8/20/2014 - Fox Business Interview With Paul Elio

[Jeff Porter]

Snip:
I thought the "F" word quip was actually funny, but you can't please all the people all the time. Humor in PR is ALWAYS risky for that reason. He should probably have left it out.

I believe I am the oldest "active" woman on this site and I didn't find the "F" word the least bit offensive. I read the previous remarks yesterday before hearing the video today and was expecting him to have actually used the "F" word - one I find very offensive. Instead he said it is F as in funding and I agree that I found it funny. I was very relieved that funding was the f word he was using. Z

I'm right on board with you Z. I liked the comment and didn't think much about it. It was encouraging to hear him say that we're over that hump now. We all know that doesn't mean money is no longer an issue, but that things continue to look promising.

 

[Ekh]

Well, you are so correct

Where's the emoticon for barfing?

 

[Kuda]

Where's the emoticon for barfing?

 

[ecdriver711]

FOX got it wrong. The Elio is inexpensive, not cheap.

 

[Ekh]

I've watched the Fox News clip again. A couple of points: Paul did say "wealthier individuals." The problem was that he answered the question as it was asked: who's buying the Elio. A more press-savvy guy would have said, "we're intending the Elio to appeal to those who really value a great, fuel-efficient car at the most reasonable price in America." Or some such. The trick in press relations is to answer the question you WISH they had asked,not the exact question they DID ask.

Alas, Paul's too honest for his own good -- at least as far as press relations are concerned!

The risk in the answer that he actually gave is that it suggests the Elio is a wealthy person's toy -- which it may be, and god bless 'em. But the original intention of the car was to make reliable transportation to distant jobs available to working-class people. It will be a great pity -- and undercut Paul's own values -- if he doesn't clean this up in future interviews.

 

[Elio Amazed]

I think what you're saying here is that the real danger is people looking at the Elio as a toy and not a real car.
@ $6800 it really doesn't matter if it's a wealthier individual's toy or a finacially challenged person's toy.
It's got to be crystal clear that this is not going to be a toy in any sense of the word.
It's going to have to have an image of being as good as, or better than, the best subcompacts out there.
Sans side-by-side seating and a tire you won't even miss of course.
That's what I meant by "I'm thinking that it may be time for PE to come off more as being one deadly serious CEO.
It might be better than appearing to be 'the slightly eccentric guy who wants to help all of America by making and selling a kinda crazy car.'"
Most people's only first impressions of the Elio is a few seconds of video clips of the P4 and then Paul Elio himself.
I think the "it's kinda crazy, but people like it and we're actually doing it" strategy has excelled up to this point, but it's run it's course.
Enough of this "and" crop. I have associates who are looking at this car as a toy and not a real comfortable, durable, roadworthy, safe vehicle.
He's got to get across that this is going to be a real quality car that is going to easily compete with the popular subcompacts in today's market.
People already understand what an "and" car is. There are already millions of them on the road burning up a lot more gasoline that they should.

 

[Ekh]

I think what you're saying here is that the real danger is people looking at the Elio as a toy and not a real car.
@ $6800 it really doesn't matter if it's a wealthier individual's toy or a finacially challenged person's toy.
It's got to be crystal clear that this is not going to be a toy in any sense of the word.
It's going to have to have an image of being as good as, or better than, the best subcompacts out there.
Sans side-by-side seating and a tire you won't even miss of course.
That's what I meant by "I'm thinking that it may be time for PE to come off more as being one deadly serious CEO.
It might be better than appearing to be 'the slightly eccentric guy who wants to help all of America by making and selling a kinda crazy car.'"
Most people's only first impressions of the Elio is a few seconds of video clips of the P4 and then Paul Elio himself.
I think the "it's kinda crazy, but people like it and we're actually doing it" strategy has excelled up to this point, but it's run it's course.
Enough of this "and" crop. I have associates who are looking at this car as a toy and not a real comfortable, durable, roadworthy, safe vehicle.
He's got to get across that this is going to be a real quality car that is going to easily compete with the popular subcompacts in today's market.
People already understand what an "and" car is. There are already millions of them on the road burning up a lot more gasoline that they should.

I agree about the "and" crap. It may be true in many cases (mine for instance; I'm putting my 2009 clapped-out Forester into semi retirement the day my Elio arrives ... if it lasts that long), but for many folks it won't be an "and" -- it will be MY CAR. Marketing should not push away people. It should say something like "if you drive a ton of miles by yourself, this is the car for you." That cuts across all population segments, economic groups, etc.

 

[Ekh]

Interesting, screenshot from the video:

View attachment 2226

I just realized, the 28,000+ reservations didn't all happen in one year. But most of the reservations are done before seeing the vehicle, so that makes up for it. hehe

In general, why are Smart Cars not selling well?

Well, in general, they're crappy cars. They break often (and are expensive to fix ... BMW parts). They don't get out of their own way. And, in my own experience test-driving one, they have a very choppy ride because the wheel-base is so short.

I guess that's enough reasons.

 

[Jeff Porter]

Well, in general, they're crappy cars. They break often (and are expensive to fix ... BMW parts). They don't get out of their own way. And, in my own experience test-driving one, they have a very choppy ride because the wheel-base is so short.

I guess that's enough reasons.

Poor quality, expensive to fix, hardly a smooth ride. But hey, they get 38 mpg! lol