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Market research can help Fisker fix itself.

Market research can help Fisker fix itself.
I’m rooting for Fisker, the American EV startup, to survive the recent wave of negative press and its dire financial position.

One thing Fisker should do immediately: "damage control" market research with consumers.

Fisker has made several questionable marketing decisions while launching it's first model, the Ocean SUV. The most consequential decision was selling vehicles *before* fixing numerous software glitches.
 
When customer deliveries started in mid-2023, customer feedback on social media was consistent: the car has many positives, but it’s “incomplete.”

When the FTC's CARS rule goes live, legacy automakers should modernize their sales practices

When the FTC's CARS rule goes live, legacy automakers should modernize their sales practices

This July, the FTC will finally ban car dealers’ bait & switch sales tactics and junk fees. Legacy automakers should modernize sales in 3 more ways.

What is the FTC’s Combating Auto Retail Scams rule?

After decades of consumer complaints, the CARS rule was approved by the FTC last month. Starting July 30th, it will require car dealers to sell a car at the advertised or marketed price. It will also require dealers to inform consumers about the total payment when communicating monthly payments, and explicitly note that all add-ons are optional.

What’s the expected impact of the CARS rule?

As trust in media experts declines, consumers are listening to each other

As trust in media experts declines, consumers are listening to each other
From movies, to cars, to fashion. Consumers aren’t listening to experts. Smart marketers are helping customers listen to each other.
 
Just a few examples of the disconnect:
 
The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Universal Pictures):
- Metacritic: 46/100.
+15th biggest box office ever: $1.35B global.
 
Tesla:
-There’s so much newsmedia hate, Wikipedia aggregated some of it into a 10,000 word standalone page: “Criticism of Tesla, Inc.”
+Tesla US sales are booming, almost double BMW in 2023. Industry leader in brand loyalty.
 
Abercrombie & Fitch Co.:
-Fashion editor criticism was followed by last year’s Netflix harsh docu on A&F’s “Rise & Fall.”
+A&F stock is up 200% in 5 years. Revenue up in '23, to nearly $4B.
 
Why the disconnect?
 
Sinking trust in the corporate news media is just part of the story.