Porsche is for performance, right?

In the late 1990s, Porsche was a great brand. The 911 and Boxster were cool cars. They were movie stars, appearing in Risky Business, Top Gun, and Scarface. 

One Porsche ad read, "it's either an expensive sportscar or a very reasonable racecar." Another said, "one ride and you'll understand why most rocket scientists are German." 

But Porsche faced a common business dilemma: Sell the same thing to new people or sell new things to the same people. Porsche needed a new thing. Porsche needed an SUV. 

The company built fast cars for sixty years. They knew what they were doing. So they didn’t let the “rocket scientists” design it. 

Instead Porsche went on a road show. They spoke with 911 and Boxster owners. What do you like? Not like? Where do you need more room? Less? They collected data, built prototypes, and took the prototypes back to those people to collect more data. Drive this, sit here, load that. 

Porsche didn’t ask what do you want? Customers are too busy living to answer! Instead Porsche presented tradeoffs like more and larger cupholders. They ‘ruined’ the design but the Cayenne sold well, surpassing the 911 in sales in just five years.

No matter how good a business, how wise and leader, how innovative a product - it always comes back to the customer. If they want more cup holders, give it to them.  

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