Essay 1946

One more online response to the story presented in Essay 1937…

Get at me Brandon! Holla back! We up here in NY (yes, that was ebonically correct!) have also developed opportunities for marketers to reach the ‘urban’ consumer with greater impact than they might be able to have on their own; the problem occurs because too many marketers become scared to innovate, waiting instead to adopt a ‘me too’ attitude that they hope will resonate with the ‘urban’ audience but which more often than not, has lost its ‘cool’ factor. ‘Street cred’ with urban consumers BEGINS with innovation and NOT with copycatting, co-opting or purchasing one’s way ‘in.’ ‘Cool’ in this community has a defined timeline :- INNOVATIVE & NEW/I’VE GOTTA GET THIS!/MY ‘PEOPLE’ AND I HAVE THIS AND IT’S THE ‘JUMP OFF!’ (aka — It’s really cool!)/BEEN THERE, DONE THAT/IT’S OLD (aka — Y’all just finding out about that???!!). Too many major brands seeking to connect to this market, always end up at the ‘IT’S OLD’ stage, thinking that they’ve arrived at the INNOVATIVE&NEW stage! The so called ‘street cred’ is a much sought after asset that CAN be developed but only by understanding and then working within the parameters of how this ‘hotness’ is actually built in this community. First, gaining ‘street cred’ PERIOD, with a non luxury car (or even one that doesn’t look like one) with ‘urban consumers’ is all about innovating in ALL aspects of the product e.g. — design, functionality, aftermarket accessories or add-ons, cool new hi-tech applications and so on. (Can Ford develop a ‘Wi-Max’ on board accessory that allows us to stay connected online so we can e-mail, IM and do productive work while we’re on the highway — in the back seat of course!) Now, Flex is going to move (sell) some cars for Ford, but will the ‘cool factor’ Ford seeks last long enough for the impact to have an ‘umbrella effect’ on Expedition over a long enough period? Will Expedition suddenly begin to be a challenger to Escalade? No and no to both questions. Given that ‘urban’ consumers want to ‘trade up’ in looks, brand ‘feel,’ image and perception, much of the success of Escalade (apart from its great design) is the fact that it embodies a greater luxury brand status/heritage and it shows in every aspect of the vehicle. (Did Ford consider developing a brand extension, mid-luxury truck aimed at this market with better design, materials and positioning?) To make this product ‘cool’ will require a well planned evolution of this current strategy to offer the target consumer something that’s REALLY cool and not just a celeb endorsement. Can anyone say (a) consumer generated design contest (b) consumer generated soundtrack contest hosted by Flex and winning soundtrack gets used in all Expedition ads? (c) take the contest mobile via mobile content company/network Ndustrimobile, so that all submitted soundtracks can be heard and judged in real time by listeners on their mobile phones along with images of Expedition upgrades etc.? I hope someone from Ford is reading this! Holla back at me Brandon! — (RB - CEO, The Quantum Group - Jamaica, NY - creative1.think@gmail.com) — Jamaica, NY