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Luxury Car Ceo Status Marketing Essay

Paper Type: Free Essay Subject: Marketing
Wordcount: 5472 words Published: 1st Jan 2015

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The average North American works twenty-seven hours each month to pay for the thirty-two hours they spend driving. It is vital to understand the psychological elements in people’s car buying decisions. People select specific cars for everything from logical reasons such as price, functionality, safety and fuel economy, to vanity desires that include looks, color, performance and styling. Family experiences play a role (young people buying first car ask parents for guidance, or buy a car parents would disapprove of as form of rebellion) in car buying. Time circumstances also influence the selection of a vehicle (increasing family size, total car, new hobbies, new job: long distance commuter needs good fuel economy, construction workers need truck)

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Many vehicle purchases are also made for irrational reasons – it looks good, is quick, etc. There are various misconceptions and believes about owning a luxury car that makes them so enticing to buy. Common beliefs of luxury cars are that they will immediately increase your social status, make you happy, make you more desirable to the opposite sex, and they will easily out perform cars of lesser brands.

Luxury Car CEO Status

“Commercials featuring luxury cars have several common characteristics. The voice presenting the car is invariably male, and he sounds smugly self-confident. It’s as if he is stating the obvious, although the only people truly capable of understanding are those who can afford the car. In order to have the disposable income to buy a luxury car, most people need to have a prominent role within a company. Only a tiny slice of the population is self-employed or wealthy without having to work. The perception of status and wealth is commonly tied to luxury cars $70,000 and up because after all CEOs earn many times more in a year than most folks do in entire lifetimes. They tend not haggle over price at a Toyota, Chevy, or Ford dealership.” (The Hidden Psychology of Luxury Car Commercials).

A Luxury Car Will Make You Happy

“A luxury car will be better than the last car you drove, give you status, and the appearance of importance. Driving or riding in a luxury car is the ultimate driving experience. The vehicle rides better, comes with more features, and has one of those status elevating branding symbols – Mercedes Benz, BMW, or Cadillac. When luxury car owners think about their car relative to other (less luxurious) cars on the road, they receive a boost in pleasure. Identity research similarly confirms the benefits of a luxury car. The luxury car owner can think, “I am an important person.” And other drivers seem to think the same thing. There is a notable psychology experiment found that people were less likely to honk at a luxury car than an economy car that failed to proceed when a light turned green.” (Will a luxury car make you happy? By Peter McGraw)

Happy Marketing application

Lexus December to Remember campaign, which depicts the perfect, couple everyone smiling and happy. The husband or wife really loves each other because they bought them a new Lexus.

Vanity – Egoism

“It is believed that a car is an extension of one’s self. Luxury cars fit this mold because they satisfy those who want to own what is beyond the means of most. Some of the most expensive advertising photography is done for luxury car ads using state of the art, computer controlled lighting in high-end studios. These ads appear in glossy magazines and other media where this level of quality shines. The goal: show exclusivity. After all, the higher the price, the more select the club. Purchase a premium vehicle and it will make you the envy of the common man.” (The Hidden Psychology of Luxury Car Commercials)

More Desirable

“What we drive often has to do with that other drive (sex),” says evolutionary psychologist Geoffrey Miller, PHD. Miller compares the typical male BMW owner to the bowerbird of Australia, which builds elaborately decorated nests to lure females. Consciously or not, Miller says humans use vehicles to signal their desirability as mates. Cars are one of the most public displays we make to create a first impression.

Men interested in a quick hookup are more willing to blow money on a flashy car. Men see luxury cars as a way to attract mates. A Porsche Boxster creates more interest from women then a Toyota or Chevy. Many car sellers use this sales approach. (http://www.oprah.com/spirit/The-Psychology-of-Driving-Car-Buying-Habits)

Safety, Convenience, and Customization

Luxury cars offer better “standard” features and technology such as voice-activated GPS, back up camera, monitor, and USB ports. While an ordinary entry-level car would have one or two airbags, prestige cars are very well cushioned in case of accidents. There are cars with airbags all around to ensure the safety of the driver and the passengers. Auto parallel parking, steering wheel vibrates or there’s a beep if you drift from your lane.

Brand

To the privileged few, it is all about the brand. There are car brands that conjure up images of sports cars zooming around a racing circuit burning rubber, while other brands are much more connected to royalty and the ruling class. Beyond pricing and social class status, luxury cars are pretty much the same with vehicles in other segments in terms of usability and drivability. Automobile manufacturers like BMW, Ferrari, Jaguar, and Merceds Benz have car models that specifically target wealthy individuals. The luxury car brands provide reduced information search costs, risk reduction, expectations of quality, prestige, and emotional needs. The main dimensions of brand equity that luxury cars provide are brand awareness and perceived quality.

Customers draw inferences about product quality from price. In some situations, contrary to standard microeconomic theory, a higher price can lead to higher rather than lower demand. This occurs when price is used to signal that the product is of high quality. Luxury cars charge a high price because they are perceived as having a higher quality than most other cars on the road. In addition a low price could signal low quality. Thus, it is not necessarily the case that continually dropping prices is a good idea. Research has shown that for most products, customers not only have an upper price threshold (customer value) but a lower one as well; that is, a price below the threshold reduces demand.

Marketers of Lexus, Mercedes, and BMW often use a high price to signal exclusivity or prestige. A high price for these automobiles means that fewer customers can afford it. Luxury automobile makers could charge substantially less for their cars and still make a profit. However, because few consumers can afford tens of thousands of dollars for an automobile, few will own a luxury car, which is how luxury car owners want it. “The major implication for marketing managers in this situation is that the price must be consistent with the marketing strategy, if a value proposition stressing quality or value-added features requires a concomitant high price.” (Marketing Management 4th Edition)

For luxury brands to be successful they must have a pricing strategy based on “consumers’ perceptions of value, the brand be positioned properly, the brand be consistent, the brand excels at delivering the benefits customers truly desire, the brand portfolio and hierarchy make sense, the brand makes use of and coordinates a full repertoire of marketing activities to build equity, the brand’s managers understand what the brand means to consumers, the brand is given proper support, and that support is sustained over the long run, and the company monitors sources of brand equity.” (The brand report card by Kevin Keller)

Ultimately, the power of the luxury car brand lies in the minds of consumers or customers, in what they have experienced and learned about the brand over time. They perceive luxury cars as being of better quality, status symbol, and lead to happy life and family.

Background: The Luxury Car Market (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxury_vehicle)

The luxury car market is broken down into six market segments. Those segments are Premium Compact, Entry-Level, Mid-Luxury, High-End Luxury, Ultra-Luxury, and Luxury SUV.

The premium compact segment is the newest segment and consists primarily of European cars. Examples of these cars are the Audi A3, BMW 1 Series, Mercedes-Benz B class, and the Volvo C30. These cars off the high end styling and trim but are full efficient.

Entry-level luxury cars are typically the bottom vehicles in the brands lineup. For example, the BMW 3 series, Audi A4, Cadillac ATS, and Lexus IS are entry-level luxury cars. These cars often have four cylinders and have much more complex mechanical layout than premium compact cars.

Mid-Luxury cars are similar to mid-size cars dimensionally. However mid-luxury cars are engineered for maximum performance. These cars are often rear wheel drive and have a V8 engine. All of these cars come standard with high end trim packages. Examples of mid-luxury cars are the BMW 5 series, Audi A8, Mercedes-Benz S Class, Lincoln Town Car, and Cadillac DTS.

Ultra-Luxury cars cost more than US$100,000. This segment includes popular brands such as Rolls Royce, Bentley, Aston Martin, and Maserati. These are the top performing cars with the highest end mechanical and electrical systems. Typically these cars will have a V12 engine and are produced at very low volumes.

Luxury SUV is a segment of luxury cars that became popular in the 1990’s. These luxury vehicles are primarily four wheel drive, have at least a 8 cylinder engine and are have off road packages. Examples of luxury SUV’s would be Lexus LX and Lincoln Navigator.

This paper will focus on mid-luxury cars and how they are viewed. We will break this segment of luxury cars into two countries of origin, America and Germany.

AMERICA

The big three automobile companies in America are General Motors, Ford and Chrysler. All three of these automobile manufacturers are based in Detroit, Michigan. (http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Articles/2012/01/09/Big-Three-Automakers-Once-Again-Booming.aspx#page1) All three of these companies are within the top five manufacturers in terms of automobiles produced. At one point they were the top three automobile manufacturers in output. All of these companies have labor unions (in this case they are all run by the United Auto Workers and Canadian Auto Workers). Due to the labor unions, higher productions costs are incurred by these companies due to higher labor wages.

The big three were recently in the news for their economic problems. All three companies were hit hard by the economic downturn. This caused the United States government to offer assistance to these companies. Also adding the economic problems was the rise in gasoline prices in the last few years. All three companies produce a large number of pickup trucks and SUV’s. For years this line of vehicles were very profitable and produced the high margin. However as customers became more price sensitive to gasoline prices, sale of pickup trucks and SUVs plummeted in favor of more fuel efficient vehicles produced by Asian or Europe automobile manufactures. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Three_%28automobile_manufacturers%29

Today all three companies continue to lose market share worldwide. However within the United States there has been very little competition. No new independent automobile manufacturers in America since the 1980’s. Many American’s still feel they should buy American made automobiles however the newer generations are purchasing cars based on their features and not based on where the company is located.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Three_%28automobile_manufacturers%29)

General Motors

General Motors is one of the largest companies in the world, employing over 200,000 associates. They have many brands under them including Alpheon, Boajun, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall, Holden and Wuling. Cadillac is their luxury brand and the Cadillac XTS is their mid-luxury car. http://www.gm.com/company/historyAndHeritage.html

Cadillac XTS

The Cadillac XTS is the replacement of the Cadillac DTS and is a full size sedan. Prices for the Cadillac DTS start at $44,075usd. It comes standard with the 3.6L V6 engine, which produces 304 horsepower. You can upgrade from the standard trim package to the luxury and premium packages. These options include a navigation system, magnetic ride control, moonroof, chrome wheels, heated/cooled seats, and a heated steering wheel. A fully loaded Cadillac XTS will cost approximately $55,000usd.

http://www.cadillac.com/xts-luxury-sedan.html

Ford Motor Company

Henry Ford was accredited as the creator of the assembly line and his company still exists today. Ford is the fifth largest automobile manufacture in the world (2nd in the United States) and they employee 213,000 associates worldwide. Their brands consist of Ford brand and Lincoln brand. Ford has a small stake in Mazda and Aston Martin. http://corporate.ford.com/our-company/heritage

Lincoln MKZ

The Lincoln MKZ is Ford’s newest luxury sedan. The second version of this luxury sedan was unveiled at the 2012 New York Auto Show. It has the option of three engines, a 240 horse power EcoBoost 2L four cylinder, a 300 horse power EcoBoost 3.7L six cylinder, and a hybrid system based on the 2L engine. Last year the Lincoln MKZ was the only hybrid in its class. Options included in the Lincoln MKZ are a sunroof, navigation system, blind spot monitor, THX surround sound system, and backup camera. The base price of the Lincoln MKZ is $45,810usd.

http://www.lincoln.com/cars/mks/

Chrysler Group

Chrysler is the 3rd largest American automotive supplier. It has a global strategic alliance with Fiat an Italian automotive manufacture. Divisions of the Chrysler Group include Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, and Fiat (USA). The Chrysler Group employee 56,000 associates worldwide. http://www.chryslerhistory.com/

Chrysler 300

The Chrysler 300 is a full-size luxury sedan that released its second version in 2011. Engines in the 300 include a 292 horse power 3.6L V6 Pentastar, a 363 horse power 5.7L V8 HEMI and a 6.4L V8 392 HEMI. The Chysler 300 focuses more on performance than comforts with its well know engines. Although most luxury options can be included in the 300, including heated seats, backseat television, a dual-pane sunroof, 8.4in Uconnect Touch screen and SmartBean headlights. http://www.chrysler.com/en/2013/300/

American Cars

The Cadillac brand has seen a huge decline since its peak in the 50s, when it was an icon of the American dream, when Cadillac represented 80% of new luxury cars sold. The Cadillac brand plummeted through the 70’s and 80s, and continued to lose market share through the 90’s. The brand became an object of ridicule, and it lost its position as an American icon. “Cadillac is vital to General Motors because of what it represents about the company.” G. Richard Wagoner (http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2002-04-07/cadillac-can-gm-save-an-icon)

Although the Cadillac Escalade had made a big splash with the hip-hop crowd, Cadillac has not made any efforts to direct this attention toward other brands or really accept it, as Cadillac and GM executives were puzzled by this attitude. The high popularity and recognition of the Escalade has not been achieved by any of Cadillac’s other models.

Many baby-boomers fail to be impressed by the brand their parents loved, and instead prefer European cars. Many people’s perceptions are that European cars are for driving enthusiasts, while Cadillacs are for those who see driving as a leisure activity or don’t enjoy driving. This kind of mentality opened up the luxury import market in the first place, when baby-boomers were departing from their parents’ attitude of the love and loyalty to everything American.

“They don’t seem to get it when it comes to making cars for people who like to drive.” (http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2002-04-07/cadillac-can-gm-save-an-icon)

“Cadillac can’t afford to give up on the baby boomers, but it could take until their children mature before the brand regains real momentum.” (http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2002-04-07/cadillac-can-gm-save-an-icon) In 2002, GM began an effort to bring Cadillac back from the brink, devoting 10 percent of its budget to a brand making up only 4% of sales the previous year. (http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2002-04-07/cadillac-can-gm-save-an-icon)

The luxury category is not like other markets. These are affluent buyers who are less sensitive to changes in their purchasing power than they are to exciting new products.

“Although the new luxury cars have dizzying sticker prices, analysts point out that the price of automobiles, even expensive ones, has not kept pace with inflation since 1998 because of overproduction.”

(http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/28/business/international-business-heady-days-for-makers-of-luxury-vehicles.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm)

Since the economic downturn of 2008, many have taken a second look at Ford, being the only of the Big Three not to take bailout money. Therefore, Ford is on moral high ground among many consumers who still want to buy American, compared to GM, which is still majority US Government owned, and Chrysler which filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2009, and was given relief from punitive damages for manufacturing defects for all cars it made before 2004.

Possible source for Lincoln: http://autos.aol.com/article/lincoln-brand-revival/

Lincoln stands out and takes a rational price promotional approach to the MKZ by being the first to offer the hybrid version priced the same as the gasoline version. Lincoln’s television advertising campaign exemplifies them as the smart choice. The Lincoln MKZ hybrid stood up well to its direct competition, the Lexus HS 250h, outselling it last year. Both cars featured regenerative braking, automatic engine cutoff at idle, and electric vehicle mode allowing to travel relatively short distances below 47 miles per hour. However, Lincoln proves superior in fuel economy and range, as well as power. It was also cheaper.

(http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/24/automobiles/upwardly-mobile-hybrids-splurging-while-saving-gas.html?_r=0)

“While over the years the brand’s good name was built on the twin pillars of engineering and exclusivity, neither applies much anymore. It’s no secret that Mercedes’s reputation for quality has taken a nose dive this decade. Just as legions of car buyers have sworn off the domestics forever because of shoddy quality, plenty of potential Mercedes owners are shopping elsewhere. But even more harmful to the brand image is that Mercedes has diluted its unique claim as a builder of high-end luxury cars by going after nearly every product segment in the U.S. market. Mercedes dealers now sell everything from a full-size sport-utility vehicle, the GL-Class, to a poorly disguised minivan, the R-Class. A compact SUV, the GLK-Class, is coming. For 2008, Mercedes is more of a full- line brand than Ford.” (Getting a C: A Benz That Fails to Impress)

http://www.goodcarbadcar.net/search/label/Midsize%20Luxury%20Car%20Sales?max-results=5

While this has helped Lincoln to sell more hybrids, (about 20 percent of MKZ sales so far this year were hybrids, and the MKZ Hybrid outsold the Lexus 250h by almost double,) it has not helped them beat out the foreign competition overall in the mid-luxury vehicle category. Compared with Lincoln in American sales, Cadillac’s XTS is neck and neck, while the BMW 5-series outsold them by about 20% and the Mercedes E-Class has nearly doubled Lincoln’s sales, while Lexus’s ES has nearly tripled them.

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Don Butler, Cadillac Vice-President of Marketing says “There is a huge amount of respect for Cadillac, but for many people that respect is analogous to, I respect and love my grand-dad, but I don’t want to hang out with him all the time. So the challenge I have is, how do I take that residual positive sentiment and make it relevant for today’s buyer?” (http://images.forbes.com/forbesinsights/StudyPDFs/automotive-outlook_report.pdf)

Lincoln is up more than 20% in key luxury markets. “The top 10 metro areas make up almost half of all the luxury sales in the country, and it’s in markets like that-like L.A., New York and Miami-where we’re making some really significant gains.” (Forbes)

The problem is that people’s perceptions of the brand aren’t flattering. It’s viewed as antiquated, perhaps a bit stale. “The words ‘Town Car’ and ‘Continental’ frequently rise up in conversation,” O’Donnell says. “That’s the general perception. Those that have contact with our MK product range take a somewhat different view.

“Most consumers we talk to today in research have warm-to-fond feelings toward the Lincoln brand, and they very much want us to succeed,” says C.J. O’Donnell, group marketing manager for Lincoln.

A survey done by BIGinsight demonstrates that someone considering purchasing a Lincoln or a Cadillac are more likely than current owners of the brands and the rest of the population to be younger and more fashion oriented, “Live for today because tomorrow is so uncertain, is employed full time, is more likely to invest in the stock market, and is more confident in a strong economy in the next six months.” Potential Lincoln customers are more likely to work in sales, while potential Cadillac customers are more likely to own a business or be a manager, and also more likely to have higher household income.

(http://images.forbes.com/forbesinsights/StudyPDFs/automotive-outlook_report.pdf

GERMANY

The automotive market is one of the largest in Germany. Automotive companies employee over 866,000 associates. With an annual output over for 6 million automobiles, Germany is the clear automotive leader in Europe (and fourth in the world after America, China, and Japan).

Germany is considered to be the birthplace of the automobile after Karl Benz and Nikolaus Otto developed the four-stroke engine in the late 1870’s. Karl Benz in 1887 then fitted his four-stroke engine into his coach, creating the modern day car.

Currently there are six major automobile manufactures in Germany. They are Volkswagen, BMW AG, Daimler AG, Porsche AG, Adam Opel AG, and Ford-Werke AG. Volkswagen produces the most vehicles and is the third largest producer after General Motors and Toyota.

Germans favor the high quality of the German cars. The majority of automobiles purchased in Germany are German made automobiles. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automotive_industry_in_Germany

BMW

BMW (Bayerische Motoren Werke) was founded in 1917 and produces high-end automobiles and motorcycles. Their headquarters is in Munich, Bavaria. Other brands owned by BMW are Mini and Rolls-Royce. In 2010 BMW produced 1,481,253 automobiles. Today only 56% of their vehicles are gasoline powered, the remaining 44% are powered by diesel. Diesel powered automobiles are very common in all areas of the world except America. http://www.bmw.com/com/en/insights/history/overview.html

BMW 5 Series

The 5 Series sedan is in its sixth generation since its inception in 1972. The current generation F10/F11 debuted on 23 November 2009 as a 2010 model. Worldwide eleven engines are available. Options exist from a 2.0L 184 horse power engine to a 3.0L diesel 381 horse power, many of which are a direct injection straight six. Luxury options on the BMW 5 Series are rear-view camera, automatic transmission shift paddles, driver assistance package, navigation, and rear-seat entertainment. The BWM 5 Series is well known for its high end handling packages. The base price for a BMW 5 Series is $47,500usd. http://www.bmw.com/com/en/newvehicles/5series/overview.html

Daimler AG

Daimler AG is the parent company of Mercedez-Benz. Mercedez-Benz has been manufacturing luxury automobiles since 1926. Their headquarters is in Stuttgart, Baden-Wuerttemberg. Mercedez-Benz is noted for introducing many automotive technologies including, water-cooled vehicles, the drop chassis, four brake system, traction control, ESP system, variable geometry turbocharger, and PreSafe system.

http://www.mbusa.com/mercedes/benz/innovation

Mercedes-Benz E Class

The Mercedes-Benz E Class has four different body styles. They are 4-door sedan, 5-door station wagon, 2-door coupe and convertible. Also the E Class can be purchased with front wheel drive, rear wheel drive or all wheel drive. The E Class sedan starts at $51,000usd. Engines offered in the E Class include direct injection gasoline engines, BluTEC diesel engine, and a Hybrid engine. Also all E Class cars come with a seven-speed transmission, which comes with a paddle for shifting. Agility control is incorporated into every car. Options include lane tracking assist, blind spot assist, rear view camera, high end surround sound systems, and Keyless GO. http://www.mbusa.com/mercedes/vehicles/class/features/class-E/bodystyle-SDN/vehicle-performance

Audi

Audi is a car company based in Bavaria, Germany. They employee 47,000 associates worldwide and last year they produced 1,343,000 cars. Subsidiaries of Audi include, Ducati and Lamborghini. Audi is majority owned by Volkswagen since 1966. The company name is based on the last name of August Horch. Horch means listen, which in Latin is Audi. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audi

Audi A8

ttp://img.carwale.com/news/u/2009/12/audi-a8-2010.jpg

The Audi A8 is a full size, four door, luxury sedan. The A8 is on its third generation. Both front and all wheel options are available. Audi retained its all aluminum frame for the third generation. Options include Audi’s Connect System, MMI Navigation with voice control, rear seat entertainment, camera assistance, and dynamic steering. Both a 3.0L and a 4.0L engine can be purchased. The base price for the A8 is $72,000usd. http://models.audiusa.com/a8/models

German Luxury Car Market

For most German car companies, BMW, Mercedez-Benz, Audi, it is all about the brand. These automobile manufacturers specifically target wealthy individuals because typically they are willing to spend the extra money for some of the perceived luxury brand benefits. The luxury car brands provide “reduced information search costs, risk reduction, expectations of quality, prestige, and emotional needs” (Marketing Management 4th Edition).

Since many customers draw inferences about product quality from price, a higher price can lead to higher rather than lower demand. Luxury cars makers can charge a higher price because they are perceived as having a higher quality than most other cars on the road. Marketers of German luxury cars often use a high price to also signal exclusivity or prestige. By charging a higher price for these automobiles, fewer customers can afford it, which is how luxury car owners want it.

(Marketing Management 4th Edition)

For luxury brands to be successful they must also implement a concept explained by Kevin Keller. He outlines his “brand report card” as follows”

The brand excels at delivering the benefits customers truly desire

The brand stays relevant

The pricing strategy is based on consumers’ perceptions of value

The brand to is properly positioned

The brand is consistent

The brand portfolio and hierarchy make sense

The brand makes use of and coordinates a full repertoire of marketing activities to build equity

The brand’s managers understand what the brand means to consumers

The brand is given proper support, and that support is sustained over the long run, and

The company monitors sources of brand equity.” (The Brand Report Card by Kevin Keller)

Ultimately, the power of the luxury car brand lies in the mind of the consumers or customers. It is the ideas, experience, and knowledge projected by the brand over time. Various myths and beliefs of owning a luxury car are what make them so enticing to buy.

Brand Perception

Audi- Audi has built its brand perception as being known for building some of the most technically advanced, visually sophisticated cars in the world. Audi has met that goal and continues to stay relentlessly focused on it. Though Audi has built and maintained this focus they fail to rank in the top five car brands for factors to consider when buying a car: safety, quality, value, performance, environmentally friendly, design, and technology. (http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012/01/consumers-see-fewer-differences-among-car-brands/index.htm)

BMW- Despite occasional flaws, BMW is one of the absolute top shelf in brand perception. With its “Ultimate Driving Machine” persona, BMW can hardly do any wrong. BMW is continually in the top five brands under design/style, technology/innovation, and performance. BMW’s brand perception is extraordinarily flawless. Our primary research also enforces the fact that the BMW brand is held in high regards with the group surveyed.

(http://www.autoextremist.com/current/2012/2/21/the-autoextremist.html)

Mercedes-Benz- “Despite numerous product missteps and egregious marketing mistakes, this brand still enthralls some first-timers into the luxury arena and delivers what’s promised enough to keep a modicum of the faithful happy. But the competition is way too intense and Mercedes’ fail-safe mode is to rest on its laurels. Brand perception is intermittently excellent, but maddeningly inconsistent.” (http://www.autoextremist.com/current/2012/2/21/the-autoextremist.html)

German Luxury Car Beliefs

A BMW, Mercedes-Benz, or Audi, will certainly be better than the last car you drove. Having one of these brand cars will also give you status, and the appearance of importance. Driving or riding in a German made luxury car is the ultimate driving experience. The vehicle rides better, comes with more features, and has one of those status elevating branding symbols – Mercedes Benz, BMW, or Audi.

When luxury car owners think about their car relative to other (less luxurious) cars on the road, they receive a boost in pleasure. Identity research similarly confirms the benefits of a luxury car. The luxury car owner can think, “I am an important person.” And other drivers seem to think the same thing. There is a notable psychology experiment found that people were less likely to honk at a luxury car than an economy car that failed to proceed when a light turned green.” (Will a luxury car make you happy? By Peter McGraw)

Owning a car with a luxury brand symbol gives the driver an increased feeling of status, pleasure and self-confidence. German luxury car brands try to extend this myth by saying only people truly capable of understanding these feelings are those who can afford the car. The luxury car manufacturers also want consumers to think that owning a luxury car will make you happy, make you more desirable to the opposite sex, and will easily out perform cars of lesser brands.

German Luxury Car Myths

Almost everyone believes that driving a luxury car is more enjoyable and makes you happier than driving an economy car. Purchase a luxury vehicle and it will make you the envy of the common man. Driving a luxury car will also give you the appearance of status and wealth, which are also commonly tied with happiness. In actu

 

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