PLATFORMS: ENGINEERING PANACEA, MARKETING DISASTER?

Dr. Peter Wells

Centre for Automotive Industry Research, Cardiff Business School.

For the global automotive industry, platforms are the panacea of the 1990s, the perfect way to combine economies of scale, globalisation, multi-branding, and rapid rates of new product introduction. This paper explores the production and marketing logic of platform strategies within multi-brand constellations. The production logic of platforms is demonstrated, together with the implications for steel supply. However, attention is also drawn to the potential problems with platform strategies.

Keywords :Platforms. Vehicle manufacturers. Production strategy. Marketing. Steel supply.