Resurrecting a brand

 A case study in how not to introduce a new brand of automobile.......

Way back in the late '80's, Nissan wanted to enter the luxury market to compete against Lexus. Both companies realized, that raising the price of a Nissan or Toyota in North America could only go so far, before people balked and said, "It's still a Toyota!" or a Nissan. The solution? Invent a new name and build a luxury line up under that name's umbrella.

Lexus started out like this.......

.......while Infiniti showed pictures of tree branches and mountain streams, trying to sell a concept or a feeling. Thirty years later, we all know and worship Lexus, but what about Infiniti? Well, they quickly found that the luxury buyers cared more about what their dollars would actually buy them, than the beauty of nature and an idea. From that stumbling start, poor old Infiniti has never recovered and has never won the hearts and wallets of the upper class like Lexus.

It's not that Infiniti didn't have some great moments and products. For example, the G35 from the early 2000's, which eventually became the Q50........

From its inception, a car that could hold its own against most other sport sedans. But herein lies Infiniti's problem. This is a fast moving world and nothing stands still for long. Infiniti thought it did, and kept its models (cars and suvs) on the market far too long without changing them. This didn't work then and doesn't work now. 

Another example, the Bionic Cheetah (their name, not mine), which also stayed way too long at the party.........

By the by the time an interesting new product is brought to market, like the QX50......

........the buying public has forgotten about the brand and moved on. Infiniti has to gain folks attention all over again, "Hey, remember us?". A lesson which should have been learned in Marketing 101.

An interesting aside.........in other parts of the world Lexus vehicles have been sold as Toyotas. I guess the Europeans aren't as snobby as us in North America. Recently though, that has changed and Lexus is now its own brand. Must be that Lexus has become such a valued nameplate, that it should be rolled out around the globe.

Back to Infiniti. Once again, they are trying to resurrect the brand showing these stunning concepts, the Inspiration sedan and the QX Monograph suv......

Either one should set the car world a buzz and have lots of people, socially distanced, of course, going to Infiniti showrooms. That problem again, will people remember who Infiniti is and what it stands for? Will they reinvent themselves yet again?

Say what you will about Lexus, they have successfully stayed on message for over thirty years, while Infiniti flops around like a fish out of water. Will this time be the charm?

Until next time.....