ASH8

This is GREAT News, MNAO are finally listening to their Dealer Network, lets hope this translate into unit sales....

From Auto News.....

Mazda dealers are proud of their product. But they need some help getting the message out to potential customers. The automaker promised that help during its make meeting with dealers at the NADA Show.

Mazda will roll out a major advertising campaign to reposition the brand, having heard from dealers who think its marketing has been lackluster in recent months and that the marque is losing its connection with consumers.

"It is so significantly different from where we've been and who we've been talking to and how we've been talking to them," Bagan told Automotive News. "We really think that this could give us a significantly better position in the consumer's mind of what the brand stands for."

Mazda products are among the industry's best-kept secrets, he said, but that's not good for dealers who want to increase overall volume and throughput by double-digit percentages over the next several years.

Last year, Mazda's U.S. sales fell 2.8 percent to 289,470 vehicles. In the first two months of this year, U.S. sales grew 14 percent to 50,693 vehicles.

Bagan, who co-owns four Texas Mazda dealerships, says the brand wants to achieve retail sales of about 400,000 vehicles a year once the U.S. plant it is building with Toyota starts producing a new Mazda crossover.

The shift in brand focus also will make its way to dealerships through training programs that adopt sales strategies that are more like Audi's and less like Toyota's as the brand moves upscale, Bagan said.

Mazda will be able to do that because of its vehicle technology, including the new Skyactiv high-compression gasoline engine that incorporates elements of both a gasoline and diesel powerplant to achieve hybridlike efficiency.

Dealers were told that five of the six vehicles now in showrooms will receive major overhauls in the next 18 months, and the new crossover coming from the Alabama joint venture with Toyota will move Mazda into a new segment.

Mazda's approach to incentives and financing also is shifting from national to regional to better attract buyers. For example, lease offers will focus on lease-heavy markets, Bagan said.

Dealers were told electric vehicles were coming "sooner than later" but without a fixed timeline.

Bagan said the new consortium of automakers working together on EVs — including Mazda, Toyota and Subaru — gives dealers confidence that EVs will be ready when buyers want them.


http://www.autonews.com/article/2018...actory-ad-push

MattMPS

i am curious to see what is the "new crossover segment" of the Alabama-built model.

More a Cx-7 size or a CX-4 size?

zoom44

here's the first ad. Im not too impressed. There is something too forced about the voice over. I like the visuals, I like the idea, just the execution of the voice over feels wrong.


brandchannel: Mazda Kicks Off Fan-First #FeelAlive CX-3 Campaign

UnknownJinX

I don't really like most ads in general unless it's really interesting(like Mercedes Benz Mario commercials in Japan; it's silly but hilarious).

Some of the comments for the ad mentioned that it looks like an indie movie trailer. Kinda have to agree there. Focus on the product, not this other crap.

Also, their new slogan is now "Feel Alive"? I liked "Zoom-Zoom".

gwilliams6

It is obviously focused on young buyers, and the voice while not soothing to me at my age, is probably right for the focus group for this ad. People have to get emotionally connected to spend money on maybe their first car, or just first Mazda. I think as a career visual communicator, overall the ad works, especially the highlighting of the "wings" in the Mazda logo, really a nice touch. .

Cheers

ASH8

??..meh..I hope it works, But taking 1/3rd of the paid commercial time wondering what the hell they are on about can be wasteful advertising time...

it is not easy , but this looks and feels a little bit too much of the 'diversity/minority' express again..

So do these 'young' adults actually buy Mazda's with their coin, or dream to, or any cars for that matter?

Does this translate into selling cars?...I hope so..

I guess a lot more to come..

Bladecutter

Why can't they just make a commercial where someone drives a car, and just has fun?
The voice over says "In all the times I have driven a car, I have never felt like THIS before."

Make the viewers wonder what that guy felt, and have them show up at the dealership in order to see if they can feel it too, on a test drive.

That commercial above doesn't make me care about the brand, or about cars, at all.

BC.

gwilliams6

ASH8, in our vast multi-cultural American society, there is nothing wrong with your so-called diversity/minority express in advertising. That is long overdue. I guess diversity doesn't play well in Australia? Glad to really see where your head is at. BTW ASH8 many of us here in this RX8 club are from diverse minority heritages. Cheers

200.mph

iTrader: (9)

wtf are you babbeling about here chief? i hope a mod steps up and hands you a nice time out

gwilliams6

200mph just what are you objecting to here ? Please enlighten me. Cheers

200.mph

iTrader: (9)

you voicing your views on a politician is a no no here but i guess some animals are more equal than others

StealthTL

iTrader: (1)

Political comment removed, and first warning given.

S

gwilliams6

Yes you are right, I don't need to inject politics into this debate, but the rest of my statement remains thanks. Cheers to all.

gwilliams6

200moph could you pm me please and tell me what you mean by equal animals here and put an end to any misunderstandings in this discussion. As a career journalist and university Journalism Dept Professor, communication and understanding each other is important to me. That is why I felt the Mazda ad was probably good for reaching its youth-targeted audience. . Cheers

gwilliams6

Thanks 200.mph., got it. I broke one of my own rules in my Journalism classes I teach. Cheers

UnknownJinX

IMO I should at least know what the ad is trying to sell me. Like, this is the ad I see on YouTube and just click "Skip" as soon as possible.

You have to grab my attention in the first couple of seconds so I actually keep watching. Otherwise, a long ad like this just gets ignored. I do like the wing part as well, but guess what? If I don't get there, it doesn't matter.

I mean, not that Honda ads are perfect, but the Civic one where everyone is a square at least clearly showed that they are trying to sell you the Civic. The message is clear.

(PS. I think this ad should be used for the RX-8 instead, given how round our cars are. Newer Honda cars are actually very sharp.)

A really good commercial is the Dollar Shave Club one. Look it up, it's amazing. Genuinely got me considering DSC.

Mazda should really learn what a good commercial is.

200.mph

iTrader: (9)

i can tell ya it wont be a rotary

UnknownJinX

Maybe we will see one soon for the shoebox range extender.

Really, though, I kinda expected to see the Cosmo Sport in an ad like this to see it at least get a passing mention.

ASH8

As usual goes straight over your head..

What you don't think Australia has the same population as you?...you guys really need to get out more mate, and see the world maybe.
What I mentioned is the targeted Meaningless PC Drivel.
For the record, I have associates of all nationality and colour and religion, including local indigenous aborigines, my heritage goes back now 5 generations and is EU/UK decent, so what, what I get tired of and most reasonable people do of this stuff being rammed down our throats, I just want people to get on and GET ON WITH IT (life).


In regards to this new Mazda ad, you can clearly see it's intention and 'how' it was think tanked...it is just old and tired and dull fluff.

Who knows it may just work...BUT, they (MNAO) has gone from 'Driving Matters' to now 'Feel Alive', I am not an advertising xpert, but to me when you look at say successful Subaru they target dog owners (dogs driving cars), brilliant!, no PC BS and it clearly works to sell cars.

I think there is more to come from Mazda in US.

UnknownJinX

What do you mean? The US is the world.

Well, I have AdBlock and "Skip Ad" buttons against crappy ads.

And I don't need Mazda, out of all things/people, to educate me on PC.

Show me how sexy the car is and how well it handles, because that matters.

FFS, even Toyota knows how to put up good commercials. Look at this Camry commercial. They made the Camry sexy. That's the magic of a good ad.


Then again, Mazda doesn't seem to be the best when it comes commercials. The old Lorax commercial was pretty bad.

ASH8

WOW, 35.7% Increase in sales for Mazda USA in March, what happened, are they giving them away..

New Ad is working already!

Mazda's compact crossover SUV, Mazda CX-5, recorded its 12th consecutive record sales month, and its best-ever month since going on sale in February of 2012. In March, sales of the CX-5 rose 90.5 percent year-over-year (YOY), with 16,138 vehicles sold.
Sales of the Mazda3 rose 8.7 percent YOY, with 7,760 vehicles sold in the month of March.
In line with continued consumer demand, sales of Mazda's subcompact crossover SUV, Mazda CX-3, rose 38.1 percent YOY, with 1,728 vehicles sold in the month of March.
The seven-passenger Mazda CX-9 recorded its best March since 2013, with 3,066 vehicles sold. This number represents an increase of 20.2 percent YOY.
Total sales of Mazda's CX crossover SUV line, including the CX-3, CX-5 and CX-9, were up 70.6 percent YOY with 20,932 vehicles sold in the month of March.
The i-ACTIV All-Wheel Drive option continues to be a favorite among Mazda CX-line buyers, with 59.5 percent of customers choosing the AWD option in March.
Mazda reported record-breaking Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) sales of 4,552 vehicles in March, marking an increase of 19.6 percent YOY.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-rele...300623427.html

zoom44

looks to me like Driving Matters was working if you check the numbers

https://www.bizjournals.com/losangel.../04/03/LA55567

we'll see if #FeelAlive can equal or better that

ASH8

This is GREAT NEWS for Mazda in USA, it looks as if they 'could' be on target for their best year since (I think 1998), that is a long time ago.

ASH8

Beat you by 2 minutes

UnknownJinX

Wasn't there also rumours that Mazda may follow GM's footsteps in attempting those Real People™ commercials?

I mean, while I think those are really stupid, the Zebra Corner parodies are hilarious, so keep them coming, GM.

Also, speaking of Camry, despite the fact that a lot of critics prefer the Accord, the Camry is beating the Accord in sales, and that's without counting the fleet sales for the Camry. Some people were saying that the Accord has some pretty weak commercials, while the Camry's got some good ones like the one I posted. There are also other factors like better financing for the Camry, but I think the commercials also have something to do with that.