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On some levels Honda takes a slightly different approach to marketing compared to their competitors. They have a more ‘sit back and let the product speak for itself approach. This is not to say that they are not aggressive marketers but it means they want to give Off certain persona. Think about it in terms off boy chasing a girl. The boy goes through great lengths to be attractive to girls, but what persona does he show the public. The boy wants to seem calm, collected and smooth. He seems to be indifferent if the girl notices him or not.
Inside it is all a ploy to actually get attention. The opposite would be if the boy were actively seeking the girl, constantly calling, approaching and courting the girl. This comes off as desperate and actually produces unwanted results. The same thing happens in the car market. One of the most important buying factors is status and prestige, so why would someone want to buy from a desperate car manufacturer? Knowing Your Demographic And Creating Status One of the most obvious pieces of evidence that this is at work is the price of Hand’s cars.
Honda vehicles are actually one of the most expensive in their market, but yet they are among the top sellers. Toyota would be there biggest competitors and they seem to take the other road. Toyota has a cheap, reliable and affordable to own persona. This would suggest they want to market to the masses. Honda on the other hand tries to show a more prestigious persona. While they still have reliability and fuel economy they also have a touch of luxury and powerful engines. Put a larger price tag on this package and all of a sudden the guy who bought the Honda Accord s snubbing his nose at the guy driving a Toyota Campy.
This marketing technique is used in every market, you must decide what road to take and stick with it. Another huge example of this is the fact that no Honda vehicles are used as Public Utility Vehicles (Pups). This is another factor in establishing status. Some people do not want to drive the same car that all the city cabs are made out of. Toyota chooses to not take this road in exchange of more overall sales. It is all about what you want your brand to be. Mascots Pyramid Of Human Needs Honda also uses Mascots theory to build the perfect product.
Mascots theory suggests we all need to cover basic needs before we can acquire luxury. So we first need food, shelter and water, next is safety and security, then we need social acceptance and love, then self-actualization and spiritual needs etc. Honda uses this theory in their vehicles. They start with safety and make owners feel safe while driving. Then they move on to social status and hope to instill a feeling of high class in Honda owners. Next they address self-esteem needs by using their marketing strategy to make Honda owners feel confident because they own a Honda.
Next they use their vehicles to create a sense of success in Honda owners. They want Honda owners to say ‘l am successful in my own right’. ‘My own right’ is the key here, if you feel that you own what you deserve, you will be satisfied. Mascots theory is very powerful and if you look closely at Honda products and advertising it is clear to see that they have used Mascots pyramid for a long time. Honda is not the only car company that does this, but Honda perfects this strategy for the middle to upper- middle class. BMW might do it for the lower-upper class but Honda has its anemographic on lock.