Re: [EVDL] EV names tell Automakers' mood are different, but do they know how to sell

Myles Twete <[email protected]> wrote:

> Thanks for your perspective on this Lee!
>
> I agree that "electric" was a powerful marketing word a century ago
> generally.
>
> Yet I don't think that this is the real reason the word "electric" is not
> included in the primary branding of modern electric vehicles. It's just
> not
> as simple as "electric" not having the pizzazz that it did back then.
>
> Just as with a century ago, most of the electrics that have been put on the
> markets don't come close to the range or power of gas cars and that you
> can't just fill up the tank but have to find the right place, plug in and
> wait. That stigma hasn't gone away yet.
>
>
>
> GM this Fall chose as its Chevy Volt branding this slogan: "It's More Car
> than Electric".
>
> http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2010/10/its-more-car-than-electric/
>
> Think about that sentence. What they're saying is 'we understand that most
> folks think that electric cars are weak, underperforming, have poor range
> and basically don't rate being considered a car'. They're also saying: 'we
> are so concerned about the general negative views of electrics that we
> don't
> really want to risk calling this an electric car'. And 'we even decided
> that while we're giving it an electric sounding name "volt", we're really
> going to make it a hybrid because, well, we decided that people just don't
> want electrics and we want to sell cars'.
>
>
>
> What was Nissan LEAF's marketing slogan? " 0 Emissions, 5 Passengers, 90
> MPH
> Top Speed, 100 Mile Range, 2010 Launch"
>
> Nothing about being electric:
> http://www.automoblog.net/2010/02/06/2011-nissan-leaf-electric-car-driven/
>
> Even as an acronym, LEAF disavows its being an electric even though it is a
> pure electric.
>
> And while Tesla has embraced being the best performing electric vehicle
> built and sold, in its marketing it even takes an intentionally arms length
> approach as regards to any use of the word electric, choosing to keep clear
> distance between references to the performance aspect, e.g. its branding
> "The New Roadster" vs its eco-friendly messages. And given this week's
> Tesla stock jitters due to perceived threats by more hybrid cars coming
> available, I expect Tesla feels major pressure to not mention "electric" at
> all in its marketing. As example, on their website page for their "Model
> S", there is absolutely no use of the word "electric" at all except for the
> primary pull-down tab "go electric" that is part of their main site
> background design.
>
>
>
> This cuts way deeper than the word "electric" lacking pizzazz or a positive
> spin.
>
> It's the very real understanding that "electric" still carries substantial
> negative mental baggage as regards cars.
>
> We still haven't changed most people's perceptions about electrics as being
> gutless cars that might leave the wife and kids stranded on the side of the
> road.
>
>
>
> -MT
>
>
>
> "electrically they keep a baseball score....and the beat goes on..." -
> Sonny
> & Cher
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On
> Behalf
> Of Lee Hart
> Sent: Wednesday, December 29, 2010 11:49 AM
> To: Electric Vehicle Discussion List
> Subject: Re: [EVDL] EV names tell Automakers' mood are different, but do
> they know how to sell an EV?
>
>
>
> On 12/28/2010 5:11 PM, Myles Twete wrote:
>
> >> But the name Tesla is intriguing enough, I think ;-)
>
> >
>
> > Sure Mike. But so are the names Prius and Insight. And yet, the auto
>
> > companies embrace the term "hybrid", often including it in the name
>
> > of the vehicle when referenced. It's common to see "Toyota Prius
>
> > Hybrid" for example...
>
>
>
> Marketing is a a weird art form. It's all about words, and the emotions
>
> they invoke.
>
>
>
> A hundred years ago, "electric" was a powerful marketing word, that
>
> evoked high-tech excitement. The word was used to sell anything and
>
> everything; there were "electric" toothpastes and "electric" shoes.
>
>
>
> But they wore it out. Now, nobody thinks of an electric anything as
>
> being new or exciting. So Marketing moved on to use other words that
>
> implied advanced high technology, like electronic, or transistorized, or
>
> computerized, or hybrid. Marketing doesn't care what the word really
>
> means; it only cares what it *implies* to the average person.
>
>
>
> At some point, I predict they will invent a new marketing word for
>
> electric cars. Something that sounds exciting and high-tech, without
>
> telling you anything about what it really is (like "hybrid" for the
>
> Prius etc.)
>
> --
>
> Lee A. Hart | Ring the bells that still can ring
>
> 814 8th Ave N | Forget the perfect offering
>
> Sartell MN 56377 | There is a crack in everything
>
> leeahart earthlink.net | That's how the light gets in -- Leonard Cohen
>
>
>
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