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More Details on Lexus Customer Dinner Parties


In order to gain insight into consumer perception of the brand, Lexus USA General Manager Mark Templin has been arranging dinner parties for both current and previous buyers in their own homes — Automotive News has the details:

Lexus Division boss Mark Templin figures the best way to get up close and personal with his customers is to dine with them — in their homes and in style.

For one thing, none of the luxury consumers cared which brand sells the most cars, despite media attention paid to the sales race involving Lexus, Mercedes and BMW.

“To these people, it doesn’t matter how many you sell; it’s how you sell and how you take care of them,” Templin said.

Templin also was startled by the extent to which luxury-car buyers allow their grown children to decide what car the parents should purchase. He said Lexus marketing in the future also will have to aim at young adults who may not be buying luxury cars but who may strongly influence their parents’ decisions.

“Mark wanted to know why people did or didn’t become a Lexus owner and what Lexus could do so those people would become owners,” Licht said, adding that nonowners typically referred to a Lexus as “my parents’ car.”

Templin called the dinner a success and plans to host a total of 10 of them around the country. A second dinner was held recently near San Francisco.

This looks to be from the same dinner that was featured in a recent Lexus Youtube video — it’s certainly an interesting approach, and seems less about market analysis and more about Mark Templin gaining a more personal understanding of Lexus customers.

(I definitely recommend reading the full article if you can get access to it — sometimes Automotive News pushes up a Subscription wall.)

[Source: Automotive News]

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Comments
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    Joshd
  • November 29, 2010
Its true in that grown children pick their cars for the parents. I picked out my mom's LS down from the options to the colors... (she had some say :p) Also, I think lexus needs to market their cars for the teens/twenty somethings who parents are going to buy it for them too. (ie the IS and the RX)
Joshd wrote:Its true in that grown children pick their cars for the parents. I picked out my mom’s LS down from the options to the colors… (she had some say :p) Also, I think lexus needs to market their cars for the teens/twenty somethings who parents are going to buy it for them too. (ie the IS and the RX)
That quote really stuck out to me as well -- I would think it happens a lot.
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    Eljay
  • November 30, 2010
Lexus (and Toyota) might benefit from having more merchandise aimed at young people (diecast model cars,toys,apparel),so as to "catch them while they're young".
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    Mike DeLorca
  • November 30, 2010
@Eljay:I like your remark. What a brilliant idea----Toyo-Lex advertsing team needs you on the payroll-----they however, are very aware of the need to get the interest of the younger market turned around. They need fresh ideas from the 20-40 yr. old market----above that is already buying and repurchasing. Keep suggesting your ideas---this website is surely to be reviewed by many from Lexus.
Eljay wrote:Lexus (and Toyota) might benefit from having more merchandise aimed at young people (diecast model cars,toys,apparel),so as to “catch them while they’re young”.
I have to agree with Mike, this is a super idea, and it fits with the customized t-shirts that are being given out at U.S. events -- which reminds me, I have some t-shirts to give away! :-)
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    Joshd
  • November 30, 2010
krew wrote:I have to agree with Mike, this is a super idea, and it fits with the customized t-shirts that are being given out at U.S. events — which reminds me, I have some t-shirts to give away!
details please lol
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@Joshd: One example: t-shirts given out at the US CTh Driving Tour events
WorldofLuxury wrote:@Joshd: One example: t-shirts given out at the US CTh Driving Tour events
Yeah, those are the ones I have. Just trying to figure out a contest. 8-)
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