Yesterday I wrote a blog post about SAAB. It obviously created some sort of attention since I almost had a new unique visitor record. Among the commenters were official SAAB representatives, positive even though I had quite a strong tone in my post. Another commenter, a bit surprising, was David Holecek, Interactive Marketing Manager at Volvo Cars. In his comment he wrote – “Sticking my neck out a bit, it would be interesting if you would do a similar exercise on our volvocars.com site (or rather volvocars.se, as we do not have all the shopping tools on our international site). We may be asking for a potentially harsh treatment , but feedback is always important.”
I was planning to do a video on the Volvo site as well, but due to kids at home I’ve not gotten the possibility to record something yet. It’s just to noisy! But, David, I decided to give you some feedback anyway.
I only walked through the XC60 part of the site since I’m more or less looking at buying exactly that kind of car right now. (Probably the new BWM X3, but I do like the XC60)
It’s sort of two-faced but here we go.
You’ve done your lesson when it comes to usability. Most things [click to continue…]
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Usually when I don’t like something I try to give constructive feedback. But in this case there’s just to much of a history involved. About 9 years ago I tried to pitch ideas on Saab. Partly because I really wanted to work with a car brand and partly because they were Swedes. Already back then were the account managed by Lowe Brindfors. I thought Lowe did a shitty job then and obviously they do a shitty job now. Will they never learn? (That goes for both SAAB and Lowe)
Today, as was writing a blog post about integrated communication (soon to be published) I decided to do a quick video analysis of the current SAAB presence online. And let me tell you…it sucks big time. Sorry for the shitty English. But it serves the purpose.
I don’t get it. Aren’t car brands supposed to senior managers employeed that knows their shit? These guys sell products that costs a fortune and they can’t even product a simple site that will convert people into buyers. It scares me.
The first thought that comes to mind is that the marketing department don’t know what they’re doing to the brand, and that’s of course true, but then I think about it a little bit more. This is not a marketing department problem. This is a management problem.
Jan Åke Jonsson and the rest of you ‘silverbacks’ way up in the hierarchy! SAAB is not an industrial company – it’s a B2C product oriented and brand driven car company backed by great technology but emotions and brand comes first. And Jan, don’t come telling me this is a thing for the marketing department. Branding and marketing should be your, the management group and the board of directors first priority. It’s what your future is all about!
So. Jan Åke and the rest of you managers at SAAB.
You’ve sold SAAB to another company outside Sweden, but the a large majority of the cars are still being built in Sweden and lots of peoples incomes rely on you and your management team taking the right decisions. In the long run even I will be affected if you close down. And trust me, if you don’t stop acting like fools when it comes to branding issues (cause personally I think there are more problems than the site) you’ll close down anytime soon. It’s time to stop loving your history and focus on the future!
For years I’ve thinking about this post but it has seemed so obvious so I didn’t bother writing it. But nothing happens so it’s time to put my thoughts down in writing and give one of my business ideas away.
The unexplored room of business development
The car industry has access to a very unique thing. 4 seats where people have different needs depending on age, sex, where you come from and where you’re heading. All of this in a small contained area that today is pretty boring and unexplored.
What if the car industry decided to start a company together, sort of a foundation like the mobile world has launched Symbian, that developed a new operative system optimized for cars. What would be the specs and how could it benefit the car brands.
The benefits would be enormous. Let’s brainstorm for a couple of minutes:
Maximum connectivity with USB, Firewire, SD card slot and Bluetooth accessibility and Wifi & wireless 3G broadband connection.
It’s pretty obvious. Getting internet into the car would not only enable me to download apps, stream videos, listen to internet radio and play online games but it would also enable me to upload stuff to the car from home. Sync videos, photos, software and more. On top of this I [click to continue…]
I just got back from reading a post on Autoblog about Saab 9-3X and 9-5 officially confirmed for 2009 rollout. And the post is accompanied with the image above.
Here lies the SAAB problem. This image is probably number 200490934782 in line that i’ve seen the last years promising me that SAAB is about to release something that will kick ass. And then when they get a car on the market it’s a disappointment.
I have no doubt in my mind that SAAB has the competence to build one of the best cars on the market, a car that people will love, a car that will be known worldwide for unique ideas and solutions. After all, if we look back in time SAAB has a history of inventing great things for everyday cars.
SAAB’s problem is really not that different from any other brand. What SAAB has got to do is rise to the occasion. It’s time to step up, skip the internal politics and make that vision come alive again.
In many way’s they have some of that uniqueness that people crave from a brand that leads the way, but then on the other hand the car is filled with stuff that makes you go blah. SAAB has a future, but it’s not mainstream, it’s about being unique and launch cars that fill a space in the market that no one else does. You have to get back to building your brand on innovations and differentiation…for real!
B ut until you do, please stop telling people about these fantastic conceptual cars that never make it to the market. Set peoples exceptions right and outperform instead of vice versa.
This blog is written by Johan Ronnestam. He's widely regarded as one of Sweden’s leading speakers and authorities in the field of modern creative and conceptual thinking and skill of innovating brands and their communication. In 2010 the readers of Microsoft Indikat named Johan Swedens most influential authority within digital communication
, but feedback is always important.”
