News + Views
Kevin Oates
Kevin leads the agency’s transportation industry capabilities and has worked with automakers, bike makers, insurers, lenders, technology providers, finance companies, auction houses and suppliers. He leads a team of gearheads and storytellers who have spent their careers studying the art and science of motivating behavior change and translating technology into simple and compelling narratives. Based in Los Angeles, he also brings expertise in corporate reputation, positioning and executive visibility.
Posts: Kevin Oates
Has the Pandemic Put the Brakes on the Iconic Auto Show?
by Kevin Oates | May 18, 2020
Every year, North American auto shows draw millions of visitors across the country and generate even more visibility through widespread media coverage highlighting the craziest concepts and coolest new cars that will hit the road in the future. Yet even before the first-ever spring North American International Auto Show in Detroit was cancelled in late […]
Transportation White Space: Unlocking Stories with Horsepower
by Kevin Oates and Nicole Moreo | September 5, 2019
Our team loves reading about the early electric vehicles that attempted to pioneer zero emission transportation far before Tesla Motors or even the EV1. Electrification is a concept that’s been around for 150 years and was one of the first ways early automakers tried to transition away from horses. Was it just too far ahead […]
Ketchum’s Daily Ride Index: The Keys to Maximizing Mobility May Not Be What They Seem
by Kevin Oates | June 6, 2019
The spring 2019 edition of Ketchum’s Daily Ride Index proves that the future of mobility is still being scripted. We field this study periodically to get a pulse check on changing consumer acceptance of new forms of transportation and related technology. Our latest findings have yielded some counterintuitive results, with the most interesting insights resting […]
Show and Tell: Revelations Aplenty from the New York International Auto Show
by Kevin Oates | April 17, 2019
Spring has officially arrived when it’s time for the New York International Auto Show. I’m part of a Ketchum team on the ground here at the Jacob Javits Convention Center, supporting clients and seeking insights on what’s happening in our industry. The show has evolved dramatically since it launched as North America’s first automotive exhibition […]
Ketchum’s Daily Ride Index reveals the people most likely to give up their cars. Hint… it’s not millennials.
by Kevin Oates | November 20, 2018
California’s Hydrogen Highway. New York’s Second Avenue Subway. Boston’s Big Dig. Each one, like the Jetsons and their crazy flying cars, promised to solve transit issues. But unlike George, our daily commutes are still stuck in neutral. Amid rapid transportation innovation, we seem miles away from widespread technology and infrastructure that will revolutionize our daily […]
Market, May I? Why Scooters and Dockless Bikes Need Market Permission
by Kevin Oates | August 29, 2018
Are you familiar with the childhood game Mother, May I? Children stand in a line at one end of a field and can’t take a step forward unless they preface their request with “Mother, may I?”. If they forget to ask, they’re out. Today, dockless bikes and scooters popping up on city streets everywhere are […]
