Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Even between Honda and Toyota, the prestige varies considerably. While Toyota is seen in majority on the roads, and has more of a resale value\ One major reason for that is that Corolla is trying to be all things to everyone. It is trying to appeal to different segments of the society with just one model. Although the specifications vary greatly from 1.3 XLI to 2.0D to 1.8 Altis, the look and the basic specifications remain essentially the same. Why would someone who can afford an Altis buy it when his lesser counterpart has essentially the same car (1.3 XLI) at a far lesser price? If hes paying more, its not for the superior technical specifications but for the chance to be able to stand out from the lesser mortals who cant afford an expensive car.
Unfortunately for Honda, the new Corolla model which was launched just a few months prior to the City launch caught the fancy of the target market. This combined with the fact that Toyota really dug into the launch campaign which was aggressive at least by the standards of the Pakistani automobile industry. It encompassed all the media, and most importantly hammered incessantly their USP (Unique Selling Proposition/Point)- the Cruisetronic feature, whereby you could put the car on cruise control at a certain speed without sweating it out yourself. However, from a consumer point of view, it wasnt the USP that triggered the chain reaction of sales. It was the similarity of look to that of Camry especially from the front and the fact that the car is designed in such a way that its body appears wider and lower than not only its previous model, but wider than the City and Liana as well, both of whom have focused on stretching the car vertical rather than horizontal. Toyota has communicated its brand positioning in every Tom, Dick and Harry publication. The other day I received a magazine called Slogan I didnt even know existed and right at the back cover is the new Corolla in all its glory. On the radio, they targeted the upscale albeit young segment by sponsoring the Evening Drive Show on CityFM89 and offering tickets to the Cold Play concert in Dubai as prize for those answering a couple of audaciously simple questions. It can be said that the sort of people who actually listen to Cold Play are predominantly the youth segment which hardly qualifies as target material for Toyota. It is thus no surprise that the winner was a young bloke who although would be grateful to the Toyota people for giving him such a fantastic experience, doubt would be rushing to the nearest Toyota dealer to get his hands on the new Corolla. He just doesnt have the wallet for it. Its basic consumer behavior fallacytrying to target those who desire your brand but cant
BLOG USAGE
Salesmen Experiential marketing Dealer or showroom sales activities Exhibitions Trade shows
Mail order catalogues Bulk mail Personalised letters Email Telemarketing Point of sale displays Packaging design
Company websites Social media applications such as Facebook or Twitter Blogging Mobile phone promotions using technology such as bluetooth YouTube E-commerce
positioning
Positioning is the process of developing an image for your company or product. This can be achieved partially through branding, but it's important to realise that all elements of the marketing mix combine to provide the full picture. You must ensure that all areas of your business live up to expectations in order to successfully position yourself in the way you hope. Positioning also considers the competition, and you need to explain why you are unique in the marketplace and better than the other products on the shelf.
corporate identity
A corporate identity is a useful tool to ensure that your branding is used in a consistent way throughout the company. This detailed document runs through almost every conceivable customer touch point and provides guidance on the presentation and style which should be used. This could include use of logos, colours, tag lines, uniform and the type of coffee to serve guests. A CI guide is particularly useful if any creative work it outsourced to agencies or freelancers or if you have many offices worldwide. The most powerful brands can be identified by many elements of their communications
material, not just a by their logo or slogan and this is due to successful implementation of a recognisable corporate identity. Recognition is a key part of any purchase decision so a corporate identity should for a core element of your advertising strategy.
Inform - raising awareness of your brand & products, establishing a competitive advantage Persuade - generating an instant response (usually driving sales) Remind - to maintain interest and enthusiasm for a product or service
It's a documented fact that creative, well branded, distinctive advertising generates the best results so ensure you use the best possible creative team you can get your hands on, and give them a detailed brief. Remember that a message will only be successful if it appeals to the target audience, so constantly refer back to the customer and tailor the ads to them.
final words
Almost every business in the world will deal in advertising at some point, whether it is a listing in the Yellow Pages, or a billboard in Times Square. Whatever you're planning, the strategic thinking behind all advertising is essentially the same get to know your audience, target them efficiently and position your brand in the way that will benefit your business.
Advertising
Personal Selling
Direct Marketing