Vehicles for attention creation: the case of a concept car at Volvo Cars

Purpose - To present an example of a successful attention‐generation strategy working with a win‐win logic in media. Design/methodology/approach - The research is part of a broader collaborative research approach investigating new product development processes, comprising several different projects at Volvo Cars. The paper draws mainly on an ethnographic study in combination with an interview study around the project, but also on knowledge from a number of other studies of conceptual work at Volvo Cars which have provided the authors with in‐depth contextual understanding of the practices in use. Findings - This paper presents the underlying logic when using and exploiting a media‐attractive concept for attention‐generating purposes. It describes how to intentionally generate attention in new ways; a media‐attractive concept may deliberately be exploited to generate attention. The mutual dependence that is produced by media's own striving for attention from its audience and a company's striving for visibility can generate attention of a kind, span and duration beyond regular market activities. Research limitations/implications - The research is undertaken in the automotive industry. Practical implications - The paper presents an alternative approach to working with attention. As an example of how companies in competitive industries can learn from the attention industries, the paper illustrates a new breed of strategic tools that are increasingly important to consider as traditional tools become inadequate. Originality/value - The notion of attention has hitherto been used mainly for advertising purposes, or in the media business. This paper examines how attention can be consciously used in strategic work also for other companies.