Weblog Consulting Register Login Subscribe to Free Influx Emails Join our Facebook Group Branding Street Cred Technology Lifestyle Style Entertainment Interviews Art InfluxTV Map Widgets RSS — All Subjects RSS — More Feeds

Search

Advanced Search

Contact Privacy Policy

saab to launch a clothing line (59.489726035537075 , 17.9296875) It’s interesting how brands are starting to embrace the broader lifestyle concept surrounding the environment.

One tactic to broaden the idea is to partner with other like-minded companies to generate a halo effect.

Saab, a company not necessarily known for its green credentials, but is now keen to push them, has just embarked on a new program.

Saab is moving into the clothing business with the launch a new “Pure BioPower EcoClothing” collection.

The goal is to push Saab’s BioPower technology.

To do this, the Swedish automotive giant has partnered with Reflective Circle for the clothing that will include a range of dresses, t-shorts, blouses made from certified organic cotton, other clothing lines will be introduced over the course of the year.

The line will be available online at Saab Expressions.

The idea of partnering and combining to add impact is interesting in this case.

Traditionally, brands have partnered with companies of equal size and weight and in areas where there is obvious synergy.

In the case of the environment, smaller companies that are focused on the ethical side can bring a considerable halo to the larger firm.

The challenge for these small companies is to protect their integrity because they will have many critics who don’t support the idea of partnership with companies who don’t have ethical and environmental considerations at the center of their corporate mission.

Idea from Claes Foxerus



Posted by Ed Cotton At last week's LA Auto Show, "Green' was the dominant message, it was almost a case of being too much.

Green slogans plastered everywhere, big press conferences where 68mpg fuel cell cars were being launched (but only 3 units would be available and there are no refuelling stations) and then there was the Escalade Hybrid.

Enough..


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.


Posted by Ed Cotton auto safety (45.51019654498558 , -73.597412109375) A Formula One car is one of the most advanced pieces of automotive technology out there, it also appears to be one of the safest. BMW's Robert Kubica was travelling at around 200mph in yesterday's Canadian Grand Prix, when he hit a concrete side barrier, sending him airborne and bouncing off other barriers and down the track for a good 100 meters.



Kubica walked away from this horrific accident with light concussion and a sprained ankle, he could drive in next Sunday's US Grand Prix.

Perhaps some of this advanced safety learning from Formula One will one day make its way into conventional autos.


Posted by Ed Cotton GM’s relationship with Saab has always been an uneasy one. Influx thought things were moving in the right direction with establishment of the Saab Brand Center and the stunning Aero X concept (which won 2006 concept car of the year).

With these two new initiatives,we assumed Saab had discovered a core idea that it could center itself around and build from.  

However, we stumbled across a recent brand video, that turns out to be more confusing than it is revealing.



Audi is trying to make some noise; it has finally realized that being understated in the US only gets you ignored. To help generate buzz, the company is hoping a new model can help drag people towards the brand. The product is the R8 sports car, only 200 or so of these $130k+ monsters will be available in this country, but they are hoping its presence will be enough to drag people into dealerships.

The car is impressive enough as this European ad shows and adds a nice footnote for a company who's had its fair share of racing success, on rally circuits and most recently, with its diesel engined TDI sports cars at Le Mans.



The new model is designed to prove that Audi has the engineering clout and innovation to compete with the best, especially Porsche. It's a great example of how brands can use product development as a marketing tool to benefit brand image.

It's certainly not without enormous risk and significant levels of investment, but we've heard the UK has already sold out of its allocation.
Tesla, the electric car darling, is determined to re-engineer not just the concept and workings of the car, but also the buying experience.

They openly admit to modeling their new dealerships on Apple and Starbucks and good restaurants where you can see the chef working.

Here’s what they plan to do:

-    The overall concept is Tesla dealerships as VIP Lounges
-    The service area will be front and center, not out the back. Since the technology is clean, visitors will be able to see the techs working on the cars
-    Techs are company shareholders and are assigned by name to customers
-    Install comfortable lounge areas, with free Wi-Fi, coffee, snacks and flat screens
-    No salespeople, just assistants to help with information and assist the purchase, rather than “sell” it

Tesla's stores will open in Los Angeles and Bay Area stores in the fourth quarter, followed by New York, Chicago, and Miami in the first quarter of 2008.

However, the designers have yet to be chosen and the company is open to suggestions and ideas from customers and prospects.

There’s nothing extremely radical in this "brief". Most luxury dealerships are already doing most of this, the big difference is putting the tech/service center and the technicians front and center, this will create a new type of experience. Hopefully, the design companies pitching this project will come up with ideas that stretch the "brief" a little bit.

Something obvious Tesla has to do is to make sure these dealerships are the “greenest” they can possibly be, their customers will expect nothing less.

Via Autoblog