Comments on: Does GM Design "get" Social Media more than Ford? The Lab is an emphatic "Yes" http://downsideupdesign.com/2009/08/12/does-gm-design-get-social-media-more-than-ford-the-lab-is-an-emphatic-yes/ Musings of an Aussie design strategist, trend analyst and journalist Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:17:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Brian DR1665 http://downsideupdesign.com/2009/08/12/does-gm-design-get-social-media-more-than-ford-the-lab-is-an-emphatic-yes/comment-page-1/#comment-161 Brian DR1665 Wed, 12 Aug 2009 16:49:42 +0000 http://downsideupdesign.wordpress.com/?p=1281#comment-161 The Lab is a step in the right direction, but there is serious risk of backfire if they don't do this right. If you check the 'about' frame over at The Lab, it mentions that they're not going to share ideas they want to keep secret from the competition, but they WILL be sharing ideas "that need some final tweaking." First of all, if they have something so hot that it's likely to be copied, they would do themselves a service actually SHOWING us. Problem is, their internal processes are still just as perverse and inefficient as ever. Since they know they can't show a new car and then quickly take it to market, they would have to hide it and hope that, by the time it's available, they haven't missed the bus. As for ideas that need some final tweaking, that's got enormous potential, but also tremendous risk. Depending on how far along the product is, the extent of the suggested changes might not be feasible. Offer your budding community a chance to suggest changes, only to tell them those suggestions are not possible due to the state of the design and you're going very quickly alienate people. I see shades of the old GM merely paying lip service to the demands of the consumer. Their message might announce that the new GM is all about sharing, but if they don't share anything real, or otherwise ask for input and are either unwilling or unable to act on that input, they stand to show their biggest fans that they aren't really listening and it's more of that one-way glass they keep mentioning. The Lab is a step in the right direction, but there is serious risk of backfire if they don’t do this right. If you check the ‘about’ frame over at The Lab, it mentions that they’re not going to share ideas they want to keep secret from the competition, but they WILL be sharing ideas “that need some final tweaking.”

First of all, if they have something so hot that it’s likely to be copied, they would do themselves a service actually SHOWING us. Problem is, their internal processes are still just as perverse and inefficient as ever. Since they know they can’t show a new car and then quickly take it to market, they would have to hide it and hope that, by the time it’s available, they haven’t missed the bus.

As for ideas that need some final tweaking, that’s got enormous potential, but also tremendous risk. Depending on how far along the product is, the extent of the suggested changes might not be feasible. Offer your budding community a chance to suggest changes, only to tell them those suggestions are not possible due to the state of the design and you’re going very quickly alienate people.

I see shades of the old GM merely paying lip service to the demands of the consumer. Their message might announce that the new GM is all about sharing, but if they don’t share anything real, or otherwise ask for input and are either unwilling or unable to act on that input, they stand to show their biggest fans that they aren’t really listening and it’s more of that one-way glass they keep mentioning.

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