Thursday, 24 January 2008
Smart brand to rely on customer testimonials as major marketing strategy
« General Motors considering larger urban retail centers; would separate parts and service from showroom | Main | German automakers seek cost reductions, hope to increase use of North American based parts »With just about any new vehicle, auto dealers and manufacturers hope that positive word-of-mouth will contribute in generating sales. Smart USA, however, has a gone a step further and announced that customer testimonials will play a major role in marketing the new ForTwo microcar headed to the U.S. this year.
Dave Schembri, Smart President, told an Automotive News panel that, “consumer advocacy is most important right now. People love to discover new things and tell people about it." He went on to explain that Smart customers do not define an age range or demographic, but instead share sensibilities, attitudes and lifestyles. “Smart is the only car that doesn't define class,” he remarked.
It’s going to be interesting to watch not only the types of consumers purchasing Smart vehicles, but also how they go about spreading the word. Undoubtedly, the internet will play a huge roll in communicating the ForTwo’s virtues (and vices). Can we assume that Smart buyers are information-sharing types whose primary outlet for speaking is the web? Or will Smart cars operate as “rolling billboards,” generating buzz on the streets and initiating true word-of-mouth interaction? We’ll find out soon.
Source: Automotive News [Subscription required]
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