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February 08, 2005
Xtreme test drives
If you have the money, here's a new take on the bite-size-chunk strategy of spreading buzz.
Chrysler is spending $3 million to build a half-mile test track at the Chicago Auto Show, which pulls into our hometown here Feb. 11-20.
The company is trucking in tons of dirt and gravel for an off road course that's four football fields long. Chrysler's goal is to have 75,000 people give it a try.
Of the 36,000 people who test-drove Jeeps at a similar off-road course at the 2004 New York auto show, 8 percent bought the vehicle. Not bad. Of course, that doesn't count the word of mouth generated by test drivers who told friends about the experience.
Ford Motor Company is also moving toward a more aggressive test-drive strategy, too. Says Stu Smith, launch manager for Ford: "I've seen the guys try the new Mustang and you have to see the look on their faces when they get out of the car. No commercial can do that."
The $18 billion car makers spend each year on advertising could buy a lot of test-drive tracks... 6,000 tracks, to be exact.
[The Wall Street Journal has more on auto maker test drives here.]
Other blogs that reference Xtreme test drives:
They've been doing this in Canada for years. It's called something like the Chrysler Canada Gold Medal Challenge.
They have Vipers and all their new vehicles. You get to drive everything but the Viper on one of 4 courses (1 off road, 1 cruise around town, 1 on a closed "slick" course and then the Viper course where they drive you around at top speed, skidding out all the while).
Great for buzz, great for sales (from the Chrysler execs I know).
I go every year to see what Chrysler is doing.
