by ninette marciano
It may not be actively understood by the average Joe on the street but we as a culture harbor primitive, deep seeded character traits pertaining to beauty, which hinders our judgment and leaves our rational thinking minds akin to that of a teenage boy alone with a girl for the first time. While beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, it's the beholder collection that adds to the black for the auto industry; and the auto shows are their catwalk.
It used to be that any well made and reliable automobile would bring in customers and perhaps add to the company's legion of faithful. However, with once seemingly unreliable brands earning top billing in J.D. Power and Associates, Consumer Reports and other consumer data collecting agencies, these are no longer top priorities of car buyers. In taking their technological prowess as seemingly far as it can go, the automotive industry clamors to perfect their ability to fulfill mans most fickle character trait: Desire.
Is it love; or is it lust? With untold billions on the line, the auto industry is intent on figuring that out. Science tells us it's lust with its dopamine and serotonin raising abilities that grab our attention, starting the snowballing effect on our psyche and upon settling; it's oxytocin that generates the long-term phase of love and manufacturers have always tried to manipulate these chemicals in their potential customers.
But statistically we are not a faithful bunch. With upwards of 40 percent of us ready to switch brands because of our normal brands inability to supply us with the color we want on a vehicle, it is important as ever to display products and listen for feedback as soon as possible prior to release. Turning the head of a competitor's faithful certainly wouldn't hurt either.
As can be seen by the average midsize family sedan, it is an amalgam of their competitors with a bit of faux super sedan sprinkled on the outside for good measure. It isn't at all odd to see a German luxury sedan's taillights represented on the latest Japanese midsizer, or a crease that once distinguished an Italian steed adorn an American fleet-bound economy sedan. Like Darwin's "The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex," auto manufacturers are trying to understand mans decision-making sense and come up with that new design that will not only take the breath away from an unsuspecting, but willing, car shopper, but keep their attention among the parade of their competitor's advancements.
With increasing venues for consumers to experience the message of the automotive world, one would be forgiven for questioning the importance of the Auto Show in our culture. After all, with the click of a mouse, one can be swept to countless reviews and photos of every make and model ever produced. You can procure more technical information than your spouse ever cares to hear about or any car salesman bothers with. With each brand, a make; and each make a model that can grasp the attention of even the most Ritalin-needed young male. However, it is this "see it for myself" character that demands a first person's account of a subject. With a vast majority of our shopping done in person, taking advantage of our senses and their ability to contrast and compare, it wouldn't be surprising to see this type of venue used in the future as a shopping outlet for those looking to purchase an automobile on site.
It may not be actively understood by the average Joe on the street but we as a culture harbor primitive, deep seeded character traits pertaining to beauty, which hinders our judgment and leaves our rational thinking minds akin to that of a teenage boy alone with a girl for the first time. While beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, it's the beholder collection that adds to the black for the auto industry; and the auto shows are their catwalk.
It used to be that any well made and reliable automobile would bring in customers and perhaps add to the company's legion of faithful. However, with once seemingly unreliable brands earning top billing in J.D. Power and Associates, Consumer Reports and other consumer data collecting agencies, these are no longer top priorities of car buyers. In taking their technological prowess as seemingly far as it can go, the automotive industry clamors to perfect their ability to fulfill mans most fickle character trait: Desire.
Is it love; or is it lust? With untold billions on the line, the auto industry is intent on figuring that out. Science tells us it's lust with its dopamine and serotonin raising abilities that grab our attention, starting the snowballing effect on our psyche and upon settling; it's oxytocin that generates the long-term phase of love and manufacturers have always tried to manipulate these chemicals in their potential customers.
But statistically we are not a faithful bunch. With upwards of 40 percent of us ready to switch brands because of our normal brands inability to supply us with the color we want on a vehicle, it is important as ever to display products and listen for feedback as soon as possible prior to release. Turning the head of a competitor's faithful certainly wouldn't hurt either.
As can be seen by the average midsize family sedan, it is an amalgam of their competitors with a bit of faux super sedan sprinkled on the outside for good measure. It isn't at all odd to see a German luxury sedan's taillights represented on the latest Japanese midsizer, or a crease that once distinguished an Italian steed adorn an American fleet-bound economy sedan. Like Darwin's "The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex," auto manufacturers are trying to understand mans decision-making sense and come up with that new design that will not only take the breath away from an unsuspecting, but willing, car shopper, but keep their attention among the parade of their competitor's advancements.
With increasing venues for consumers to experience the message of the automotive world, one would be forgiven for questioning the importance of the Auto Show in our culture. After all, with the click of a mouse, one can be swept to countless reviews and photos of every make and model ever produced. You can procure more technical information than your spouse ever cares to hear about or any car salesman bothers with. With each brand, a make; and each make a model that can grasp the attention of even the most Ritalin-needed young male. However, it is this "see it for myself" character that demands a first person's account of a subject. With a vast majority of our shopping done in person, taking advantage of our senses and their ability to contrast and compare, it wouldn't be surprising to see this type of venue used in the future as a shopping outlet for those looking to purchase an automobile on site.
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