Volvo and Safety An Idea Whose Time Has Come Again - Duh!

David Kiley writing for USA Today reports that in order to bost sales, Volvo will return to Its Roots: Safety. Volvo, the only premium auto brand with falling sales this year, has a new chief executive who wants to return the company's marketing emphasis to safety. Victor Doolan, who took over in June after running Ford Motor's Premium Automotive Group in North America, also will oversee the launch of Volvo's first sport-utility vehicle. Purchased by Ford in 1999, Volvo was the only piece of the premium group -- which includes Jaguar, Land Rover and Aston Martin -- that turned a profit last year. But for the past five years, Volvo has been drifting away from selling safety and instead has tried to push driving fun, speed and performance, not the hallmarks on which the Swedish carmaker has built its reputation. At the same time, its product lineup has been limited to sedans, a coupe and two station wagons, while buyers are flocking to SUVs. Volvo sales this year slipped 17 percent through July, while luxury competitors have been cruising to sales records. And Volvo's long-standing North American sales goal of 200,000 by 2003 is in the ditch. Doolan's job is to turn around sales with the launch this fall of the XC90 SUV and the return to a theme of safety in advertising and marketing. Specifically, he needs to: Re-establish Volvo as a safety leader, even as many competitors match safety equipment, such as side air bags, and score well in crash tests; Replace expensive sponsorships involving golf and sailing with suburban events where prospective buyers can drive Volvos and learn about the company's safety engineering; Keep Volvo's image distinct and premium as it launches an entry-priced car to replace the S40/V40 next year, and a second SUV as a 2005 model.