Today we’re happy to announce the DrivingVisionNews report on Daytime Running Lights as a means to advertise and strengthen vehicles’ brand signature.
Right now, the expansion of DRL application and design is sharply increasing. They’ve historically been implemented with minimal design and style, just to meet the functional requirements of patchwork national laws. Rapidly evolving light technology — LEDs, light guides, and so forth — new priority on minimal power consumption, and marketing factors are all acting to make the DRL into a strong lever to differentiate the vehicle brand identity.In the report, we explain how Audi have been quick to understand and employ this lever starting in 2004 and solidifying a few years later with the brand-wide DRL signature appearance.
Shortly thereafter, BMW followed along similar lines. Then came Porsche‘s similar effort and Mercedes after that. This trend is clear, though it is still primarily limited to the premium-car segment; automakers are beginning to design their DRLs to advertise their brand signature.
The report illustrates why and how DRL design and technology are used to distinguish base from premium models within vehicle model ranges. This marketing aspect favours Xenon light proposed in the same package as LED DRL.
The risk of not differentiating motorcycles from cars is presented with suggestions.
The safety-critical lifespan exigencies of DRL function are also presented and explained.
At the end of the 35 page report, we present our 3 comments and 4 suggestions to optimize the safety performance, marketing differentiation, and upsell potential of DRLs. We proudly invite you to take a look!
1) DRL is considered by premium car makers as a lever to:
– Advertise their brand signature
– Increase sales of Top model cars from a strong styling differentiation Top/Base model.
Suggestion1: Most of generalist car makers should use this strategy for the same 2 reasons.
2) DRL is used and introduced in regulation for safety reasons.
– We have to avoid decreasing this safety through confusion with motorcycles.
Suggestion 2: A different shape appearance car/motorcycle DRL could be studied.
– The safety-critical lifespan exigencies of DRL function have to be considered.
Suggestion 3: Old designed bulbs with short lifetime have to be avoided.
3) DRLs are used 80% of the time and will probably be introduced in energy consumption legal data.
Suggestion 4: High consumption bulbs should be avoided