When a car company is advertising a new vehicle, they are selling more than just the car. They are selling an experience. However, in order for the commercial, magazine spot, or even web ad to be any bit effective, the experience must be relative to the target audience. Would you see commercial for a Chrysler 300 during the break of Jerry Springer? Probably no sooner than you'd see a Ford F150 ad on the Lifetime Network… Location, location, location.
The whole idea of marketing is to identify what it is that your customer wants, then tell that customer that you have what they need, and then explain why your product is better than the competition. Your product can be the bee's knees, but if you market it by saying, "Buy my thing, it's good" the customer will be left with more questions than answers, so marketing to your customers needs is essential.
Think about this… Nike never advertises their bottom-of-the-barrel shoes that anyone can afford. They don't market themselves as having a product that everyone is worthy of. No, they advertise their best products. The ones that make you fly higher, run faster, swing harder, and drain your bank account faster than you can say "Just Do It."
The auto industry takes a slightly different approach. Rather than market only the best products that make the customer feel like they are worse off without, car companies advertise to customer's wants and needs. Companies know where their customers are. Luxury cars will be advertised to the classy folks. Those looking to stretch a buck will most likely see a whole lot of Used Car lot commercials, or commercials that promote SUPER CLOSEOUT SAVINGS!
Keep in mind that companies know who watches what... You don't see what you see on TV or in print by chance.
Next time you're watching the tube, take note of what type of commercials come on; specifically car commercials. Think about what type of audience those companies are trying to reach and consider whether or not you feel like you are part of that target audience. In the meantime, try to identify the audiences that these companies may be trying to appeal to...
Yes, four different target audiences. The Honda ad is different though as it is not the typical 30-sec commercial. It was awarded with the Cannes Lions for it's creative part. The Volkswagen ad was shown during the Super Bowl. Do you think this was a good decision with regard to reaching their target audience?
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