A Saab marketing lesson from the past
Thanks to Andy, the resident TS vocalist, I came across this very even-handed review of Saab 9000 Turbo from 1991. It was done by MotorWeek, a program produced by Maryland Public Television here in the US. For those of you not from the States, Maryland is a relatively small but densely populated state just north of the capitol, Washington, D.C. Additionally, here in the US, generally only one station on television in any given area is “public”, that is, government-supported and commercial-free.
I’ve always loved MotorWeek for their reviews of vehicles. They are long on objectivity and content, but short on glitz and entertainment values. Since public television is commercial-free, their reviews tend to be a little longer and more detailed than their counterparts on commercial television. On the other hand, I’ve not been such a fan of the Goss’ Garage (sic) package. I feel that it’s much too general and much too simplified for most true auto enthusiasts (case in point: one segment spent about five minutes talking about why oil changes needed to be done on a regular basis).
This review of the 1991 9000 is no disappointment. It shows off the 9000 in a good light, and lays the critisicm where it needs to be laid. Easy enough, if you can get past the acid-washed jeans and high-top sneakers. Noice!
What caught my attention here was a comment from John Davis comparing Saab to other European brands towards the close of the video:
“Saab takes a more evolutionary path. One that favors refining what works rather than chasing the latest marketing gimmick. This has allowed Saab products like the 9000 Turbo to consistently offer value, performance and an exhilerating driving experience you can’t get anywhere else.”
That’s about as succinct as it gets, folks. Well said, Mr. Davis, well said.
Is there a kernel of truth in that quote for Saab to build on for future marketing campaigns? I think that there certainly is. Portray Saab as a refinement of what works. Turbocharging is a prime example, as is front-wheel drive and XWD. Saab: Simply refined or Born from Jets and refined by drivers. Brighter minds than mine can bring that message out in better ways, but I really think that general train of thought has legs.
Watch and comment.
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Wow, the 9000 was $32,995 in 1991. With inflation, that would be $52,480 in 2008. Alternately, the $42,510 in 2008 dollars needed for a Turbo X would be only $26.727 in 1991 dollars. This is great information because it gives me yet another rationalization for buying the Turbo X!
Ken: I noticed that, too! It gives you a window into why Saab was in some financial trouble then as well. Their cost structure simply didn’t allow them to compete on price.
Interior quality…hmmm this is quite possibly Saab’s biggest problem right now. What happened? I think this is where Saab must improve or sales will keep falling off.
Wow. I hadn’t noticed how freakin’ old John Davis has gotten.
That first gen 9000 looks great in red with aero wheels. I wonder why so many were sold in boring silver.
I always love to see ads/reviews of the 9000. This was probably the last time that SAAB was really competitive and I tend to think the 9000 Aero, although I don’t own one yet, was perhaps the most successful realisation of the SAAB philosophy in recent times.
Now, SAAB’s interior quality is way behind the competition. The thoughtful features that set apart the 9000 are in some cases missing. The engines are no longer more powerful than the competition nor any more fuel efficient.
SAAB still has the unique design, comfortable seats, excellent ergonomics that we see in this 9000.
Seeing this kind of video makes it very tempting to cheat on my 9-5 and pick up a 9000.
As noted the 9000 was expensive for its time. I really liked the 9000 back then but I could not afford the steep price tag. (No Sale) If you want something that luxrious then be prepared to pay the price.
Fast forward to year 2007. I purchased a 2006 9-5 that was 1 year old with 10000 mi on the odometer for $4000 USD less than what a new 9000 Turbo retailed for in 1991. Plus it is a CPO with a 100,000 mi warranty.
Obviously, something had to give, so the luxuriousness of the interior was decontented. This is different than lower quality if you really understand quality. Still, if you purchase your 9-5 new this year you can opt for the ventilated seat for $995.00 USD and the premium natural leather for an additional $1500.00 USD. If you purchased you SAAB used, well you do not have a right to complain.
I am very happy with what I got for the amount that I paid. My 2.3T puts out 260hp and 258 ft-lbs of torque. The passing power of this car on a two lane is phenomenal. With gasoline at $4.00 per gallon I do not care that it does not have 300hp. Currently I am averaging 26 miles per US gallon overall.
Everyone needs to quit comparing SAAB with BMW, Mercedes, or Audi. SAAB’s brand positioning is different than these brands.
The Born From Jet ad campaign is getting a little old. The best tag line that SAAB has ever had was “SAAB The most intelligent car built.”
Hundai’s new tag line “Think about it.”
I always liked watching MotorWeek but someone said something once and it is true. If you watch the show often, when was the last time you saw a bad review of a car? Think really hard… Every car essentially gets the same review. They may gloss over a few weaknesses or strengths and point out some stuff from the spec sheet but otherwise there isn’t really much meat to the “reviews”. Not quite Consumer Reports bad, but at least CR does attempt to give a little objective and subjective reviews. I still like watching the show since there’s much, much worse automotive programming on the air.
I’m quite happy with the quality of the interior of the current models. Almost everything seems quite quite solid and built to last. The only thing I’ve noticed is that the sunroof control is a bit flimsy.
They don’t make them like they used to…just about every car company is like that.
Look how blingy and overly complicated controls in something like a Honda have gotten…a company who used to have simple easy to read and easy to use controls.