The Polk Blog

For years, auto companies have worked hard to be relevant to their customers. For example, OEM marketers chase the "youth market." Why? It plants the seed for future buyers; it gives auto designers insight into cool and popular trends. Plus, youth are very mobile and socially connected, which helps spread word-of-mouth about products they endorse to each other, to name just a few reasons. I suppose this is why some of the auto brands you and I read about hook up with popular video games - to connect the same audience to two product sets: autos and entertainment. Both business categories have the same basic goal: sell more stuff.

So this got me thinking about what auto companies could learn from the video game moguls of the planet. Certainly something can be learned from companies like Activision, which sold half a billion units of their Modern Warfare 2 game in its first week when it was released this October. While $60 a unit for this game is a big price gap compared to the price of a new vehicle, both the video game and auto sectors would like to build hype, interest, enthusiasm, heck, simply raw adrenaline, when their new product hits the stores.

Some tips to consider:

Make the Purchase INSTANTLY Gratifying
Here's reality:  If I buy a game, I'm back on my couch in less than an hour flying, driving, shooting, whatever with my new fantasy. Can OEMs and dealers make something similar happen more often? Volkswagen's "Sign Then Drive" event is a nice attempt at this. Their ads depict wanna-be owners of a new VW simply signing a sheet of paper and zipping off to a fun, new experience. There's something to be said for a speedy delivery.

Nostalgia is a Powerful Pill
One trick to being relevant is playing on the psychology of nostalgia. How many 40+ year olds are out there who melt when they are able to fly a Star Wars Tie Fighter on their 42" television? These are the same folks who saw the first Star Wars when it released in 1977. The lion "roar" of that speedy ship flying across the big screen is now in their own living room blasting away rebels. I'm sure Dodge, Ford and Chevrolet brand folks play on this same tenet when they strive to get grown-ups jazzed about the Charger, Mustang and Camaro. But these iconic cars are an exception and most models you and I can buy don't do much to connect a past experience to the new one. They should.

Tease, Tease, Tease...and Don't Let the Competition Make You Hide
Video game companies promote forthcoming titles very effectively. And they don't worry if the competition sees their stuff. There are entire sites dedicated to showcasing upcoming game releases. But auto companies pay top dollar to mask their product, so most people don't see their new release in live form (which puts several freelance photographers in business to catch a peek at a new model when it's buzzing around for a test drive). The end-buyers should see and feel more of what's coming in the product. And I don't believe car review magazines do the job compared to what we can see online.

Note: While they are not a gaming company, Apple's strategy of being morgue-like quiet with any new releases plays to their benefit. But their cult-like following wants to be surprised at the last minute because most of what Apple puts out there tends to get rave reviews for design, simplicity and integration, so it's a satisfying result. Yet even so, Apple does play off the tech-rumor mill which builds hype leading up to the unveiling of the iWhatever. Most auto companies don't have that intense of a rabid fan-base. Perhaps more for another discussion.

So if you had the reins to promote and deliver cars and trucks, what would you do? "Game on!"

Posted by Lonnie Miller, Director of Industry Analysis, Polk (12.22.2009)