BUT Grant is missing the point. They had an exquisite cultural understanding of the market segments that bought pickup trucks and SUVs. It is a kind of cultural blindness to ignore the exurban, rural, and wannabe-rural milieus where the Big THree hit the cultural and product sweet spot over and over again. These also happened to be the only segments of the market where they could earn reasonable gross margins per vehicle given the interaction of UAW contracts and the CAFE two-fleet rule. It would have made little economic difference to Ford and GM if they had come up with the iPod of sedans–they wouldn’t be able to make much money from such a product anyway.

As for Lutz, I think this post blatantly contradicts Grant’s earlier one where he argued that brands shouldn’t pander to customers but be “disinterested.” Just as Apple imposes its own design ideas and aesthetics out of its own sense of product integrity rather than by doing detailed market research, Lutz tried to bring his sensibility of performance and excitement to the GM line. I don’t think he succeeded, but that’s different from the critique offered in this post.

I’ve been to Detroit twice & what amazed me the most was how insular their car “culture” is. I live in NJ/work in NY – drive and commute. Driving Northeast roads you see lots of different brand cars/trucks/SUVs/lux – American and all foreign brands- regional exposure to car brands is huge here. NY/NJ also has a great public transit system – trains, subways, PATH, ferries, buses – you can get around w/o a car.

Detroit, on the other hand, bears the physical legacy of insular car culture manufacturing. I’d say 90% of cars on their roads are American – its all you see. Buses are the only public transit system, and if you need to go somewhere they don’t, and you don’t have an (American) car, well, you’re out of luck. Reinforcement that you must have a car, and by looking around, it “must” be American.

I can see car executives, such as the genius mentioned in your article, surrounded by only American cars everywhere they goe in Detroit – they’re so cut off from the real driving experience its no wonder GM hasn’t a clue who their customers are. No exposure to anything compounded w/fear of foreign competition results in horrible cars that aren’t designed for their consumer’s needs (Pontiac Aztek comes to mind, as well as the whole “mylifeisover” minivan purchase) Honestly I look at many GM and Chrysler models and really wonder if they’re designed at all.

Although Ford has its problems, I think their products are designed better because they provide products globally. Go to Amsterdam, London, Berlin, Rome, etc. and you’ll see a good number of Fords parked right next to the Audis, BMWs, Minis. I don’t think Ford would make the mistake GM made to hire a prod dev chief who is so clueless.

Working as an automotive design strategist (not a product planner) it’s my job to be keyed in with broad cultural trends and how they will impact the design of future cars. Although not a CCO (yet), I do the kind of job that a CCO should. One guy from the automotive industry who I think could actually do the job is Freeman Thomas, he of the original Audi TT, VW New Beetle, Lincoln Concept C, Dodge Prowler etc. He’s a guy that really understands the importance of how cars need to fit into the prevailing cultural story to be a success.

I’ve linked to your article from my blog, giving some background to my approach and the importance of not letting my personal passions for cars and the industry get in the way of the work I do for my clients.

As a former resident of Detroit, I believe the lack of consumer cultural understanding on the part of the Big 3 was a problem for too long. Judging by the steep decline in its market share, complacency and arrogance that permeated its corporate culture is ultimately leading it to its demise. Recently, GM (Buick and Cadillac) and Ford (Lincoln) have fared well in the JD Power Initial Quality Studies (IQS) and Long Term Vehicle Dependability Studies (VDS). Its manufacturing has in some cases surpassed the Japanese in quality based on the number of defects per 1000 vehicles (e.g. Harbour Report of GM’s assembly plants in Oshawa, ON and Grand River Plant in Lansing, MI). In the late 1980s, the Big 3 adopted the Japanese Just In Time (JIT) inventory and Total Quality Management (TQM) manufacturing practices. It seems that the Big 3 is constantly trying to play catch-up to the Japanese and Germans. Problem is, it is excruciatingly difficult to change consumer perceptions of those brands. It certainly does not help with the deep discounts that have been employed since GM’s “Keep America Rolling” promotional event after 9/11.

In his own way I think Scott Monty of Ford is doing good work. He doesn’t sit in a corner-office talking about consumers, he’s on Twitter or otherwise engaging consumers directly. The Fiesta Movement campaign is an example of understanding current culture and leveraging it to gain an advantage.

For your Hall of Culture Fame, I would add Martin Lotti at Nike, designer of the Air Kyoto and the Air Max Craze, among others.

Your metaphorical reference to the corporate CCO-as-river-boat-captain, plying the streams of contemporary aspirational consciousness, put in mind of Mark Twain as this nation’s most-storied navigator, and Jack London as its first, celebrity hitchhiker; maybe opportunisitic journalists are the jean-pool at which to fish for the next generation of CCOs.

I’d have guessed Milan or maybe Florence for leadership in design and style.

a beautiful diagnosis.
i was reminded of your great work on the automobile watching a movie that might (or might not) be paul blart: mall cop, in which his character attempts to impress a girl.

he points out that people who think that the mustang was named after the horse are wrong.

it’s named after the jet, he said.

the woman seemed unimpressed.

i am not entirely sure that’s the case, but i marvel at it if it is.