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Did You Know?
Volvo:
How strong brands evolve
There
are many brands that have been with us for years,
and have remained strong by evolving over time.
When properly managed this evolution ensures that
the brand remains distinctive and motivating to
all stakeholders.
It
is not the strongest of the species that survive,
nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive
to change.
Charles Darwin
Take
Volvo for example, one of the oldest of car brands.
What jumps to mind when you see the word Volvo?
For most people it would be 'safety'. Here's why:
in 1927 the founders of Volvo committed the company
to this idea:
...
cars are driven by people. The guiding principle
behind everything we make at Volvo, therefore,
is and must remain, safety...
Assar Gabrielsson and Gustaf Larson
But
safety is pretty dull and boring these days. We
don't think about our safety too much when we buy
cars, because all cars are built to be safe for
their occupants. To meet this challenge the Volvo
brand has evolved, to continue to meet our needs
in a way that is distinctive and motivating.
Safety
at Volvo now works in new ways. 'Preventative'
safety helps us avoid accidents in the first
place: 'simply put, avoiding accidents is better
than having accidents'. And they have also addressed
increasing concerns about crime with their 'Personal
safety' initiatives: building features into
the car that help make you safe as you enter and
exit your car.
Volvo
has also developed its thinking from the founders'
philosophy of 'cars are driven by people'.
Today this means that: 'Volvo builds cars for human
beings. At Volvo, we also recognize that human beings
are just a small part of the life of our planet'.
This is the basis for a more environmentally-friendly
car, supported by a policy of 'reuse and recycle'.
All
of this is beautifully summarized in their corporate
line:
It's
a clear evolution from their early brand positioning,
which was focused on keeping safe from accidents
with safety-glass windshields and steel cages (two
of their earliest initiatives).
The
Volvo brand has successfully evolved to stay distinctive
and motivating. (These are just two of the five
characteristics of a strong brand. You can find
out more in my Brand
Manual.)
Ask
yourself:
Looking back over the history of my brand, has it
successfully evolved with the market?
How should my brand evolve to stay distinctive and
motivating in the markets of the future?
Brand
Manual
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