Defining a 3D printed vehicle brand

Our client, a US based start-up, has developed an innovative vehicle manufacturing system based on 3D-printed chassis technology. To showcase this, the client and its Chinese investors have set up a joint venture to create a new BEV brand for the Chinese market. SE supported the brand development and positioning process as well as the initial vehicle specification.

We started with an analysis of the target market and identified today’s and tomorrow’s competitors. Based on this research, we developed an initial positioning strategy for the brand and four vehicle concepts – considering the client’s values and technological attributes. Then, we developed the strategic positioning by applying a multi-dimensional scoring model. Concluding our work, we developed a brand attribute profile using forced ranking and deducted a product attribute profile based on benchmarking.

We delivered a compelling vehicle concept and brand positioning for our client – with a strong buy-in from all the stakeholders involved. The brand was setup as a distinct statement to win the Chinese market. We defined a product attribute profile holding more than 250 initial vehicle targets and features, turning this brand statement into a tangible product. To support vehicle development, we defined key financial KPIs and derived bottom-up and top-down BoM cost targets.