Infiniti calling in Louis Vuitton, Prada, Chanel to market new M35/M45
10-07-2004, 06:15 PM
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Infiniti calling in Louis Vuitton, Prada, Chanel to market new M35/M45
Infiniti faces a challenge: boosting sales of vehicles at $40,000 and above, says Mark Igo, vice president of Infiniti Division.
The problem will become critical next spring when Infiniti starts selling the redesigned M cars. A company committee is huddling with makers of other luxury products, such as Chanel, to help solve the problem.
"The M is the (G35's) big brother," Igo says. "We have to resonate what Infiniti is all about. A lot of it is in the messaging. Most of the marketing focus will be on the M. You will see our best work. We want to find what we mean to our customers."
Through the first nine months, the G35 accounted for 55.4 percent of Infiniti's total U.S. sales of 96,180. The G's prices range from the upper $20,000s to the lower $30,000s.
U.S. sales of Infiniti sedans with a $40,000-plus price tag - the M45 and Q45 - were only 1,698 and 1,531, respectively, during the same period.
"Infiniti really changed with the G and the FX SUV," Igo says. "They brought in a younger, more affluent buyer. They wanted more power. So now we're in a position of: What do we do next? How do you keep people loyal to the brand?"
Nissan Motor Co. has formed a committee, of which Igo is a member, to determine what the next step should be for the Infiniti marque.
Patrick Pelata, Nissan Motor executive vice president for product planning and strategy, says the committee has met with top executives of high-end brands such as Louis Vuitton, Prada and Chanel to understand how those companies get their messages across.
Igo says the most pressing issue is how to position the redesigned 2006 M model when it arrives in U.S. showrooms next spring.
Igo says he has been charged with selling about 20,000 units annually. The vehicle will be priced between $40,000 and $50,000, he says.
Igo did not elaborate on marketing plans, but he said they would be more expansive than TV commercials. "It will be much more interactive" with things like ride-and-drives and sponsorships, he says.
John Capps, chairman of the Infiniti Dealer Advisory Board, says the current M sells only with huge incentives.
"By definition you must be able to sell vehicles above $40,000, or you're not a true luxury marque," says Capps, owner of Plaza Infiniti in St. Louis. "Infiniti has never been able to do that. So we look at the M as being all incremental business."
Original intro of new M45 (w/ specs): https://www.honda-acura.net/forums/s...d.php?t=134375
Some more pics: https://www.honda-acura.net/forums/s...&highlight=m45
The problem will become critical next spring when Infiniti starts selling the redesigned M cars. A company committee is huddling with makers of other luxury products, such as Chanel, to help solve the problem.
"The M is the (G35's) big brother," Igo says. "We have to resonate what Infiniti is all about. A lot of it is in the messaging. Most of the marketing focus will be on the M. You will see our best work. We want to find what we mean to our customers."
Through the first nine months, the G35 accounted for 55.4 percent of Infiniti's total U.S. sales of 96,180. The G's prices range from the upper $20,000s to the lower $30,000s.
U.S. sales of Infiniti sedans with a $40,000-plus price tag - the M45 and Q45 - were only 1,698 and 1,531, respectively, during the same period.
"Infiniti really changed with the G and the FX SUV," Igo says. "They brought in a younger, more affluent buyer. They wanted more power. So now we're in a position of: What do we do next? How do you keep people loyal to the brand?"
Nissan Motor Co. has formed a committee, of which Igo is a member, to determine what the next step should be for the Infiniti marque.
Patrick Pelata, Nissan Motor executive vice president for product planning and strategy, says the committee has met with top executives of high-end brands such as Louis Vuitton, Prada and Chanel to understand how those companies get their messages across.
Igo says the most pressing issue is how to position the redesigned 2006 M model when it arrives in U.S. showrooms next spring.
Igo says he has been charged with selling about 20,000 units annually. The vehicle will be priced between $40,000 and $50,000, he says.
Igo did not elaborate on marketing plans, but he said they would be more expansive than TV commercials. "It will be much more interactive" with things like ride-and-drives and sponsorships, he says.
John Capps, chairman of the Infiniti Dealer Advisory Board, says the current M sells only with huge incentives.
"By definition you must be able to sell vehicles above $40,000, or you're not a true luxury marque," says Capps, owner of Plaza Infiniti in St. Louis. "Infiniti has never been able to do that. So we look at the M as being all incremental business."
Original intro of new M45 (w/ specs): https://www.honda-acura.net/forums/s...d.php?t=134375
Some more pics: https://www.honda-acura.net/forums/s...&highlight=m45
10-07-2004, 09:00 PM
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Having only 1 good looking car (the g35 coupe, the coupe that saved the sedan) and only ok-looking suv (fx 35) might be the reasons why infinitis are selling slow. It's funny how they didn't "position" the M model when designing it in the first place and wait to do it with commercials and ads.
10-08-2004, 11:24 AM
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The original M45 was a Japan-market Nissan Cedric/Gloria with the engine and dash from the Q45, intended mainly as a placeholder in the lineup.
