Which is more likely to signal that someone is a potential buyer of the Chevy Volt: a membership in the Sierra Club or owning the latest-model iPad? According to the people in charge of marketing the Volt, it’s gizmos over granola when it comes to their target buyer.
“Early on, we talked a lot about whether our initial target market would be the techies or the greens,” said Cristi Landy, the Volt’s product marketing director. “And we concluded that it would be the techies, which we confirmed with our first customer surveys.”
GM’s strategy is designed to attract traditional early-adopters, like those who line up for the release of new cell phones or game consoles, more so than those looking to save their planet through their choice of ride. Some early Volt buyers were given kits that contained cameras, so they could document their new rides and help spread the word to other technically-inclined consumers.
Will it be a winning strategy? Time will tell.
