“This is a non-rational business. It’s not irrational. But it’s not necessary for anyone to get a new car—almost ever.”
Jerry Hirshberg, former president of Nissan Design International
When Jerry Hirshberg uttered these words in an interview with Gary Vasilash of Automotive Design and Production back in 2002 he was fresh from taking part in a highly successful product renaissance at Nissan. He was at the height of his powers: making consumers fall in love with a product that they didn’t need.
Hirshberg was the guy that, when Nissan had sunk to a financial and creative low in the late 90’s, suggested reviving the Z. Clearly he knows how to pull at consumer heart strings to get a return on investment.
I don’t think we will ever eviscerate emotion from the car/human equation but what if the emotions we feel in relation to cars change? Imagine, for a minute, if automotive brands could no longer leverage power, size, opulence and selfishness as their emotional draw cards, but instead had to appeal with intelligence, authenticity, longevity and real value. Read the rest of this entry »
In down economies, the only thing that’s going to change things is changing things. This is hard for a lot of marketers automotive designers/design managers/product planners who are used to defending the status quo, but it’s truly the best option.
If you’re not happy with what you’ve got, what radical changes are you willing to make to change what you’re getting?
Quote adapted from Seth Godin
It wasn’t so long ago that I was talking about the need for designers and their employers to be making the most of the crummy situation in which we find ourselves and I think Seth’s recent posting on change really adds weight to my argument.
If this downturn is showing us anything it’s that the traditional ways of engaging with clients and customers are no longer effective. Many industries have recognised this already but the automotive planet revolves at a slower pace and with far greater inertia.
If we’re to continue to do what we love doing, we’re going to have to respond rapidly and in far more imaginative ways than we have been so far. Cutting brands and slashing jobs alone won’t do it. Halting development, as many are, is not the solution either. You may need to reassess exactly what you are developing, but when the money starts flowing, you’re going to need remarkable products to bounce back. Don’t let this mess get you down, use it to drive your creativity and sow the seeds of lasting, positive change.
[Source: Seth Godin]
I’ve spent most of the day thinking about my earlier post on the BMW 5 GT concept that broke cover overnight.
It’s occurred to me that, somewhat foolishly, I’ve been looking at the market positioning from an extremely Euro-centric position.
What if BMW is taking a similar tack that they took, perhaps inadvertently, with the previous generation 7 series?
A car that initially tanked in Europe on the basis of it’s looks , the old 7 went gangbusters in the Chinese market. It also signalled a shift in BMW’s understanding of it’s future market. This shift was confirmed by the launch of the Concept CS as the Shanghai motor show (as opposed to a show in their traditional European heartland) and the somewhat lesser known introduction of a LWB (long wheel base) 5 Series sedan exclusively for the Chinese market.
In 2006 I completed my Masters thesis in automotive design and although the main thrust of my research was something else, I spent a good deal of my time coming to understand Chinese taste in the premium car market. One of the characteristics of the emerging haute-bourgoisie is the desire to be driven (having seen traffic in Hong Kong, I can understand why). And with the desire to be driven, less focus is placed on BMWs old maxim of the “Ultimate Driving Machine” and instead we start looking at the Ultimate Driven Machine.
And in this respect, as the new press images from BMW show, the GT will indeed be ultimate in the traffic choked streets of Asia’s cities. Masses of rear leg-room and stupendous head room within a package that won’t be unwieldy in traffic (unlike a LWB 7 series). Indeed, looking at the pictures, I imagine you probably would have to go to that size vehicle to get similar rear-cabin room.
The vehicle I designed back in ‘06 aimed to recreate a limousine experience within 5 meters, reclining seats and all. The 5 GT is 4998mm long and provides the same rear cabin experience as a LWB 7 which is a full 212mm longer. Maybe I was on to something…
My doubts about the car’s success in the European market still stands, but if China is indeed the target, who cares about fighting the same old scrappy battle the German premiums always fight. BMW just jumped out of the ring and found a new playground.
Never has one brand been so irrelevant and downright disingenuous as Hummer. Their product is not clever, it is not well made and it’s not even attractive (sometimes a saving grace for me). The news that production of the H2 is being stopped for a minimum of 2 months had me almost jumping for joy. Lets hope the minimum is just that and I never again have to see one of these things sitting in a dealership waiting for some prig to buy it.
If I were GM, would I offload Hummer? No, I’d turn it arse-about-tit and make it into a vanguard of sustainable, all-terrain transport. Will it happen? Not bloody likely…
Jalopnik: Carpocalypse Now: Hummer H2 Plant Halts Production.
