A brand called Volvo

In now days the uniqueness is something rare, but this is a problem or an evolution that has being happening since the Industrial Revolution. When the manufactory gave place to industries and mass production. Thousands products started to be produced in large scale and without difference between products of the same segment.

Henry Ford took his place in history when he used the mass productions with cars, a new kind of product, expensive and different of any kind of transport. Henry started to produce black and cheap cars in large scale. What made him and his company got the first place in sales at that time.

However, times changed and also the ways of produce and offer cars and others devices of transportation to an audience that wants more than transport and increases knowledge and desires each day. Companies now have to offer more than what his consumers need; they must offer what they want. And one thing that now days’ audiences wants is be the one, be unique.

I’ve read some examples about uniqueness that tells stories about regional products and services, that they are unique because there is only one, in one place in the world and no one can copy them. But how have uniqueness when you are a global company and lots of other company sell and offer the same products and services as you?

In my point of view if a company is global, it already has her uniqueness and took it from one place to the entire globe. Otherwise, the company must offer the uniqueness inside their products and offers services that no one offers, or if any company offers, is not the same as yours.

Volvo has been doing it for many years, always innovating their products and looking for give back what the consumers expect from the company. As Volvo says in your web site their uniqueness is based on “using our combined expertise to create transport-related products and services of superior quality, safety and environmental care for demanding customers in selected segments.”

This uniqueness happens also because their program of R&D, that allows Volvo to look for new technologies and now what are the new needs, desires of their consumers, stakeholders, society and the environmental.

In addition to this uniqueness, a company has to be authentic. But be authentic is not about be different, is be true and trustable.  In a connected world the best way, in my point of view, is to show the true about a company reporting every action and being in contact with their stakeholders.

Volvo does that in their web site, there audience can find all kind of information about the company, products, services, what the company has done, have been doing and is preparing to the future. Statements are upload on Volvo’s Web site regularly letting the audience knows what is going on inside and around the company.

With all that, in each Volvo’s store the consumer has access to more information and are allowed to talk with well trainer professionals that can answer questions about the company, products and services readily.  That takes to another point of the UAT filter, which is ‘‘talkability’’.

The company has channels of contact online, on telephone, mail and in their stores. If a costumer wants to complain, give their opinion or show the satisfaction about what have received from the company, all the channels are open and will give readily the answer to the consumer. Another channel are the social medias, that Volvo is present and always given the audience the opportunity to change ideas and information.

One thing that is really important is the companies force been able to answer questions and resolve problems of their consumers. Volvo has a program called ‘’ The Volvo way’’ that was made to capacity their employees about the company in all aspects. And all Volvo stores around the globe must do tests about that program to be in the market working with Volvo’s consumers.

Here were some examples how Volvo works with the UAT filter and how it being successful to the company and their stakeholders. Other thing that influences in company uniqueness is it’s visual identity.

Company’s visual identity is composing by colors, logo, type and all the things that involves design. Volvo in this point is complete because has a base color that is related with the origin country of the company, has it’s own typography and the type is their logo.

A visual identity is fundamental once the first contact with the brand is visual and provides right way to the audience that is the company that is talking to them. Other point is that Volvo provides a manual about how to use their brand to all stores around the globe, doing that they have the control that the visual content of the brand is being use on the right way.