Scion takes two different approaches.

1) They're cheap crap. What kid, just starting out on his "career path" at a
fast food joint, wouldn't want the ability to purchase a new car? Doesn't
matter that there's no real substance, it's got four tires, comfy seats, and
it's transportation. New transportation. That's hard to resist. Throw in
some techno gadgets, and it becomes kewl, too.

2) Your personalization. When Motorola introduced the first flip phone,
there was only the one model, and everyone lusted after it. Today, I've lost
count of how many Razrs there are, or, if everyone you know already has a
Razr, there are countless other models from which to choose. So, too,
Chrysler took early hold of "niche marketing," by building limited-run
models that were different from anything your neighbor had. Scion, lacking
real substance, has taken to offering complete personalization of your
chosen model. For around $15,000, you can deck out your Scion enough to be
virtually "unique" (unique for a mass-produced vehicle, anyway).

Seems to me I can remember when the same held true for our domestic
vehicles. They were called "options" - not to be confused with the "option
packages" that are included on 90% of the vehicles coming off the assembly
lines. You used to be able to pick and choose what went into your car BEFORE
it was built. Today's options pale in comparison to what was offered 30
years ago, but today's plants are built around true mass production, true
cost-cutting, and anything out of the ordinary is discouraged. Scion is
building a line of cars on that premise, and they can do it cheaply.

Careful you don't fall into the same trap. To say that today's Scion buyers
will somehow evolve into Toyota/Lexus owners is arrogant thinking. How about
this: today's Scion buyers will be tomorrow's Scion owners. The compact disc
was born in 1980, as was my son. I don't think for a moment that he'll be
anything like I am now, when he's 52. A generation is now young adults with
a whole different life experience than anything we had, so there's no reason
to think that their purchases are driven by our own motivations. New
technology advances the day when cars will drive themselves with zero
emissions and automotive entertainment centers (much like I have in the
family room). Driving, for the sake of driving, is going to be a lost art,
as computers take more and more of the responsibility for safely delivering
you to your destination. PTV's. Personal Transport Vehicles. The car
recognizes you as you approach, opens the door for you, and you slide into
your seat as you speak your destination. As the restraint system envelopes
you, the vehicle begins its journey while you sit back to watch the latest
vid.

You think Scion won't build that car twenty years from now?

The constant change in management at Ford (can't speak for GM) may be part
of the problem, when marketing has to be reinvented every year. As an
example, think of the endless planning meetings and millions of dollars
spent in preparation for promoting the Ford Five Hundred. But wait - it's
called "Taurus" now. Oops. Start over.

When the engineers develop a design, marketing should be brought in. When
the clay prototype is built, marketing should be there, already planning
whom to promote it to and how. When the one-off prototype is shown at the
major auto shows, marketing should be on hand to talk to the visitors,
gather feedback, test various marketing strategies, see which works best,
while all the time working the media to create a buzz. And before the first
model ever comes off the line, the marketing plan should already have been
going full steam ahead, building desire for the new product.

There is no reason why a given nameplate couldn't be marketed to several
audiences at the same time. The original Mustang was a chick car OR a
man-beast, depending upon how you chose to deck it out. The Focus could be
Ford's Scion or a chick car or an environmentalist's guilty pleasure. You
can market it three ways, but you need to be consistent.

I'll always remember and never forget something White Tornado said: "Hondas
are cars for people who don't like cars." It is so simple, it's brilliant.
NO, not everyone actually likes to drive - not by a long shot. Many are
really afraid of driving. Honda has made a name and a fortune building
non-descript, non-threatening automobiles that are marketed more as your new
best friend than as a "car." Imagine that first policy meeting when someone
said, let's build cars for all those people out there who really don't like
them... Brilliant.

(Marlboro, in the beginning, was the cigarette for housewives. How it came
to be a manly smoke and exploded in popularity is Marketing 101.)

dwight

The BK commercials are good for a chuckle.  Even my wife thinks they are
funny.

I do watch the Mercury commercials because the woman they have doing
them is hot. ;)

I bet the Scion/Toyota/Lexus combination has one of the highest repeat
buyer percentages in the world.

Sometimes I think they first need to realize they are getting their
a.ses kicked.  They certainly don't act like they know it.