FUTURE OF … MOBILITY [Episode 1]
Reimagining the car & its evolving meanings
Futuristic thinking is a key focus of Cultural Faultlines newsletter, and I’m excited to kick off the “Future Of” series by delving into a topic that has long captured my interest — mobility. Unintentionally coinciding with Elon’s Cybertruck’s launch this week, a topic worthy of its own dedicated blog as part of “future of mobility” discussions. This current piece focuses on reimagining cars in the future of mobility from a consumer culture lens, with more deep dives in the category and specific brands to come in future blogs.
My interest in the automotive category goes way back. Initially sparked by the extensive use of transmedia storytelling strategies by the automotive brands, my exploration began in 2013 with a blog titled “Transmedia Brands: Are Automobiles the Pioneer of Transmedia Storytelling in Consumer Products?” Here, I delved into how automotive brands employed transmedia storytelling principles, demonstrating the application of these strategies beyond entertainment brands. [Case Study: Audi Heist in the video below]
Teaching the HBS case on “Plugging In the Consumer: The Adoption of Electrically Powered Vehicles in the U.S.” around 2016 further stoked my curiosity. This case led me to ponder how U.S. consumers would respond to the emergence of alternative-fuel vehicles, such as electric cars, in the coming decade. I highly recommend this case to fellow business professors to assess the barriers to consumers’ adoption of EVs and other non-ICE alternatives. Additionally, some ideas in this blog stem from a POV I wrote in 2019 for a conference panel. With a background as a Mechanical Engineer, I’ve always been fascinated by these machines — capable of both assembling and disassembling an internal combustion engine, at least in my former life 😎. In essence, as a generalist, I’ve maintained a lasting affinity and affection for the automotive category…although I don’t own a car 😇
Audi Heist is one of the early transmedia storytelling campaigns in a non-entertainment category. Audi launched the Audi Heist campaign in 2006. The campaign started with a viral video showing Audi 3 getting stolen from the dealership a night before the car was supposed to make its first appearance in one of the biggest auto shows in America. Participants got involved in the mission to find the stolen car by following bits and pieces of the puzzle in various mediums like ARG (Alternate Reality Game), Yellow Pages, flyers, across the Net, newspapers, and magazines. Producers’ attention to detail and authenticity in this campaign showed the importance of coordination in TM branding campaigns.
As a cultural strategist, my interest lies in understanding how consumer culture shapes and is shaped by innovations and technological leaps in this category.
The future of mobility discussions hinge on the intricate interplay of technology, consumer behavior, and iconic brands with hefty marketing budgets. The intricacies of the future of mobility are all shaped by these three domains. The complexity and evolution of this landscape demand a critical perspective. While discussions predominantly orbit around product innovations like electric vehicles (EVs), autonomous vehicles (AVs), batteries, and emerging technologies (e.g., like hydrogen fuel cells, flying cars, and advanced materials), there’s a significant gap when it comes to assessing the impact of consumer behavior and culture.
As a cultural strategist, my interest lies in understanding how consumer behavior and culture shape and are shaped by innovations and technological leaps in this category. It is not just about the product innovation. It’s majorly about whether consumers are ready to overhaul their routines, habits, and perceived meanings related to transportation and adopt new ones. It is about how the meanings of cars are changing in consumers’ worlds. Contrary to the illusion that consumer behavior could be altered easily, many unanswered questions and failures in this domain revolve around enduring habits and cultural aspects tied to the entrenched meanings of these machines in people’s lives.
In this post, I aim to provide a critical perspective to contemplate some new & reimagined meanings of cars for consumers that would shape their behavior in the future of mobility.
In this post, my goal is to offer a critical perspective on emerging meanings of cars that will influence consumer behavior in the future of mobility. The car has transcended its traditional role as a mere mode of transportation; it has evolved into something much more profound. For each suggested interpretation outlined in this post, a brief “So what?” section accompanies it, highlighting concise strategic implications. Here are some new meanings of cars to consider when contemplating the future consumer behavior and culture within mobility discussions:
- Car as a Space
- Car in Tech Convergence
- Car as an Agentic System
- Car as Software
- Car as DTC Product
Read the rest of the blog on my Cultural Faultlines newsletter on Substack.
