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Smart USA headquartered in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan sells the Smart Fortwo $--$ a two passenger vehicle that is produced in France by the Mercedes Benz car group. Smart Fortwo is the smallest car sold in the U$.$S$.$ and it is the most fuel efficient vehicle outside of the hybrid cars. Smart Fortwo offers three different vehicle models, each with a different price point and a different package of standard equipment and options. When the Smart car entered the U$.$S$.$ market in $2006,$ and before a full network of dealerships was established, Smart USA discovered that it needed to connect with prospective customers in a different way. The company essentially took the Smart Car to consumers by: $($a$)$ using a reservation program so they could move ahead in the sales process as the dealer network was being established; and $($b$)$ conducting a $50-$city road tour in $2007$ where the vehicles were displayed and promoted. The Smart Fortwo defies traditional target marketing and it appeals to all socioeconomic strata and cuts across all age groups. The reasons the Smart car appeals to different customer groups are price, size, and service as a second or third vehicle.

The Smart Fortwo car is a small two$-$passenger vehicle that was developed to provide convenient transportation, especially in crowded urban areas, and to be fuel efficient and environmentally friendly. In $2006$ the United States became the $37$th nation in which the Smart car was marketed, appealing substantially to consumers who were concerned about the environment and the high price of gas. Taken together, these facts suggest that the development and international marketing of this vehicle likely drew on the all of the following sources of information except:

a$.$ Observing economic trends.

b$.$ Listening to customers.

c$.$ Observing social and cultural trends.

d$.$ Listening to Formula One racing enthusiasts.