Reflections on the LA Auto Show

I attended the LA Auto Show last week.  All the product experts have already weighed in on what they liked.

That isn’t my thing.  Presentation is, and three brands stood out.

Rivian:  Rivian?  Yes, Rivian.  They have been working quietly for about nine years on a line of electric trucks, and LA was their coming out party.  And with an opening night featuring Rhianna; the LA Times headline calling CEO RJ Scaringe “the version of Elon Musk you’d want your daughter to marry”; and one of the most genuine and feel good press conferences I have ever attended, Rivian just killed it, from start to finish.  Most automotive startups notoriously underinvest in marketing.  They are usually run by technically trained people who simply aren’t comfortable hawking themselves or their products.  They make good neighbors, but they are not making the right business decision.  There are already 650 very good cars out there, and the world does not need another one.  It has to WANT ONE, and Rivian did a great job making us all WANT the venture to succeed.  Big kudos to their whole team.

Volvo:  Any brand that comes to a car show and then leaves their floor space mostly empty is taking a big risk.  This one worked.  Volvo is trying to distinguish itself as a new generation transportation  solutions provider. Their display drew your attention to the beautiful, multi-cultural, black and white portraits of CUSTOMERS surrounding you, and to boards that showed all the input they have received from CUSTOMERS on what they expect a mobility provider to offer.  In sum, they made a statement that this is about you, not us, and it worked.

Jeep: Ok, I said I am not a product expert, but anyone can look at the new Gladiator, the first convertible pick-up truck in a long, long time, generously imbued with Jeep DNA, and conclude this one will sell. Yes, the wheelbase is too long for an off-road vehicle, and yes, it looks like an awful lot of weight for an old V6 to haul around, but I don’t think these issues will make a whit of difference. There is NOTHING that looks like this; it just puts a smile on your face. In a world where all the vehicles are good and sound, design (and being different) matters more than ever.