a disruptive brand

Jaguar has scored some excellent marketing results. They are getting new customers. May I add that these particular buyers are not new to the brand. Define a difference within your organization. They knew about the brand before they bought. There is something here I vision. Buyers have brought the brand to a new level within them before they bought.

I discovered an entry from Automotive News on theneeds.com about the Jaguar F-Type convertible. According to the article, 80% of the buyers of this car are new Jaguar buyers.They bought the brand first and then bought the car.

Not all that unique I suppose, but basic I should think. That's OK. Market the brand. Take a lesson from Jaguar.

Jaguar Classic Black

a hundred in less than six seconds

A head turner for sure. Sleek. Stunning. A great supercar. Much research and development went into the Jaguar C-X75. 

C-X16 concept drawing

It has 1.6-liter turbo supercharged four-cylinder engine. The  C-X75 also packs two electric motors. Together, these power houses churn out a whopping 850 horsepower. 

Jaguar C-X75

The gas-powered engine producing 502 horsepower and the electric motors producing 390 horsepower, this enables the C-X75 to hit 100 mph in less than six seconds.

The C-X75 4-cylinder engine block

 PERFORMANCE BRAKE PADS
 

The C-X75 concept engine: an engineering marvel

 Luxury Launches was the source for this entry.

bmw m3 and m4

It wasn't long ago that I posted an entry about BMW and their coupe which appeared on the scene in 1989. Technology and style are two words that go hand-in-hand and best describe the BMW models. Several media outlets have written on the BMW offerings and I came across one earlier today from CNET on the BMW M3 and M4.

Quite frankly, their review is stellar. Performance sedans and coupes have been defined with luxury and speed by BMW. There brand is iconic and popular. I really didn't venture out to write a couple of posts on BMW this frequently, but as I gleaned the Web for product ideas, BMW has received much attention lately. Of course the 25th anniversary helps, however the reviews written have been good , actually great, for the brand.

BMW M4 Coupe

 There's plenty of power with a 3-liter, 425-horsepower inline-six. This power source is available for both the M4 Coupe and the M3 Sedan. CNET's story of the road test is awesome, as it describes the turns and stops made. Their review tells me it's certainly a blast to drive.

Click here for BMW accessories from Amazon.

keep your seat for a standing o

I came across this Buick print ad in the April 1996 edition of Life Magazine.

It concentrates on the comfort of Regal. The car exhibited sporty lines with a 205-horsepower V6 engine. This helped make comfort a priority and why Buick designed the contoured seats.

This brand focused on comfort, comfort while driving. An accent on the touring car. This particular accent is what made Buick famous. Do you think Buick still focuses on comfort? I do, plus performance. Comfort and performance, two Buick trademarks still going strong today.

2014 Buick Regal GS 

A review on the 2014 Buick Regal from autoblog.com

brian johnson of ac/dc

Brian Johnson, lead singer of the rock band AC/DC, is a car and racing enthusiast. He even has his own TV show. It's called "Cars That Rock" on Quest Freeview.

Here's Brian showing of the 1965 Lola T-70 Mach 1 from May 2014.
This was Brian's first venture into hosting a TV series. Quite refreshing to see a rock superstar tell us about something different. Brian has said there is a connection between rocking and racing. The venues are extremely exciting and the atmosphere is really super-charged. He's right.

 By the way, Brian did say he will tour with the band later this year.

technology and style

It has been 25 years since this Bavarian coupe appeared. It was introduced in 1989 at the Frankfurt Motor Show. BMW showed the world it could push the envelope in the auto industry with a sleek performance package. I sum it up as technology and style.

four-door luxury GT flagship 8 series

BMW is known from starting at the primary source: the engine. They celebrated 100 years in business in October 2013. The efficient performance of their engines due to much research has certainly paid off. The brand has been special with many automotive enthusiasts. Technological advances have been a shining star for the brand.

brand restoration

Have you ever recalled a brand with problems? When a brand just seems to get overlooked time and time again? Car brands are like that. It's a cycle. I have thought back to the '70s when American car brands were taking a beating in some markets by their Japanese competitors. American car makers realized they were getting beat by better quality. Their problem was quality. They fixed it. Some models did go by the wayside. But they had to.

Let's fast forward to the here and now. I came across an article featured on theneeds.com that was published by Automotive News about the Dodge brand. On July 1 Dodge will be 100 years old.

Dodge Charger

According to the article, Dodge has had a muddled history. Its history tells us about the quality problems when their market share really took a hit. The late '70s was a time of tribulation and the brand had a lot of identity problems, except that it was around to take a beating. Even Johnny Carson got into the act when, in a monologue, he mentioned that a new investment of his was a Dodge dealership in Tokyo, Japan.

When I think of Dodge, I think of muscle cars. They had been an iconic brand with their muscle car lineup. Frankly, they still are with the Charger and the Challenger. They have developed a new set of fans and admirers when they brought back these two models in a new, fresh way.

Dodge Challenger

Dodge has been pegged as the affordable performance brand. No new models are set to be introduced until 2018. This is going to be a test. I find it interesting and will be curious to see how Dodge does.

brand marketing

In a previous post on this blog (the magic 6), I outlined the six best practices for Social Media success. This is the "magic 6":

1. Brand Marketing
2. Brand Management
3. Digital Media
4. Performance Marketing
5. PR/Earned Media
6. Social Media (own budget)

This post is dedicated to Brand Marketing.

Branding precedes and underlies any marketing effort. Branding is "pull" - not "push". It is communication of characteristics, values, and attributes that clarify what a brand is.

The brand does not say "buy me". Instead it says, "this is what I am... this is why I exist. If you agree, if you like me, you can buy me, support me, and recommend me to your friends".

The brand is bigger than any particular marketing effort. The brand is what remains. It is what sticks in your mind associated with the product, service, or organization - whether or not, at that particular moment you bought or did not buy. The brand is ultimately what determines if you will become a loyal customer or not.

The marketing determines if you bought a product or service once, but it is the brand that determines if you keep buying that product. Marketing unearths and activates buyers. Branding makes loyal customers out of those who buy.

Brands connect with consumers to turn them into customers. A bond is created and a connection is established that lasts. This means quality is communicated. The connection between the brand and its customers is what the brand conveys. Customer dialogues are established by marketing the strong brand. Customer bases build up the brand and communities are created. Most of these dialogues have been created by Social Media. 

We must acknowledge the wide range of services and communications currently taking place throughout cyberspace. Social networks/media can be tapped to reveal community and consumer sentiment. Does this help brand quality? Maybe. Think of it this way; the brand has been expanded. 

More uses and more audience.

The value of the brand is elevated by the need and want of individuals and groups. Brands have worked to build a strong, favorable, and unique image in the minds of the target audiences. A strong brand image is established by this "image engagement" with customers. Brands then measure who want their product and who is willing to buy it. Strive to build a brand image with as many strong, favorable, and unique brand associations as possible.

Companies (brands) address customer needs by putting forth a value proposition, a set of benefits that satisfy those needs. We can think of marketing as the identification, creation, communication, delivery, and monitoring of customer value. Satisfaction reflects a person's judgment of a product's perceived performance in relationship to expectations. This "satisfaction judgment" produces brand advocates and user communities. The customers have joined promotional programs (which you create) and "talk" about the brand. They are engaged in the brand. They are the "pull" and they'll increase sales.

In this way, brands stay in touch with consumers' needs and seek new advantages, instead of relying on past strengths. Marketing must balance the communication: search, advertising, social media, direct e-mail, and text/SMS marketing.

As a result, the market share will be secure and a "push" for greater market share will exist. This marketing concept, to go after a larger share of the market, is crucial to achieve superior customer value. 

Remember:

• Selling focuses on the needs of the seller.
• Marketing focuses on the needs of the buyer.

Build relationships and networks.

Build an effective network and profits will follow. Own brands to build customer loyalty.

                                                 

                                                                                                    

no more 'imported from detroit'

According to a story on the Wall Street Journal blog, the introduction of the new 200 sedan will not have the "Imported from Detroit" tagline. That tagline was made famous during a Super Bowl ad in 2011. Here's the new commercial I call "Blood, Sweat, and Gears". Chrysler has really dug down to advertise its American roots. Will this pay off now that the new ad campaign took off on Saturday the 7th for the 200? The family-sedan market is very competitive.

no mobile use while driving

A lesson on not using mobile devices while driving.
Keep Your Eyes On The Road.

instagram use

I came across this post on socialmediaexaminer.com which gives a great overview of Instagram marketing.

Most people would probably think of Instagram as a personal platform. The home of the selfie. But the post points out that this platform goes much deeper. Visual content is huge. There have many articles posted on visual influence. You've probably read several yourself. Stories are fortified with pictures.

One item I learned from the article I mentioned earlier, is that Instagram is used to create visual content for other sites. Instagram engagement is detailed by Jenn Herman in a podcast that is very helpful. People can be reached better with Instagram. You'll learn profile optimization and strategic hashtag use. You can use as many as 30 hashtags per post! Keep in mind created images, as popularity is gaining.

many filters to choose from on Instagram

Exploring Instagram is fun and a neat learning experience. Make the time to get more familiar.

create customer reach

Brainstorming sessions point to a simple reality: The mobile and social Web has changed how companies interact with customers. The "look-ahead" conversation can risk missing the important, engaging business opportunities. The risk is being to cautious.

The mobile Internet is powerful. Businesses can reach customers at the ultimate decision point - shopping, buying, installing, using, fixing, criticizing, or bragging about your product.

Is this a leap into the unknown? It isn't if you make a lasting impact.

Think like a customer. 

Focus on the customer conversation to ignite the spark of possibilities. What used to be optional social features are no longer optional. Share activity and locations to better recognize customer engagement. Be part of the product experience to think more like a customer. Get a sense of positive and negative sentiments. See the opportunity to provide your influence by responding to relevant social network comments and customer reviews.

Deliver the messages that motivate your commitment to your product. This fortifies your customers' commitment as well.

5 development activators

If you are in a situation in which you haven't given Social Media for business a thought, I have found a story to share for you. It is from WalesOnline : 5 Ways To Develop Your Business On Social Media.

Here is a summary of the five items worth noting:

1. Listen. Social Media platforms need "listened" to. Find the influencers in your industry.
2. Analyze. See the conversations.
3. Create. Add value to the conversation.
4. Engage. Find the conversations to put your product in.
5. Start again. Put your product out and start listening.... again.

Again... the link to the story.
Follow Wales Online on Twitter. @WalesOnline

fiesta roll

When Ford Motor Company prepared the 2010 North American roll-out of the Fiesta, its initial marketing push was solely through social media. Ford supplied 100 people with a Fiesta to drive for six months. They were the right 100 people. They were digital influencers (bloggers, podcasters, YouTube celebrities, and automotive journalists) who produced tweets, videos, podcasts, posts, and articles relating to the Fiesta.

Fiesta interior

A single Web page was made aggregating all this data where folks could watch the test drive unfold in real time. Ford did not edit, script or delete any of the information. The YouTube videos got 7 million views. There were 40 million tweets that contained the campaign's name ("Fiesta Movement"). 130,000 people registered online to receive more information when the Fiesta went to dealers. 83 percent of those people had not owned a Ford. U.S. brand awareness went from practically zero to 58 percent! Talk about "buzz" creation.

All that "buzz" wasn't mere chatter. Ford converted 10 times more pre-launch purchase reservations into actual orders than it did for previous model rollouts. People got to witness people enjoying the benefits of the Fiesta.

I know this event is not new. I decided to create a post on it since "consumer-driven" brand information is so popular these days. In this case, the 100 people were practically responsible for creating the Fiesta brand. Certainly an excellent example to talk about when thinking of brand engagement.

Information for this post came from the January/February 2011 edition of CFO magazine.
CFO.com