Countryman, for the first time in person. All the Mini design cues are present in the Countryman and I think you’d be hard pressed to say that it wasn’t part of the Mini family. But I was struck by how “big” it seemed, it didn’t seem small and taut the way all the other models do. Part of the difference was that the Countryman’s ground clearance is higher, so its stance is really quite different than the other Minis.
This got me thinking, at what point does a marque go too far and begin to lose its essential character? Has Mini gone too far with the Countryman?
I suspect this is a little like losing your hair. Little by little your hair recedes, almost imperceptibly, you make little adjustments as you go, thinking no one will notice, until one day you end up with comb-over and people are snickering behind your back. Little by little automotive brands seem to lose their way. (more…)
JD Power’s 2010 Vehicle Dependability Study–It’s tough to buy a bad car.
Thursday, March 18th, 2010JD Power just released its 2010 Vehicle Dependability Study and there are some surprises. Porsche is ranked 1st, Lincoln 2nd and Buick and Lexus are tied for 3rd. It wasn’t so many years ago that Lexus dominated the VDS study as the perennial number 1 and some may wonder what has happened? Particularly in light of the well publicized Toyota quality issues.
The fact is that nothing has happened to Lexus, they design, engineer and build an extraordinary vehicle. What’s happened is that the other manufacturers have improved to the point where every year it’s a genuine dogfight to get to the top spot.
There were some other surprises that weren’t so good…. (more…)
2010 NY Auto Show Press Conference Schedule
Wednesday, March 17th, 2010| Wednesday, March 31, 2010 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 7:15am – 9:20am | Opening Press Breakfast Keynote Speaker: Alan Mulally, President & CEO of Ford Motor Co. |
Special Events Hall, Level 1 |
| 9:30am – 9:55am | Mercedes-Benz | Level 3 |
| 10:00am – 10:25am | Infiniti | Level 3 |
| 10:30am – 10:55am | Ford | Level 3 |
| 11:00am – 11:25am | Chevrolet | Level 3 |
| (more…) | ||
Toyota, NHTSA, safety advocates and the need to address the real cause of accidents.
Saturday, March 13th, 2010Every single day there’s a new article citing an issue with Toyota.
There are certainly plenty of questions on all sides of the issue. Are Toyotas safe? Are Toyota’s designs faulty? Did Toyota hold back information? Is Toyota evil? Is NHTSA just “a lap dog” for the auto manufacturers and simply trying to cover its you know what? Were our elected officials just grand standing for their own benefit? Is the Federal Government going after Toyota because it owns a big chunk of GM and Chrysler. Are these allegations of Toyotas run amok the creation of lawyers and their clients who see the deep pockets of Toyota?
I’ve come to the opinion that we are worrying about the wrong things. (more…)
Can Cadillac succeed in Europe?
Tuesday, March 9th, 2010Amid all the drama surrounding GM, every so often I see something that strikes me a smart. In Geneva, Cadillac announced it’s aspirations for Europe (WSJ 3/8/10 Sub required, NYT 3/2/10).
After a number of high profile failures to enter the European market in a big way, the folks at Cadillac want to be a niche player and are willing to accept the lower volumes that go along with such a strategy. By keeping volumes low, and presumably margins high, they expect that they can be profitable from year 1.
I think this strategy is sound and will succeed. Cadillac’s current design language is unique and appealing. There has always been a segment of the automotive market that is interested in something different and Europe is no different than the United States in this regard. In Europe where Mercedes-Benzes, Audis and BMWs are common and cover a multitude of uses including taxis, rental cars, executive cars and the vehicles of choice for captains of industry, there is an opportunity for something “different.”
Unintended acceleration and driver error.
Thursday, March 4th, 2010Below is a letter to the editor from today’s Wall Street Journal that I think provides an important perspective on unintended acceleration.
Allegations of UA and the media furor around it virtually destroyed Audi in the United States. Audi was vindicated eventually, with UA and the unfortunate accidents associated with it attributed to driver error.
Toyota is now “in the barrel” with the politicians and media all intimating that there is some sinister plot at work. There’s a lot at stake. If there have been genuine misdeeds then let’s prove it beyond a question of a doubt and hold Toyota responsible. If indeed, driver error was the issue, I hope that the media and our politicians will be as quick to acknowledge the fact as they have been to hoist Toyota on its petard.
Please let me know your thoughts in the comments section below and here’s the letter:
Johan de Nysschen calls out Washington on EVs
Monday, December 14th, 2009The question now is…will anyone listen to him?
As reported in today’s Detroit News, Audi of America’s Johan de Nysschen called out the current political leadership for “falling in love” with electric vehicles. He’s absolutely right, EVs and Hybrids have become the fashionable automotive technology and Washington’s choice for the future.
The only problem is that EVs won’t make a difference for two decades. The New York Times reported that “plug-in hybrids would not have a significant impact on the nation’s oil consumption or carbon emissions before 2030.” To be clear though, de Nysschen is not saying EVs and Hybrids are wrong or won’t play an important role in the future. What he’s saying is that Washington is picking winners and losers from a technology point of view rather than remaining agnostic, and he’s right.
Clean diesel remains the best near term technology available for reducing our dependance on foreign oil and CO2 emissions (the major cause of global warming), yet no one in Washington seems interested. It seems that “diesel” is literally a dirty word. (more…)
LA Auto Show: Everyone’s talking about electric vehicles, but diesel is winning.
Tuesday, December 8th, 2009It was ironic that virtually every manufacturer was talking about EVs in one form or another, yet the much less fashionable technology…diesel…took home the Green Car of the Year prize.
Don’t get me wrong, I think some of the electric cars and concepts are fascinating.
Chevrolet showed us a production version of the Volt and spoke about the fact that there would be no “range anxiety” because of the small motor that would generate electricity to charge the batteries. Audi showed the E-tron, an electric version of the R8 with an electric motor poweringeach wheel and delivering supercar performance. BMW’s “Vision” concept demonstrated where “Efficient Dynamics” might take the brand. Mini has been testing electric cars on America’s roads and had an example at their stand.
EVs are being talked about as if they will solve global warming, reduce our fossil fuel consumption to zero and generally save the planet. EVs are the messiah of automotive technologies.
Here’s the problem, electric cars are expected to represent maybe 10% of sales by 2020. At that sales rate it’s hard to imagine the technology as a game changer from a fuel consumption or global warming perspective.
At least we have the folks responsible for selecting the “Green Car of the Year” to provide a reality check. For the second consecutive year, a diesel-powered vehicle was selected as green car of the year. Why? Clean diesel is a practical and “green” approach to transportation. It offers 25-30% better mileage, it emits less CO2 and particulate emission is now comparable to gasoline-powered technology. Today’s clean diesels meet the most stringent pollution standards and are sold in all fifty states.
The Audi A3 TDI is a terrific example of the modern clean diesel and a worthy “Green Car of the Year.”
Modern clean diesels are readily available, offer the possibility of reducing fuel consumption by a third and emit less C02 than gasoline engines. Maybe after we’re done talking about technology that won’t make a difference for another 20 years, we’ll start to talk about one that can make a difference tomorrow.
I know it’s not fashionable, but we need to change Americans’ perception of diesel because it makes sense.
automobile industry is entering new territory as the recession wanes and consumers, who have been emotionally scarred by the last 18 months, remain cautious. Many believe that consumers have been forever changed by this recession and that they will be more conservative with their money for years to come.
No one expects that the automotive industry will achieve the heady sales levels of the early part of this decade.
“By 2013, car and truck sales in North America will rebound to the new normal rate of 15 million to 16 million units” Automotive News 8/5/09
At best, we will attain a “new normal” of 15-16MM units in 2013.
That means that competition for customers is going to be tougher than ever and no one’s business is going to grow just hanging on to the industry coattails. Historically the manufacturers have reacted to these types of circumstances by using incentives. These tactics artificially inflated sales earlier in the decade, pulling sales forward and contributed to the most recent “correction” that has pummeled the industry. Using short-term incentives to steal share is not the answer to long-term prosperity, it’s merely a tactic that gives a franchise a quick shot in the arm. Establishing a brand’s immutable points of difference and creating consumer affinity for it, is what creates value over the long term.
Last week, BusinessWeek published a piece by Ed Wallace about GM making the same mistakes; in it he made the case for branding:
“True, people want a “deal” when they buy a new car. But more important, they want to buy something exceptional….The automotive selling process, done right, has little to do with negotiation: It has everything to do with building value in the vehicle.”
It’s about time the industry took “branding” seriously.
You only need to look as far back as the last eighteen months to see the power of an automotive brand. Subaru and Mini have survived the recession and some would argue have flourished under incredibly difficult circumstances while virtually every other manufacturer suffered.
The automobile industry has not made building and nurturing its brands a priority. There are some exceptions like Subaru, Mini, Porsche, BMW, Mercedes Benz and Jeep. But generally speaking investing in the brand has been the first thing cut by automotive marketers when things get tough. The brand investment gets cut in favor of marketing efforts that will “make the doors swing.” Frankly some of the above-mentioned brands have weakened in recent years, but clearly the marketers in charge of them have historically recognized the leverage created by a well-understood brand.
The first step toward having a well-understood brand is being able to clearly articulate it. This is not a tagline or even a series of “core values,” both these approaches seek to summarize a brand. The first step is a complete and full articulation of the brand, several pages perhaps, that explain its history, beliefs, behaviors, accomplishments, failures and contributions. This document seeks not to summarize a brand’s essence but rather to capture it in detail; it describes the brand’s character, what makes it authentic.
The process of writing it down is critical. A consultant friend used to say that: “nothing exists until it is spoken.” In this case, if you can’t write this document about your brand, then you don’t have a brand. Often it can help to have an “outsider” write this document, if you allow that person full access to your company and your people. Either way, you need to articulate your brand in depth and in full, as it should form the underpinnings of all that you do. It should drive communications, your use of social media, dealer experience and everything in between.
With this document in hand, you are ready to leverage your brand and give your customers the experience that will differentiate you from the competition. Without it, you’re grasping at straws, hoping that somehow everything comes together.
In the hyper competitive “new normal” market of 12-16 million units, “guessing and getting lucky” will not carry the day.Opportunity knocks for well-articulated automotive brands.
The automobile industry is entering new territory as the recession wanes and consumers, who have been emotionally scarred by the last 18 months, remain cautious. Many believe that consumers have been forever changed by this recession and that they will be more conservative with their money for years to come.
No one expects that the automotive industry will achieve the heady sales levels of the early part of this decade.
“By 2013, car and truck sales in North America will rebound to the new normal rate of 15 million to 16 million units” Automotive News 8/5/09
At best, we will attain a “new normal” of 15-16MM units in 2013.
That means that competition for customers is going to be tougher than ever and no one’s business is going to grow just hanging on to the industry coattails. Historically the manufacturers have reacted to these types of circumstances by using incentives. These tactics artificially inflated sales earlier in the decade, pulling sales forward and contributed to the most recent “correction” that has pummeled the industry. Using short-term incentives to steal share is not the answer to long-term prosperity, it’s merely a tactic that gives a franchise a quick shot in the arm. Establishing a brand’s immutable points of difference and creating consumer affinity for it, is what creates value over the long term.
Last week, BusinessWeek published a piece by Ed Wallace about GM making the same mistakes; in it he made the case for branding:
“True, people want a “deal” when they buy a new car. But more important, they want to buy something exceptional….The automotive selling process, done right, has little to do with negotiation: It has everything to do with building value in the vehicle.”
It’s about time the industry took “branding” seriously.
You only need to look as far back as the last eighteen months to see the power of an automotive brand. Subaru and Mini have survived the recession and some would argue have flourished under incredibly difficult circumstances while virtually every other manufacturer suffered.
The automobile industry has not made building and nurturing its brands a priority. There are some exceptions like Subaru, Mini, Porsche, BMW, Mercedes Benz and Jeep. But generally speaking investing in the brand has been the first thing cut by automotive marketers when things get tough. The brand investment gets cut in favor of marketing efforts that will “make the doors swing.” Frankly some of the above-mentioned brands have weakened in recent years, but clearly the marketers in charge of them have historically recognized the leverage created by a well-understood brand.
The first step toward having a well-understood brand is being able to clearly articulate it. This is not a tagline or even a series of “core values,” both these approaches seek to summarize a brand. The first step is a complete and full articulation of the brand, several pages perhaps, that explain its history, beliefs, behaviors, accomplishments, failures and contributions. This document seeks not to summarize a brand’s essence but rather to capture it in detail; it describes the brand’s character, what makes it authentic.
The process of writing it down is critical. A consultant friend used to say that: “nothing exists until it is spoken.” In this case, if you can’t write this document about your brand, then you don’t have a brand. Often it can help to have an “outsider” write this document, if you allow that person full access to your company and your people. Either way, you need to articulate your brand in depth and in full, as it should form the underpinnings of all that you do. It should drive communications, your use of social media, dealer experience and everything in between.
With this document in hand, you are ready to leverage your brand and give your customers the experience that will differentiate you from the competition. Without it, you’re grasping at straws, hoping that somehow everything comes together.
In the hyper competitive “new normal” market of 12-16 million units, “guessing and getting lucky” will not carry the day.
VW & Crispin. It was only a matter of time.
VW of America just announced that it is reviewing its advertising business currently with Crispin Porter & Bogusky.
VW is truly one of the world’s most loved automotive brands. While there have been a number of clever and in some cases intrusive commercials from Crispin there has been little that has built or even sustained the VW brand.
Crispin is without question one of the most talented creative agencies in the country but while they did a wonderful job helping to create the Mini brand, they never succeeded in bringing that power to Volkswagen.
At times the work was startling, stopping you in your tracks…remember the “Safe Happens” commercials.
Watch “Safe Happens”
Last year we saw Brook Shields introduce the Routan.
Watch Brooke
Most recently we’ve seen “Max” the talking Beetle. In this commercial he introduces the Jetta diesel.
Watch Max
While the advertising has been interesting, sometimes funny, and at times talked about, what has it added up to? Not much.
In an industry that is hoping to sell a little over 10 million units in 2009 and hopes to achieve a “new normal” of 12-15 million units by 2013, competition for buyers is only going to get more intense. The manufacturers that actually have well-established brands (there aren’t many) have a leverageable asset that will enable them to “win” in this hyper-competitive environment.
Volkswagen is a brand with a well-defined value structure. It started in the US with Doyle Dane Bernbach, Arnold nurtured it and now another team will have a chance to articulate the brand’s values to its enthusiasts and prospects.
VW has certainly had its ups and downs in the US but throughout it all, it has been truly loved by millions of loyalists. That kind of devotion is at the heart of what makes an automotive marque powerful and it’s a good place for the next agency caretakers of the VW brand to start.
TreeFarm Partners: Automotive marketing consulting that makes a difference
We are an automotive strategy and implementation firm that makes a difference for our clients immediately and profoundly. We believe that a few senior level people working as a team can move mountains and make things happen quickly and productively. We’re here to partner with you, help you make smart decisions and get them implemented quickly Opportunity knocks for well-articulated automotive brands.
The automobile industry is entering new territory as the recession wanes and consumers, who have been emotionally scarred by the last 18 months, remain cautious. Many believe that consumers have been forever changed by this recession and that they will be more conservative with their money for years to come.
No one expects that the automotive industry will achieve the heady sales levels of the early part of this decade.
“By 2013, car and truck sales in North America will rebound to the new normal rate of 15 million to 16 million units” Automotive News 8/5/09
At best, we will attain a “new normal” of 15-16MM units in 2013.
That means that competition for customers is going to be tougher than ever and no one’s business is going to grow just hanging on to the industry coattails. Historically the manufacturers have reacted to these types of circumstances by using incentives. These tactics artificially inflated sales earlier in the decade, pulling sales forward and contributed to the most recent “correction” that has pummeled the industry. Using short-term incentives to steal share is not the answer to long-term prosperity, it’s merely a tactic that gives a franchise a quick shot in the arm. Establishing a brand’s immutable points of difference and creating consumer affinity for it, is what creates value over the long term.
Last week, BusinessWeek published a piece by Ed Wallace about GM making the same mistakes; in it he made the case for branding:
“True, people want a “deal” when they buy a new car. But more important, they want to buy something exceptional….The automotive selling process, done right, has little to do with negotiation: It has everything to do with building value in the vehicle.”
It’s about time the industry took “branding” seriously.
You only need to look as far back as the last eighteen months to see the power of an automotive brand. Subaru and Mini have survived the recession and some would argue have flourished under incredibly difficult circumstances while virtually every other manufacturer suffered.
The automobile industry has not made building and nurturing its brands a priority. There are some exceptions like Subaru, Mini, Porsche, BMW, Mercedes Benz and Jeep. But generally speaking investing in the brand has been the first thing cut by automotive marketers when things get tough. The brand investment gets cut in favor of marketing efforts that will “make the doors swing.” Frankly some of the above-mentioned brands have weakened in recent years, but clearly the marketers in charge of them have historically recognized the leverage created by a well-understood brand.
The first step toward having a well-understood brand is being able to clearly articulate it. This is not a tagline or even a series of “core values,” both these approaches seek to summarize a brand. The first step is a complete and full articulation of the brand, several pages perhaps, that explain its history, beliefs, behaviors, accomplishments, failures and contributions. This document seeks not to summarize a brand’s essence but rather to capture it in detail; it describes the brand’s character, what makes it authentic.
The process of writing it down is critical. A consultant friend used to say that: “nothing exists until it is spoken.” In this case, if you can’t write this document about your brand, then you don’t have a brand. Often it can help to have an “outsider” write this document, if you allow that person full access to your company and your people. Either way, you need to articulate your brand in depth and in full, as it should form the underpinnings of all that you do. It should drive communications, your use of social media, dealer experience and everything in between.
With this document in hand, you are ready to leverage your brand and give your customers the experience that will differentiate you from the competition. Without it, you’re grasping at straws, hoping that somehow everything comes together.
In the hyper competitive “new normal” market of 12-16 million units, “guessing and getting lucky” will not carry the day.
VW & Crispin. It was only a matter of time.
VW of America just announced that it is reviewing its advertising business currently with Crispin Porter & Bogusky.
VW is truly one of the world’s most loved automotive brands. While there have been a number of clever and in some cases intrusive commercials from Crispin there has been little that has built or even sustained the VW brand.
Crispin is without question one of the most talented creative agencies in the country but while they did a wonderful job helping to create the Mini brand, they never succeeded in bringing that power to Volkswagen.
At times the work was startling, stopping you in your tracks…remember the “Safe Happens” commercials.
Watch “Safe Happens”
Last year we saw Brook Shields introduce the Routan.
Watch Brooke
Most recently we’ve seen “Max” the talking Beetle. In this commercial he introduces the Jetta diesel.
Watch Max
While the advertising has been interesting, sometimes funny, and at times talked about, what has it added up to? Not much.
In an industry that is hoping to sell a little over 10 million units in 2009 and hopes to achieve a “new normal” of 12-15 million units by 2013, competition for buyers is only going to get more intense. The manufacturers that actually have well-established brands (there aren’t many) have a leverageable asset that will enable them to “win” in this hyper-competitive environment.
Volkswagen is a brand with a well-defined value structure. It started in the US with Doyle Dane Bernbach, Arnold nurtured it and now another team will have a chance to articulate the brand’s values to its enthusiasts and prospects.
VW has certainly had its ups and downs in the US but throughout it all, it has been truly loved by millions of loyalists. That kind of devotion is at the heart of what makes an automotive marque powerful and it’s a good place for the next agency caretakers of the VW brand to start.
TreeFarm Partners: Automotive marketing consulting that makes a difference
We are an automotive strategy and implementation firm that makes a difference for our clients immediately and profoundly. We believe that a few senior level people working as a team can move mountains and make things happen quickly and productively. We’re here to partner with you, help you make smart decisions and get them implemented quickly.
