SUV’s Marketing Problem: They All Look the Same

SUVs rule in Detroit amp160Chevrolet offers the Equinox Traverse and Trax and thatamp8217s just the crossoversamp160 Donamp8217t forget the big guys the Tahoe and Suburban amp160These SUVs are hot so much so that sedans are out at General Motors amp160You can still buy a Cruze Impala Volt Cadillac XTS and Buick LaCrosse but you had better act quickly because theyamp8217re disappearing at the end of the yearItamp8217s pretty much the same story at Ford where the cars got the heaveho leaving only the Mustang in the lineup amp160But no problem if you want an SUV amp160The lineup includes Flex Explorer the Texas edition is pictured at top Edge EcoSport Escape and Expedition amp160Do they like the letter amp8220Eamp8221 at Ford or whatFCA is almost all trucks and SUVs now after having jettisoned the Chrysler 200 and Dodge Dart amp160Because the company did this before the competition itamp8217s looking prescientSince an SUV isnamp8217t an SUV unless itamp8217s boxy this presents a marketing problem amp160Every SUV segment is crowded with competition so how to stand out amp160Letamp8217s face it SUVs all look pretty much alike amp160Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but if thereamp8217s a beautiful SUV I donamp8217t know about it amp160The designers do what they can but their palette is limitedSelling the amp8220new lookamp8221 was easy when automakers redesigned their cars every year but minor grille tweaks on say the Escape arenamp8217t a big selling point amp160At auto shows when the cover comes off what we see is well another SUVGiven all this itamp8217s not surprising that automakers are advertising their SUVs with emotional appealsamp160 Buy our crossover and you will be happy amp160They often use fast cuts of the caramp8217s details wheels headlights to avoid showing the basic box youamp8217ll actually buy amp160And almost universally they market their SUVs by associating them with good times and a new more adventurous youConsider these four commercialsChevrolet amp8220Family Reunionamp8221Three happy families amp8220real people not actorsamp8221 are shown the 2019 Equinox Trax and Traverse in a lineupamp8220That red one is saying amp8216Iamp8217m a fun caramp8217amp8221 a woman saysamp8220If I wanted to be a cool dad Iamp8217d go with the Traverseamp8221 a man ravesAnother adds amp8220The red oneamp8221Fun and cool say amp8220real peopleamp8221 amp160Iamp8217m not at all surprised this ad works amp160amp8220Chevy has a vehicle that will leave you shouting for joyamp8221 the company declaresamp160 Joy is a consistent theme amp160Chevrolet has had some problems with its amp8220real peopleamp8221 ads but I think they work better than celebrity endorsementsamp160amp160Of course there are exceptions for celebs with special charismaamp160 Lincoln39s Nautilus commercial with actor Matthew McConaughey hit No 1 on the iSpottv mostviewed list for the week of January 14 it39s second week on topCadillac amp8220Joyamp8221A beautiful beaming young woman drives her Cadillac CT4 crossover through a city which is full of people celebrating the joys of being human amp160She pulls to a stop and a whole group of her friends even happier than she is pile in amp160They pass some skateboarders and by magic theyamp8217re wearing the boarderamp8217s hip threads amp160amp8220The unmistakable Cadillac XT4amp8221 the announcer says amp160amp8220Once again driving is joyfulamp8221 amp160Youamp8217ll be happyFord amp8220We the Peopleamp8221This one is both vaguely patriotic and about finding again joy amp160amp8220We the people are defined by the things we share and the ones we love our book clubs our tee times the moments we donamp8217t have to say a wordamp8221 amp160The people in the cars are ecstatic celebratory and creative amp160The fastmoving images are of sharing lifeamp8217s precious experiences amp160There are lots of images of the car in wideopen spaces sometimes with cowboys on horseback riding alongside amp160amp8220We the people who are better together than we are aloneamp8221 amp160The car isnamp8217t featured in the spot but itamp8217s clearly enabling all these good outdoorsy times and togethernessJeep amp8220Nice Winter Dayamp8221A full line of red Jeeps off the beaten path plowing through snow as exciting music pounds amp160amp8220Go inside cozy up to the fireamp8221 the announcer says amp160amp8220Stay warm amp160Some call that a nice winteramp8217s day amp160Weamp8217ll have to agree to disagreeamp8221 amp160We get it staying inside is for wimps amp160Jeep owners stand out from the herdIf families bought their next vehicle with the head not the heart theyamp8217d mostly be in minivans or hatchbacks amp160But thatamp8217s not how it works amp160Brand Quarterly asks amp8220When consumers are faced with endless choices through social media engagements and recommendations how do they make their decisionsamp160 What could influence someone to select one brand of vehicle over another even though both have the same basic function of getting us where we want to go amp160The simple answer is emotionamp8221By the way the SUV sales pitch in China is the same yetamp160differentamp160 Chinese TV ads seen on a recent flight to Guangzhou sell the same joy but associate it with a glittery lifestyle like that glimpsed in the Singapore scenes of Crazy Rich AsiansClick the social buttons above or below to share this content with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writersamp160

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SUV’s Marketing Problem: They All Look the Same

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Jim Motavalli

Jon Miller | Cofounder Marketo, Engagio | The Gumball Machine is Broken - Rethinking B2B Marketing - By Mike Linton

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SUV’s Marketing Problem: They All Look the Same

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Jim Motavalli

Jon Miller | Cofounder Marketo, Engagio | The Gumball Machine is Broken - Rethinking B2B Marketing - By Mike Linton

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