Advertising Lexus in a Luxury Market

Advertising Lexus in a Luxury Market
    The new Lexus will be marketed an advertised as a more upscale car in the luxury market. In the automotive world, the epitome of luxury is to have one’s own chauffeur. Therefore, the advertising campaign will revolve around the idea of having a chauffeur. It should be marketed to consumers who are older, responsible, and who won’t see this car as a way to get out of driving altogether. The Lexus LS500-AA should be marketed as a luxury brand for an already responsible consumer.
    In order to develop an advertising plan, the first consideration is the consumer Lexus is trying to reach. This consumer will be a professional, capable of purchasing a luxury car and driving it responsibly. The next consideration is to determine what Lexus is trying to say to the consumer. This is simple: the consumer should know that the new Lexus is the epitome of luxury vehicles. The luxury market is all about fulfilling dreams. Consumers see these items as representing the pinnacle of success.

When consumers are asked to describe their spontaneous associations with the concept of luxury, the theme of “dream” almost inevitably emerges. In the world of luxury brands here’s how it goes: awareness feeds dream, purchase makes dream come true, purchase redirects dreams to the next object. (Twitchell, 2002, p. 189)
 The advertising campaign will start with a commercial. It will show a series of cars leaving houses for work. One will be the Lexus LS500-AA. The other cars will be in the background, while the LS500-AA will be the focus of the commercial. It will enter the highway, speed up, slow down in traffic, and only after it has demonstrated these new features, the camera will focus on the car’s owner – sitting in the backseat, eating breakfast. Just then, the driver wakes up in bed, smiling. This has been a good dream. The voiceover will say, “The car of your dreams: the closest thing to having a chauffeur”.
    The next part of the advertising campaign involves how to reach the consumer. In addition to commercials, current Lexus owners will receive a brochure in the mail showing the new car and its amenities and information on how to contact their dealer to schedule an exclusive test drive. The campaign should target men and women in their thirties and older. Lexus should offer radio advertisements on talk-radio stations that appeal to an older crowd.
    Public relations can be tricky, as the right spokesperson is needed in order to position this car as the height of luxury.
One of the criteria often included is the audiences’ attitude toward the announcer. As mentioned earlier, a nouncers who are well-liked celebrities are apt to distract listeners, but these characteristics need not be present simultaneously. (Clark, et. al., 1994, p. 192)

In order to present the car as the newest thing in the luxury market, a spokesperson must be selected who represents class and who is well-liked. Unfortunately, a person who truly meets these criteria will not be interested in promoting a product. These days, most celebrities have a product which they endorse. A good selection might be a well-respected actor or a popular businessperson, such as Donald Trump (once he resolves his current public relations problems, of course).
    The most important part of the public relations will take place at the dealership. Consumers who enter a dealership and ask about the new car should be treated with the utmost respect. Current Lexus owners should be called to make an appointment to view and test drive the new car.
Works Cited:

Clark, E. M., Brock, T. C., & Stewart, D. W. (Eds.). (1994). Attention, Attitude, and Affect in Response to Advertising. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
(2007). Lexus. Retrieved January 19, 2007, from Lexus Web site: http://www.lexus.com/
Twitchell, J. B. (2002). Living It Up: Our Love Affair with Luxury. New York: Columbia University Press.