Good Products, Bad Products

Introduction

With ten fresh inches of snow and even less in degrees, most Detroit-area residents were more concerned with getting their automobiles out of a snow drift and plowing their driveways. We, however, choose to brave the outside elements that oftentimes wreak havoc on vehicles to observe the latest vehicles the industry has to offer the outside world. It is ironic that the North American International Auto Show (Detroit Auto Show for short) is always held in January when the Michigan winter weather is at it worst. A time when beautiful cars are grey, covered in road salt deposits. A time when vehicles slip and slide, and creak in the cold conditions. A time when the experience of driving is often lost, just merely getting from A to B is a chore. This aside, the inviting environment of the auto show welcomes its frost-bitten patrons to dream of beautiful vehicles that will be on showroom floors when the temperature hits seventy.

Our team is all very aware of the products in the market place as well as new products being released in the future. Many of us work on vehicles yet to be released that are sitting, polished and perfected, surrounded by hoards of people. In other years, it was seeing the consumer react to the products, seeing what other competitors were offering, and seeing the newest vehicles in their showroom luster that attracted us to the auto show. This year, the vehicles became less of a priority as we focused on the environment and brand identity exhibited by the manufacturers. Where we once ogled a new car design, now we observed the people who were looking, the lighting that drew the eyes to the car, architectural points that made the brand stand for something, and the common themes that seem to run through all manufacturers. In a show as great as the Detroit Auto Show, there is much more than just the vehicles that make the visitors happy to be there.

Environment

Every year the automobile manufacturers rethink their exhibits to draw on a common theme and re-attract the legions of visitors that come to the Detroit auto show each year. Jerry Herron of the "Metro Times," a Detroit-based hipster periodical, states "...the Auto Show's most revealing and opulent displays have abandoned Las Vegas-style hype for an urbane, architectural pitch." The exhibits today are designed, studied and scrutinized to portray a sophisticated brand identity within seconds of a potential customer viewing the exhibit. Many of the senses are bombarded at all times through many different methods. Lighting plays a huge role in each exhibit and how the manufacturer wants the visitor to see the vehicle. Bright displays with a multitude of colors show off fun and exciting cars while low, subdued lighting details very expensive and elegant models. Glass, stone, wood, and metal are all used in addition to almost every material imaginable to create very upscale, pleasant-looking exhibits to draw in the attention of passing visitors. Smell is also very much at work. Although most marketing methods cannot use smell to sell a new car, the auto show allows potential buyers the chance to sit in brand-new vehicles and smell that unmistakable new car smell. That, accompanied by the general aroma of carpet and other materials makes the entire show very pleasing from a scent point of view. Each exhibit finds a way to use sound in addition to all of these other attractants. Young hip vehicle lines such as Toyota's Scion brand use pumping techno music and give away free techno albums. Others, where the vehicle is the attraction, prefer no noise at all. Lastly, nothing beats the tactile experience of sitting in a new vehicle, holding the steering wheel, and dreaming. Most manufacturers allow access to sit in each of the vehicles to provide this desire. However, some very upscale models such as Maybach and Mercedes keep the public at a distance to show that these vehicles come at a price for the privileged. The environment of the auto show is a treat for the senses. Just about every sense gets exercised to the maximum and can be exhausting.

The other major component of any auto show is the people. Hundreds of thousands of people from every walk of life pay the $12 entrance fee to see this year's hot new vehicles. Young and old, men and women, every culture and religion are accounted for. Vehicles are the fabric that ties society together and there is a model that almost everyone desires. The sheer number of people can be intimidating. Oftentimes the scene becomes much like a heard of cattle. Popular vehicles are often surrounded by such crowds that the vehicle is not even visible. This attention is priceless for a car company.

Brand Identity

Every brand attempts to market their products to a certain segment of the population. As GM's Alfred Sloan put it, "...a car for every purse and purpose." Today, every manufacturer tries to market a certain group that is though to be the main focal point of a brand. Jeep portrays a youthful ruggedness, while Cadillac portends a sophisticated and upscale experience for those who have a bit more to spend. Each product is specialized to a particular demographic, and to make the public understand this, marketing cues attract a certain group a people that share a common set of values. How successfully a brand pulls this off is oftentimes the bottom line for the company. These brand identities are carried through on television commercials, magazine advertisements, and summed up with the brand experience at trade shows such as the Detroit auto show. How the exhibit makes a potential customer feel is designed to mimic how owning the particular vehicle or brand will affect the buyers feelings. The brand identity is also in place for people to have aspirations and dream of fitting the criteria to fit in with a certain brand identity. A great example of this was in the redesigned Buick

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