Going Upscale
I've been interested in the cultural shift in Hyundai for the past few months. They're really turning on the marketing to accompany their new models and design thinking. I think this shift is most interesting for me because this is the first time I've actually been attuned to a large automotive company proactively attempting to remake their entire DNA and market perception. Of course this happened (successfully) with Toyota and Honda in the 80s and 90s, but at that time I was more interested in my SNES and listening to Pearl Jam. These days, watching the market moves of a multi-national car company makes for good entertainment. Such are the curiosities of getting older.
Hyundai+iPad?
n any case, Hyundai's not only making a go for it, they're aggressively attacking the luxury market with their new Equus line. Of particular note to me in the new offering was this:
n any case, Hyundai's not only making a go for it, they're aggressively attacking the luxury market with their new Equus line. Of particular note to me in the new offering was this:
Hyundai is promising to mimic the luxury car dealer experience.Every Equus will come with a small tablet PC that will replace the standard paper owner's manual. In addition to providing information about the car and its features, the computer will also track scheduled maintenance and will even connect to the dealership to schedule appointments.
If, as the marketing from the attached image implies (via Damon at Autoblog), this tablet is an iPad, then there's a lot to like here. For one, if you're headed upscale with your brand, there are few better partners to buddy up with than Apple who's defining upscale personal electronics. On top of that, everyone wants an iPad.
But will an iPad really help sell luxury cars?
I'd say yes. The reason is that this move reminds me of the successful Volkswagen/Trek deals from years past. In those campaigns, if you bought a Jetta, it came with a Trek mountain bike for "free." That campaign was a success because it tied something the customer wanted (a car) with something that represented how the customer wanted to be perceived (more athletic/outdoorsy). Even though anyone could buy a mountain bike and a car separately, the combination of the car+bike represented a package that was more in tune with how the customer wanted to be perceived. It made the purchase more appealing. people actually bought cars just to get mountain bikes.
While less auspicious than the mountain bike offer, the pairing of the Hyundai with the iPad (if that's what the tablet is) represents the same psychological tactic. As financially crazy as it may seem, someone is going to buy a $60,000 Equus simply because they get a "free" iPad.
Again, interesting move by Hyundai. Assuming of course, it's an iPad.
