Nevo Could Become the Car Buyer's Most Trusted Friend — Unless It Starts Sounding Like the Car Industry
Buying an electric car hasn't been made simpler by range, charging speeds and an ever-expanding line-up of models. That is precisely Nevo's opening: to become the independent voice buyers trust first and look at the car second. It requires an editorial brand that carries more weight than the badges being tested.
Switching to electric hasn't exactly simplified the business of buying a car. Range, charging speeds, batteries, cold-weather performance and a steadily growing list of models have all been layered on top of the questions people already had about price, comfort and quality. The Helsinki-based company Nevo is trying to help consumers navigate all of it, and has been named one of Wired UK's hottest startups.
Nevo produces news, reviews and content about electric cars and plug-in hybrids, helping consumers work out which models suit their needs. That puts the company in an unusually interesting position between media outlet, technology platform and advisor.
Car buyers need someone who isn't selling the car
The car industry has some very strong brands, but information from manufacturers naturally serves a purpose: they want to sell their own cars. That is where Nevo's opportunity lies. The company can become the independent voice that makes a difficult product category comprehensible without the customer having to work through 14 spec sheets.
Credibility is the condition, though. If Nevo comes to be seen as one more sales channel for car brands, a large share of the value disappears quickly.
BBMB's recommendation: build the editorial brand first
I would therefore give Nevo a far more distinct editorial identity. The reviews, the people on camera, the tone of voice and the way cars are compared should become recognisable enough that the audience trusts Nevo's judgement first and looks at the car afterwards.
There are good international examples, in everything from food to fashion, where the person or the publication doing the selecting has become almost as important as the products themselves. The same opportunity exists here. BBMB works with storytelling and personal branding precisely to create that kind of recognition and trust around both companies and individuals.
Nevo can also develop its experts as personal brands. Car buyers are happy to listen to someone whose taste and priorities they recognise, rather than an anonymous scoring system.
The electric car will soon be ordinary
The interesting question is what happens once electric cars no longer feel new. At that point it isn't enough to be the site that explains the technology, because the technology gradually becomes everyday.
Nevo needs to start building a brand around the purchase itself, around ownership and lifestyle, rather than around the drivetrain alone. Done well, the company can stay relevant long after nobody opens a review by explaining what a kilowatt-hour is.