If Richard Branson Ran GM
News is coming out about the auto executives taking their private jets to washington to ask for 25 billion dollars from the federal government. Not a good move.
Now imagine if Richard Branson were in the same situation.
Instead of taking the private jet from Detroit to Washington, he’d take an all-electric or hybrid Cadillac Escalade and get it pimped out with a sound system and some 25″ rims, then carpool with the CEOs from Chrysler and Ford. It would become a pseudo-political campaign, making stops in cities and towns with parties every night.
He’d probably go to an Ohio State tailgate with a new line of electric cars (including the Volt). There would be a video blog put up throughout the days leading to the testimony before Congress. He’d have a sweepstakes for someone to win the Escalade they drove in.
And it would all culminate with him coming in front of Congress and showing that there is strong demand for his product and the bridge loan could be sweetened with incentives, like locking in presales for DoD vehicles or a direct investment in clean tech.
But Richard Branson (or someone like him) doesn’t run GM.
And so they take their planes.
