More Commentary from Mackinac: Talking Cars On An Island Of Horse & Buggies
Here at the Mackinac Policy Conference, auto issues didn’t wait for today to take center stage….even though Bill Ford Jr. kicked off the sessions on Friday to do the evergreen Ford easy-being-green speech.
But the closer to home reality is by the time you read this; as a taxpayer you may already own a piece of GM.
I am not by any means being Debbie Downer. Sarcastic Sam…maybe. Yes, an eye to the future for alt fuels is necessary. But where the domestics and others fell down is a bit more rudimentary. Can someone kick China’s fanny about carbon footprint too? Just now in this conference, Auto God David Cole just said carbon fuels are going to be used for quite awhile based on economics. My point is there are more base issues afoot here as to why we are in some of this fix.
We have waited far too long to explain to the world how vital the auto economy is to the global economy. We are playing the scariest version of catch-up ever witnessed. The companies, whatever left, need to make communication an industry priority. A coalition mentality is vital. It IS us against the world……unfortunately the world starts at the outer Ohio border.
Secondly, you want us to believe you - Mr. & Ms. Auto Company - are greener than Kermit. Why should I believe you have that nailed when the world questions our quality and our efficiency (says the cynic)? You are talking about running a marathon but continue to smoke three packs of Reds a day. Tell me why my steering wheel won’t fall off THEN, maybe, tell me about your Star Trek-like visions of automotive time travel.
Not saying we haven’t made commendable strides; but the root is focusing communication and ad dollars on that. Unfortunately some marketing guru decided cup holders and an in-dash water bottle cooler made better ad copy. Detroit is burning to fiddle soundtrack on an in-dash iPod player.
So - said the bias communications guy - whoever is the CEO of the day at the auto companies left, listen up - “Tell the world that you ARE the world. You ARE the stone that causes the wave in the pool of global economics. Tell us all how if we spend our money and make that leap of faith with our thin wallet, you won’t let us down!”
It’s not that communication is a silver bullet. It’s what you communicate and making the communications a priority. It is a start. If you don’t start doing a better job of talkin’ there will be less driving and more walkin’.
Don’t, dear CEO, make your first budget cut to impress your communications person.