This article from Brandweek (an Advertising & Marketing industry newspaper) has an interesting take on last week's Detroit Auto Show and points to continued ambivalence toward the environment from some of the top automakers. Here's a great clip from the article with Anne Belec, CEO of Volvo Cars of North America:
“But what’s green? Hybrids represent 6% of the cars on the road . . . but the number of people buying these are minute.” This year, Volvo will focus its marketing on its larger vehicles, including the V70 wagon, the XC70 Cross Country and the XC90, said Belec. “That’s where the higher profit margins are.”
I've never been a big fan of Volvo, but I'm even less of one now. If I read this correctly, she has pretty much said the environment be damned - we're going to keep rolling out large gas guzzling SUVs and count our profits with a grin. I'm not so sure that's the best thing for Volvo, but then again I'm not on their Board of Directors. What's so surprising to me is the fact that you see companies such as Toyota and *gasp* General Motors that appear to see the writing on the wall, but yet some of the other automakers (in particular the luxury brands) that seem to be in utter defiance of the trend toward more environmentally friendly vehicles in the US.
But perhaps more sickening is the insinuation that consumers don't really care, and therefore the overwhelming percentage of ad dollars in this industry continue to go toward marketing the same old cars and trucks that we've been tricked into believing we 'need' to own. I'm not sure who in this equation is worse - the car companies or the ad agencies. One thing seems clear though - it takes progressive thinking to cut through the crap and act responsibly. That goes for automakers AND consumers. After all, we tend to buy what we are spoon fed. I think it's time that we spit the food back in the face of some of these companies and let their fleet of SUVs sit on the lots with no buyers. Maybe then they will wake up and see that one way or another, we are turning the page. It may take a year, or it may take 10 years to reach the proverbial Tipping Point, but 'Green' is here to stay, so you might as well get on board now!