FastLaneDaily talks about Scion's FRS

[ToyotaObsession]

Originally Posted by Dark

For a Scion dealer? Maybe you can shop around in Hyundia, Kia, Scion dealership versus Lexus, Acura, Infiniti dealerships in your area to see what the real customer service is. You can leave millions of reviews on websites, but how many people will check google? Other people who are satisfied with customer service of that dealer(who like to leave a comment/review on the internet) will also counter your statement/comment.

I don't call it lying. They just use a concept "consumers don't know what they want, we tell then what they want." that concept might work a few years back, but as money has become tougher to earn, consumers has become more and more rational. They know exactly what they want and what will satisfy them most.

lastly, I would rather buy a car from the brand known as making bland and boring (matured) than get a car from a brand known as one of the highest percentage ricers in the automotive industry.

I've had nothing but good experiences at every Toyota/Scion dealer I've been too. Can't say anything about the others because I've never been in one lol. Used Car lots on the other hand....

I don't need to leave millions, just one.

How many people use Google? Really? I dunno only a few million in the last few minutes.

This confused me though.

Originally Posted by Dark

Other people who are satisfied with customer service of that dealer(who like to leave a comment/review on the internet) will also counter your statement/comment.

I think what you meant to say was people who aren't satisfied will leave a review too. Which is very true. In fact people who aren't satisfied are 5 times as likely to leave a review and tell their friends about their bad experience. But if there's more positive reviews than negative. That says something.

That's my point. Consumers do know what they want, because the information is available to them now. In the past it wasn't.

Who said anything about buying a Honda? LOL but seriously.

The badge on the front of the car is such a small part of it. But I kind of agree with you. If it was badged a Subie, I would have no interest in it. But a Scion is a Toyota. So I am willing to buy it.

Everyone has a choice on what they want to buy. In the end, the car itself is the deciding factor for many people. Not just what symbol is on the front.

[OldSkoolToys]

Dimman's 100% right about the halo car. Thats exactly what the FR-S is. Hell, a person might not even be in the market to buy a car, but the FR-S will be so stunning that random people WILL stop by the dealership to have a look....thats when a few skilled salesmen earn their pay.

"Why would they use a camry to sell a corolla?" Options/packages and pricing are there for a reason. A person might want a camry, gets the car picked out, then does the paperwork...urp, can't get the loan for the camry. But wait! We have a fully loaded Corolla here for $x amount less that actually gets better gas mileage, etc.

Sometimes the spouse is to blame for that. My dad went to Nissan to buy a Stanza and came out with a Sentra cause my mom eventually convinced him we couldn't afford the Stanza (we could though, lol). He had that Sentra paid off in 2 years on a 5 year loan.

TL;DR: The FR-S WILL increase Scions sales the MY it is released. How much? Who knows. Brand saver? On its own, uncertain...but the iQ is also here just in time to rope in another target market....in the end it'll be interesting to see how it plays out. But leave no doubt, the execs at Scion KNEW they needed a car like this to reignite their annual figures. And it will. The great thing about a halo car is that it's presence on the lot alone can be more effective than media advertising.

[tranzformer]

Originally Posted by ToyotaObsession

Last I saw Scion sales were down a little, but weren't that bad. I think it's a matter of perception from people "in the know". But for the vast majority of people a Scion is just a cheaper version of a Toyota.

IMO.

You really haven't done your research have you about Scion sales?

[Aki]

Not buying a car because of a little badge is ridiculous in my opinion.

People are thinking of Scion branding in a vacuum, and simply assume the brand will carry the same stigma/perception as a Scion TC. That's not necessarily true. What Toyota is hoping is that the FR-S will redefine the Scion brand. Will it succeed? To be honest I'm doubtful. But what Scion-haters typically fail to take in consideration is that Toyota itself has a very poor perception as far as being an enthusiast or sport brand. Both the Celica and Supra died because of lackluster sales. So if you're pointing at declining Scion sales, you can point at the sales demise of Toyota sports cars just the same. In that respect, it's almost a toss-up.

The biggest problem in my mind about Scion is that it's marketing is anachronistic. It keeps targetting young buyers with "tuning" or customizing as the main forte, but that's not what appeals to the broadbase of young buyers today. Aftermarket companies are shuttering. Body kits/vinyl graphics are passe. When targeting a demographic that values being hip and trend-setting, it's a killer to have an outdated marketing scheme.

I think Scion needs an overhaul in its marketing message. When you have ads/marketing that looks like it's targeting 17-year olds, it gets old. Esp with cars like the IQ and FR-S, they need to relook what their messaging is, because it doesn't work for either cars.

[Dark]

Originally Posted by Aki

Not buying a car because of a little badge is ridiculous in my opinion.

People are thinking of Scion branding in a vacuum, and simply assume the brand will carry the same stigma/perception as a Scion TC. That's not necessarily true. What Toyota is hoping is that the FR-S will redefine the Scion brand. Will it succeed? To be honest I'm doubtful. But what Scion-haters typically fail to take in consideration is that Toyota itself has a very poor perception as far as being an enthusiast or sport brand. Both the Celica and Supra died because of lackluster sales. So if you're pointing at declining Scion sales, you can point at the sales demise of Toyota sports cars just the same. In that respect, it's almost a toss-up.

The biggest problem in my mind about Scion is that it's marketing is anachronistic. It keeps targetting young buyers with "tuning" or customizing as the main forte, but that's not what appeals to the broadbase of young buyers today. Aftermarket companies are shuttering. Body kits/vinyl graphics are passe. When targeting a demographic that values being hip and trend-setting, it's a killer to have an outdated marketing scheme.

I think Scion needs an overhaul in its marketing message. When you have ads/marketing that looks like it's targeting 17-year olds, it gets old. Esp with cars like the IQ and FR-S, they need to relook what their messaging is, because it doesn't work for either cars.

Now Toyota have more reason to stop making sport version of their bland and boring vehicles too, right? FT-86 could lead to more sale of those sport version of boring Camry and bland Corolla, and also Matrix, Sienna, Yaris and so on. How many "Sporty" version do Scion have? None. They only sell one "sporty" car and 2 bland-looking cars. Which way will increase more revenue?
Toyota USA failed in selling Supra and Celica because their marketing failed. Toyota Japan have been doing just fine to keep Toyota "sporty" without having Supra or Celica.
If Scion's message to consumers is misinterpreted, FR-S could also be a ricer car. This is also what happened to Celica and Supra. The difference is, FR-S will serve as a ricer car.
What I'm wondering about Toyota is, they are trying to make Prius sub-brand with 4 cars, but their other brand has only 3 cars( iQ production for the US is delayed indefinitely dues to shortage). How could they manage to do that?