I recently test drove a Volvo. On the drive the salesman asked a few questions and after I answered them he immediately told me that Volvo has no peer when it comes to safety. Who didn’t see that one coming?
The Volvo brand reputation has been built on safety. If you’re talking cars and mention safety - Volvo always comes up. The two are synonymous. Despite that, I’m probably not going to buy the Volvo. That’s because the other car I am looking at is also very safe and it has a whole host of other attractive benefits like…
- It get’s better MPG
- It employs greener engine technology
- It has more convenience features
- It has a few more cubic feet of space
- Finally, it costs less
I understand that safety is a selling point (a very important one) but if that’s all you really have to offer (and competitors offer it too) maybe it’s time to start finding out more about what your customer wants and needs.
It may be a cliche but it always comes back to the same refrain,
“What have you done for me lately”?
If your product isn’t continually improved, no matter how fantastic it is, competitors will catch up. The shift from leader to contender happens much faster than you might think. Just ask GM.
Tags: branding, Technology
