Does Tesla have a branding issue?

[ALIEN SUPERSTAR]

when you think of most automakers, the “flagship” model is super clear. Porsche has the 911, Mercedes has the S-class, BMW has the 7 series, no confusion there. with tesla, it feels fuzzy — is it the model s plaid (luxury/performance) or the cybertruck (the radical tech statement)?

the MS used to be the obvious flagship, no question. it was tesla’s luxury sedan, benchmark performance, and cutting-edge updates. but now with the CT, the picture feels muddied. part of the problem is that “flagship” usually means a company’s best, but with tesla the “best” is split across different cars. the CT has steer-by-wire and 800v architecture, but not the fastest 0–60. the MSP, on the other hand, has record-breaking performance and the latest FSD updates, but none of the CT’s next-gen architecture. so which one is the real flagship?

at the same time, tesla puts most of its energy into the 3 and Y; obviously, because they’re the best-selling models, but those aren’t really “flagships” in the traditional sense either.

and then there’s the customer experience side of the brand. tesla superchargers are hands-down the most reliable charging network out there, which is a huge brand strength. but on the other hand, service (mostly collision centers) and insurance often feel unreliable or inconsistent, and that contrast makes the brand image harder to pin down.

and now add in how heavily tesla is focused on AI and Optimus, it raises a bigger question: what does tesla actually want to be known as? an electric car company? an AI company? a home energy solutions company? a sustainable living company? a taxi service? right now it can feel like all five, which could be a good thing, but they don’t really have a proper advertising/communications department that deals with the public and controls the brand image. if they did, they could pose a more united front and tell a clearer story about what tesla is.

so is tesla’s brand identity (if you can call it that) a strength? or is it a weakness because there’s no single clear identity? i was just wondering what everyone else thought and what there opinions are on this, so please share!

 

[Procal]

I'm honestly not so sure. Personally, I feel I am biased because I own a Tesla, and I like keeping up with what the company is doing, and also keeping up with tech in general. Maybe this leads to me noticing more how Tesla is kind of all over the place, and trying to do a ton of different things at the same time.

However, for a normal person that isn't very tech focused or generally doesn't keep up with the company, I think they mostly just know Tesla as a car company. I could be severely wrong about this, but I recently had a conversation with a family member because they were considering an EV (not necessarily Tesla). I asked them what they were considering as options, and I brought up Tesla as a possible choice that would include a lot of the things they were looking for, and not at a super high price. To make a long story short, the conversation eventually shifted to how different companies are doing EVs, and I brought up how Tesla is also doing AI things, and robotics. I even showed them a few videos, and they were kind of taken aback because they had no idea that Tesla was doing those things. They weren't even aware that they also offered solar, and home battery backup.

As far as the car line-up is concerned. There, I think you're right. They seem to have too few options, especially when you consider that buyers who are often shopping in the price range that the Model S and X are at want a ton of customizability. I think the Model 3, Y, and even the Cybertruck are fine, but the Model S and X, are long overdue for a major refresh. They need new features that are exclusive to those models and really make them standout as the luxury priced models they are.

Lastly, I'm entirely blank on their insurance since they don't even offer it in my state, and I don't even know how it works or compares to other insurance providers. But their service centers definitely require some improvements. Mainly in the amount of time that it takes them to get parts to fix the cars, and also how long it takes to get an appointment. But other than that, I don't really think their service centers are too bad, and I have undoubtedly experienced worse service from the likes of Ford, Toyota, Honda, and Acura.

 

[sloppyan]

I would go with a "sustainable technological innovation" company is their brand identity, and perhaps EVs were the stepping stone. Tricky to look at them from the same traditional lenses as we look at other auto brands.