I was just wondering what the criteria are for people who attend these styling clinics for manufacturers? Are they only people within the company or related somehow, or are they something different? Also, what is the direct purpose of these clinics? Thanks.

 

I don't know, but I want to go to one!

 

I believe its a random sampling of groups that marketing determine to be the key demographic for the product to be examined...

Just a guess...

 

well from what I was told once. It works like this. Say you are at an autoshow and you fill out some borchure request. (even online) you would check off cars that interest you. To the manufacturer it puts you into a certain category. For example if you check "I want more information on the Chevrolet Cobalt" your name is entered in the system as someone who would be interested in the entry size class. However to broaden appeal people who checked off two cars like corvette and cobalt will also be considered. From thos depending on various other questions like "When do you plan on purchasing your next vehicle" all affect the chances of getting surveyed.

I do believe Danno was one of the luckier ones for a styling clinic of a Coupe so depend on what he did prior to that made his name stand out.

Another example would the next gen. Escalade. GM spent a lot of money to bring in Celebrities for the NBA All-Star game in L.A., CA and showed them different styling directions of what the next gen. 'slade would look like. They are a direct target audience and also the most influential in the market. If hollywood appreciates it it's pretty cool and so on. Using that as a basis you have to be connected in the future product somehow.

This is all based on my assumption though and if you want I'll try to find an article on the 'slade's clinic although GM went to great lengths to leave the media out of it. Actual names of celebrities are not available but i'll see if I can find it.

 

I'm pretty sure it was buying an all SLP option car with a 6 yr. extended warranty to boot that got me on that styling clinic list. I think that put me in the "cash cow" demographic.

BTW, there are two more styling clinics that will be held in the LA/Orange County area this April. Not sure if they are Chevy Coupe related, although the preliminary surveys are very similar to the GONGOS one. I'm signing up for both of them. Hopefully I'll have some new info to report.

 

can u give me a link to sign up? i would love to hopefully be able to go considering it isnt too far

 

There are many criteria used to develop a list of people for styling clinics.

One is "lifestyle" ....based on magazine subscriptions.

Some are from our requests for brochures.

Some USED to be based on Registration information, but with new privacy laws, that isn't going to be used in the future.

All of the criteria are 'put together' and a list is developed.

In most cases, a person on the 'developed list" will receive a "marketing research" call. (and most people hang up the phone before the first sentence is finished.....)

It is never 'voluntary' as that would (for lack of a better term) 'contaminate' the results.

Now...I have not been involved in conducting any clinics for the past year and a half......so the criteria may be changing.

It is important that the people invited to the clinic are "considering" a car in the particular segment that you are researching.

For instance, when we would clinic the Fcar, we'd want to talk to the following groups:
Male Mustang V6 under 35
Male Mustang V6 over 35
Female Mustang V6 under 35
Female Mustang V6 over 35
......all of the above, but substitute V8 for V6....

The same for Eclipse/Celica owners.........

The same for Camaro owners

The same for Firebird owners.........

And.....those who have responded in the phone interview that they are considering a "sports coupe" or "sports Convertible" in the next year.

Each group would be kept together......so that we could ask the 'listed' questions...and perhaps probe deeper to find out what motivates their purchasing decisions....or their opinions of their car/other cars in the segment/our cars.

It is a very refined process...and it is VERY time consuming.....but something that should be done as product decisions are made. We used these clinics to look at the 'future' product......for the fabrics and colors of interiors, wheels, etc.

All that said.....there is a point where decisions have to be made..and sometimes the clinic info. isn't worth the paper it's printed on.

Case in point:

Leather does not have a fragrance....the fragrance has to be impregnated during or after the tanning process. I suggested that we put leather fragrance in the Fcar in the late 90s......
We looked at a study done by another division. 1,000 people were 'intercepted' in shopping malls and shown two nearly identical cars....the only difference being that one had leather fragrance..the other didn't.

As I recall, the average price people were willing to pay for the fragrance was over $500!!!!!

I don't for one minute believe that. Yes, perhaps a few would pay it......but by and large.....cars are bought on a 'monthly payment' basis......and by price comparison.

The fragrance never got put into our leather for a variety of reasons.............


Sooooooo.........that's how it was done. I suspect we continue to do it this way...as probably do other manufacturers.

(one place where we didn't use this....I held an informal clinic when we were developing the 35th Ann. Camaro.......they were Camaro Enthusiasts from around the country......and we did this only because we knew that there were limited numbers of cars available......we scratched several proposals because people didn't like what they saw.......the wheels and interior were given high marks...almost unanimous......and each interviewee signed a confidentiality statement prior to the clinic....)

 

Thank you everyone and especially Red Planet for that very thourough reply. I had no idea that people were choosen in that manner. That is very interesting stuff. I would very much like to be a part of something like this since I am an Industrial Designer (almost graduated) and would like to be in the automotive field. Looks like I will just have to have some luck...............although I have filled out and requested my share of GM stuff.

 

'Nuff said.

 

You caught that too, huh?