A couple of nights back, I was reading the latest AdNews publication. In the ‘Mouth Off’ section, the question posed was “What Should Car Marketers Be Doing?”. I especially liked the response by 303 Group’s Jon McKie & thought I’d share some of his points:
- “stay true to your brand values and don’t have a knee-jerk reaction by creating a radical new direction for your brand”
- “find something about the brand you know will resonate with consumers in harder times”
- “if it’s a car in the lower end category, emphasise affordability”
- “if it has a premium positioning, focus on how it retains its value”
- “don’t suddenly change your tone – be consistent. Just tailor the message”
I thought these points were simple and very relevant, not only to the car market, but to any product or service. Thoughts are:
Stay true to your brand values and don’t have a knee-jerk reaction by creating a radical new direction for your brand - when the world is changing around them, consumers value things that stay consistent. Be that ‘thing’.
Find something about the brand you know will resonate with consumers in harder times – whether it’s to do with value, quality or even empathy, use it to your advantage to stengthen your relationship.
If it’s a car in the lower end category, emphasise affordability..&..if it has a premium positioning, focus on how it retains its value - I think these two points speak for themselves. Not everyone wants cheap, some people still want quality and value when it comes to purchases.
Don’t suddenly change your tone – be consistent. Just tailor the message - this brings up point one again, to stay consistent not only in your message, but in your brand values as well.
I’d also like to add my own point – strengthening relationships even without a sale. I think it is extremely important to become a ‘friend’ and to build trust. Consumers, knowing that you aren’t just after another desperate sale, will warm to you and start to see you as a brand who cares.
