Test drive a Honda in the night- Experiential Marketing

With a plethora of car launches, every car maker is looking to create a remarkable product at low cost to achieve competitive advantage. In order to achieve a tectonic shift is preferences, car manufacturers will have to go beyond the conventional market pitches like 

• Extra Power - BHP
• Fuel mileage
• iVTEc engines
• Luxury
• Status Symbols

to name a few. I am not suggesting that these are not important but are certainly beaten to death positioning tracks. Marketers have to move beyond static one way communication for positioning to more meaningful interaction with potential car buyers.

Enter experiential marketing defined as " a concept that integrates elements of emotions, logic, and general thought processes to connect with the consumer. The goal of experiential marketing is to establish the connection in such a way that the consumer responds to a product offering based on both emotional and rational response levels".

Car makers are using the concepts like test drive to appeal to the customer experience value quotient. By carefully identifying and improving the product ,service value, image & personal value and costs like  time, energy, psychic costs to customers, the customer experience value quotient can be boosted significantly. In fact, the intangible elements may be the hardest things for your competitors to copy, and therefore, surest strategy to sustainable value superiority. This can be learnt through outcome based research like ethnography to observe customers in their natural surroundings, revealing a more accurate and realistic viewpoint of the dimensions of the customer's value equation.

Test drive is certainly an excellent way to improve interaction hence experience. But wait a minute!!!what is so different about this approach? What I am suggesting is a test drive with a difference. The main focus is on experience not just at behind the steering wheel but in the rear seat as well. Why this change? Mainly for 3 reasons from a marketers perspective:

• Competitive mental angle - differentiation
• In most test drive, the men( actual decision maker) experience technical details sitting behind the steering wheel. They invariably never get a chance to sit in the rear seat and experience luxury which they offer to their families.When will he get a chance to experience it?
• More woman shoppers as influencer for car purchase - No more just Vrooom Vroom

 I suggest this plan for Honda for they genuinely make great cars and  offer luxury at relatively affordable cost.

Test Drive Campaign with a difference:Instead of regular test drive during daytime, lets say Honda wants its potential buyers to experience luxury( beyond the regular rational benefits). The campaign should be as follows:

• The promo is for a test drive in the night - chauffeur driven car.
• The potential buyer can call up a Honda dealer for a test drive
• Honda will send a car to the customers office or a place of his choice @specified time lets say 8.30pm
• Without any surprises, given our work schedules, the customer will be drop dead tired.
• Imagine yourself as a buyer. You are drop dead tired. You have a chauffeur driven luxury car with a music of your choice and better still you are going to sit in the rear seat for a drive back home.
• This experience of luxury is very different in comparison to the regular test drive. I am sure that this drive will pamper the potential buyer that it will create a huge purchase predisposition.
• With everything remaining equal or atleast perceived to be equal, this 'campaign with a difference' will sway the purchase decision in favor of Honda.
• The marketer also gets to observe his customers in their natural surroundings, revealing a more accurate and realistic viewpoint of the dimensions of the customer's value equation.

Without doubt, the campaign needs to have a detailed execution plan. But as thought, it is a shift from normal.Now the statement '"Experience luxury" may not sound cliched.