It is easy to point at where the Big Three automakers went wrong in terms of disconnect with customers, and the collectively many flaws in their respective brands. We can include disrespect for workers (both domestic and foreign), environmental damage, lax ecology & conservation practices, too much reliance on dwindling resources—and other direct customer needs such as size, performance, quality, and economy.

Apart from a fading romance that many people have with the good old days of clean, wide open highways, big engines, hot rods, innovative style, large luxury and gas-guzzling power—a growing population in the US are starting to realize that the fun is over. These kinds of cars are now irrelevant, times have changed, and the liabilities of such vehicles far outweigh any lingering enjoyment we may have had from them in the past. Younger people are already there, and the numbers are growing who say owning a car is simply not worth the trouble (insurance, gas, accidents, parking, tickets, taxes, and so on). Japan's young folks are falling out of love with cars—or demotorizing completely. The level of young Americans demotorizing is sure to follow suit.

What is not so easy is realizing that no matter how much money we give Detroit automakers, no bailout will fix the thoroughly disconnected relationship Ford, GM, and Chrysler have to the new world customers—in a new Age of Mobility, without personal attachment to a personal vehicle, let alone attachment to the brands that failed to deliver solutions relevant for the current economic and mobility realities.

Even though automobile brands trump price in the hearts of consumers(1)—and is one of the few product categories to make such a claim in today's commoditized brand environment—new innovators who want to deliver modern and relevant automobiles could spell the end of Detroit's and even Japan's auto business, barring a radically different trajectory. Check out the amazing new creative mobility solutions in Eight alternatives to Detroit’s ‘Big Three’.

The problem with automakers beyond the direct disconnect with consumers? A huge lack in creativity at a time when there is also a loss of trust in the brand connection; the convergence of a very unsavory mix of brand flavors.

(1) "Save America's Dying Brands", Kevin J. Clancy, Marketing Management, Sept./ Oct. 2001, Vol. 10, Issue 3.

1952 GM Firebird I Turbine Concept Car

 1950s Amphicar: a dismal failure, but an innovative creation that captured consumer's dreams.

Harvesting the best Creative juices apparently requires a carefully placed southwestern exposure, according to the South West Creative Growers Association. Since the time of the Neolithic period, in fact, Creativity has become a strong and proud heritage in Britain's Southwest.

Forward ’09: Brandology is about the science of branding. Its anthropology. Its very DNA.

The days of the billion-dollar ad budgets are gone. We’re in a world now where people use brands to construct their personal, professional and social identities – where the meaning of a brand is based on the connections between people that transcend charts and graphs. It’s all about cultural relevance and emotions, not hype.

We’re not talking about a revolution. We’re echoing the call for systematic evolution- where the key to delivering value and the future growth of every brand depend on accessing a network of resources to create unique experiences with consumers…one at a time.

Forward ’09: Brandology is more than a conference. It’s a powerful community where networking and collaboration provide a launching pad for lasting relationships.

The American Marketing Association (AMA) Oregon is seeking motivated speakers who are ready to move beyond the podium and directly engage with attendees, providing actionable perspectives, strategies, tools and techniques on how to keep brands relevant (and consumers passionate) in an ever-changing media universe.

Think you can move the crowd? Download applications materials at http://tinyurl.com/5hvsxe and tell us how.

Jessica Legg, Account Manager at Pinnacle Marketing Group in Oregon is helping organize and plan this event.