Why Germany does wind and solar power: "Differentiation is the ability to provide unique and superior value to the customer. Differentiation allows a firm to command a premium price, which leads to superior profitability provided costs are comparable to those of competitors. Mercedes, Porsche and Audi and many other companies, constantly reinforces - through advertisement- the already established stereotype of a subjective judgment about the reliability of their products and companies themselves.
By the time the Japanese decided to compete for the American Cup; German companies such Mercedes and Thyssen refused to finance a DM 30 million Yacht project to challenge the Americans for the American Cup under the pragmatic ground that a German Yacht which couldn't reach the finals would ruin worldwide the image of the German high class workmanship. Der Spiegel, Jul. 30, 1990.
An example is Lufthansa ads. “We have people who check the people who check the people who check the people who check your aircraft” or “For every hour’s flying time, Lufthansa puts in 22 technician hours” Ads in BusinessWeek.
Other is Audi’s advertisement for its cars. It is interesting to compare it’s “Vorsprung Durch Technik” ad with the one of Honda’s Legend which appeared in the same issue of The Economist, Jun. 27, 1987. p.p. 20, 21-34,35.
The Audi Quattro add “Why had the engineers at Audi produced a Quattro version of the 80? Fixing us with an icy stare, they replied. [Kenzenkopf, Diensthütte-Schwarzau und Archenkopf]”. The add goes on explaining what the tongue twisters mean, and all technical details of the car, pointing the fact of Germany’s environment favorable to the development of such car. But at the same time stressing Audi engineers’ impeccable English accents their ‘foremost technical minds’ and of course “Vorsprung Durch Technik” .
I love the Japanese admen response: Honda’s ad: "Quiet, but Powerful. The ad stress only the technical details of the car nothing is said about its constructors.
CONCLUSION:
Wind and solar power is a way to keep in the general public mind the image they have of Germany and Germans. |
