The Zeitgeist is Green (or is it blue?)

It does seem as if we've reached a point of critical mass on the issue of CO2 emissions and that there really is going to be some movement here on the part of the automakers. They've simply made too much of an issue of it themselves to back off now.

Automakers are going green - even branding themselves as such. VW has Bluemotion - it's name for its clean diesel technology - Mercedes has Bluetec and both are marketing these new diesel sub-brands to highlight their fuel-efficiency and emissions reducing credibility. I guess neither of them bothered to check what the other was going to call their technology. In any case, green is blue for both of them.

But not for BMW.

BMW: We may need a 'green' brand

Separate brand would preserve performance image

The new U.S. fuel economy standards are squeezing BMW so tightly that it might create a fourth brand to sell ecologically friendly cars.

BMW must find a way to satisfy growing pressure for vehicles with lower emissions and better fuel economy, says Stefan Krause, BMW AG's board member for sales and marketing.

But it must do so without distorting the images of its existing three brands, BMW, Rolls-Royce and Mini.

...

"We cannot take the blue out of BMW and change it to green," said Krause. "Maybe we could add a fourth brand."

...

Despite talk of starting a green brand, BMW executives are unsure how badly their customers want fuel-sipping vehicles. "People go to cocktail parties and talk about being green and then drive home in their M6s," Krause said.

It seems that Krause is not aware that, according to his chief competitors at Mercedes and Audi, blue is green. They've made it easy for him.

But a fourth brand? What does this mean? Does Krause really think they have to start a whole new brand just to market their more efficient cars?

Maybe he should speak to his marketing people and they can teach him the meaning of brand image and what a loss-leader means. Yes, people may say they want a green car yet still opt for speeding guzzler but the technology of the brand is what attracts them anyway, and that includes green technology. You don't need another brand. Being green is good for your brand. Period.