The Smart Car - Decision Making and Creating Value

Decision Making and Creating Value

Consumers generally start their decision process by recognizing that they must buy something to satisfy a need or want. Sometimes the needs are simple, sometimes its more complex. Consumers start searching after the recognize of these needs, and the type of the product will be the factor that affects the depth and type of search.

Smart provides a very helpful tool to do the search. The company provides a user-friendly configuration tool on its website Smart.com, so potential buyers can design their own cars. Smart created a value for consumers with green minds, these consumers most likely will consider selecting Smart.

Competing and Concerns

As the world's smallest car, Smart has earned the affectionate nicknames the electric razor on wheels, high fashion by Hot Wheels, and a rolling backpack, to cite a few. Driving it has been likened to driving in a telephone booth, though some view it more as a high-tech toy whose cabin is part cockpit, part playpen; however, the car only comes with two seats, so it is not an option for a small family, even though the car is small enough to three Smarts to fit into one parallel parking space, Smart owners will not get the benefit of the small parking spaces since the government will not provide the consumers with smaller, and cheaper parking. This can be a deal-killer for some consumers.

U.S. Consumers

One of the main obstacles in U.S. Market for consumers is the fact that many American drivers like their vehicles big. Pickup trucks are top sellers nationwide, and SUVs and Hummers are the top luxury vehicles. The U.S. market has not been overly friendly to ultra-efficient vehicles in recent years, but that has been slowly changing as gas prices have increased. This puts Smart in a risky market,