2001 Ford Mustang Bullitt... been one of my favorite cars for a while...Highland Green, Performance Brakes and Springs Stock, 4.6L american muscle, RWD, 5MT, shitty gas milage....whats not to like lol

 

^^ nice ride!

 

Forgot to mention:

1) NSX (engine is sweet and car handles extremely well)
2) MDX (need a replacement for my '88 Dodge Ram 50 pickup)
3) '05 or later RL (I'm in love with the style and AWD packaging)

 

yes BMW does but their products on a performance level are very good. Acura has historically done a poor job at marketing. They've had great products just the advertising is ass.

 

When did this "Project" start ?? I'm guessing it started before the release of the TSX, new TL and RL ??

It looks like Acura is heading in the right direction, but still has a way to go (where's the coupe)

 

i dont know when it started...

that's a VERY good question we discussed in other threads..

did this project help acura to choose the new car designs for the TSX TL AND RL? if so, it's making large leaps forward.

I agree

However, branding and identity are often considered different than product management or product marketing

 

1 What auto(s) are you considering to be your next vehicle?(Make/Model)

Performance luxury
not for at least 2.5-3 years
-Next gen M3 with V8 and SMG...supposed 4-door also being designed...
-Next gen TSX is it has a lot more power...

2 Why are you interested in this next auto?
Maintain the luxury of my TSX or move up...increase the performance factor so i dont worry about any modifying...

3 What are you driving now? (Make/Model)
2004 Acura TSX - AT - Navi

 

1. Acura RD-X
2. Acura TL/TSX Sh-AWD???
3. Audi A4 Avant
4. BMW 3-Series
5. LGT

 

Yes, they are usually seperate, but the overall marketing campaign for the CLS (and the 6spd in particular) could be a case study in how to market a car to the wrong demographic. I'm a jadded owner of a discontinued car, so my comments should be taken with a grain of salt. I'm also talking about a sports coupe, which is a fickle vehicle segment to gauge.

Acura should have introduced the 6spd with the introduction of the 2nd gen CL, instead of adding that option in 2003 when they noticed slowing sales. While the sale of CL's dropped to 16,000 in it's last year of production, sales of the 6spd model were larger, (3479 units [1] ) then the 2700 that Acura had expected to make initially. Sounds to me that someone missed the boat with their forcast...

They marketed the CLS to a older demographic then the demographic that actually bought it. Here's the demographic that Acura is pitching it's RSX to: 27 years old, College degree, $60,000 household income [2]. Sounds pretty close to the makeup of the 2nd gen CL owners here. Acura decided to market the CL to an older demographic (one that I'm probably part of). I think pitching the CLP to "mature" people (empty nesters) is fine, but for the typeS, Acura should have gone for a younger demographic. I won't even get into the fact that the typeS badge is kind of funny on a car with such a HUGE wheel gap. BMW on the other hand knows how to design, package, offer and market a "sports package".

Acura has been around since 1986. Lexus and Infiniti entered the market a little later (IIRC), but are considered by many to be a superior brand because of their superior branding, product management, product marketing, and service. While Acura has been around longer, they're still playing catchup Maybe it's because of H/A's well known conservative corporate culture, or H/A's decisions in choosing companies to help them with marketing and branding.



[1] Acura doesn't release "proprietary" information about it's vehicles, but HohLake has managed to compile these figures:
https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=125628

[2] Since the hondanews site has been redesigned, the old link doesn't work, but here's my original post on the subject https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...ht=demographic

 

Greenmonster

that was a fantastic wrap up and case study on the botched CLS marketing program, I didn't have much insight to this, thanks for sharing

How did Acura market the car to the demographic? Did they atttend any events? what specific tactics were wrong?

What do you think Acura will do now to meet the sports coupe market niche?

Are you in marketing? (I am) This is very interesting, keep on sharing.

 

that was a fantastic wrap up and case study on the botched CLS marketing program, I didn't have much insight to this, thanks for sharing

And I didn't even mention the handling of the auto tranny problem (which was the main reason I bought a 6spd CLS)

How did Acura market the car to the demographic? Did they atttend any events? what specific tactics were wrong?

The commercials (there were several), focused on things that were pretty mundane. I'm not expecting a Scion type commercial (Scion's spends very little on TV tho', more on events), or sexy bikini type ads, but a commercial about driving from NYC to Maine to get chowder for lunch, isn't that exciting IMHO. It does hint at the "driving experience", but the coupe buying public is more likely to want to autocross at lunch

I do like the new RL commercials, but maybe I'm swayed by the fact that it's such a beautiful car (with lots of tech stuff). Guess what my current wallpaper is

What do you think Acura will do now to meet the sports coupe market niche?

I'm not sure. The coupe market is a fickle thing. Even Toyota knows this, and doesn't want to offer the Supra, even when the 350Z and G35C have shown that well designed and marketed coupes can do well. The last 2 cars I've bought were coupes that were discontinued shortly after I bought them (CLS and a Ford Tbird), so I really know how to pick a "winner" I'm a coupe guy (single, no kids that I know of ), but my next daily driver might be a used sedan...

We know H/A's tradition of offering efficient, value oriented, conservative vehicles, but they did manage to change that perception with the introduction of the CLS in 2001. This was futher enhanced with the release of the TSX (euro accord), 3G TL, and new RL. All these releases have furthered Acura "new direction" in establishing itself as a luxury brand. It's trying to go upscale and shed the "entry level luxury" label, and it looks to me that it's working. This bodes well for a future coupe. Hopefully a AWD coupe with more emphasis on "sport". Coupe drivers tend to be automotive enthusiasts, so a new coupe should be more performance oriented. A new coupe should continue the tradition of the 2G CLS, while pushing the envelope with regards to performance. I would expect something that falls short of a M3, but more then makes up for it's shortcomings with it's overall value (bang for the buck).

Are you in marketing? (I am) This is very interesting, keep on sharing.

I'm just a carguy. I love autos (period). While I do have some biases, I don't have an allegiance to a specific auto marque. I write business related finacial reports and applications for a retail/mailorder company, so I have had some exposure to the marketing side of things (numbers wise), I'll be the first to admit that my opinions about how Acura markets their products probably ain't worth much

Summary:

In the past (since the 90's??), I think that the beancounters (and to a lesser degree, the marketeers) have taken over the auto industry. I think we're slowly moving away from that era, and back to time when carguys like Carroll Shelby had more pull in the industry. Bob Lutz heading GM Product Development, and Chrysler offering more "car guy" vehicles are signs that the industry is moving in this direction.

If you're a car guy (or car gal), it looks likes an exciting period for all things automotive.

 

^ great stuff thanks GreenMonster

Car guys, you mean like Henry Ford? he was an operations guy!!!

 

Henry Ford was responsible for alot of operational innovations. The modern day assembly line was based on his principles, and the casting technique for the flathead ford revolutionized the industry.

When I say carguys, I think more of performance oriented guys. They are likely to be more concerned with clutch engagement points then on the number or cupholders

 

What am I concidering:
Benz E320 4matic, other All-wheel drive big sedans

why:
with a kid i need sedan, plus Ohio icey,snowy roads AWD is nice, but I think E-class is one of the best looking cars out there despite it's styling being about 4 years old.
what am i rolling in now:
94 Accord with 275,000(the ghetto glider)