The Mercedes picture is a mixed one. Sitting in the middle of our pack for sales volume and Koto brand ranking score – in large part to the equity and prestige built over decades – this looks like another legacy player at a cross-roads. Having rowed back on plans to be all-electric by 2030, the brand is also phasing out the EQ prefix, with the more iconic nameplates coming back to the fore, despite the change in powertrain.
This feels to us, like a step in the right direction. This is a brand that needs to focus on status, and unification can play a key role in that; avoiding the dilution and possibly distracting distinction between a Mercedes vs an Electric Mercedes.
The brand must find ways to activate both its history and innovation in meaningful ways. The trickle down from the more innovative end of the range and things like the F1 team, to the core range is powerful. If this can work in tandem with making their history and cultural significance more valuable and compelling (The brand is currently celebrating 140 Years of Innovation under the global campaign promise "Welcome Home”) then we predict a climb up the rankings. But it’s a big if.
