JMU R1 wrote: The sad thing is, I think the people in leadership positions at Honda don't appreciate what they had. There are plenty of companies who would KILL to have a deep following of loyal and passionate fans. Fans that help you sell product without having to blow metric tons of money on marketing. Fans that educate others on the virtues and ideals of your company. I can tell you right now Hyundai would love to have the fervent enthusiast following that Honda had.
Yet now Honda has short-sightedly decided to ignore a large segment of true fans of the brand. Then they'll wonder why their fortunes are not as bright as in the past.
It continues to be discouraging, troubling, and really frustrating! That we see this, and the people actually running the company can not/do not/will not/wish not. Honestly it's akin to neglect. We all know Honda is about the worst at marketing. So making bad commercials that feature the product for maybe 7-8 seconds, taking woeful, unflattering stock photos, failing social media in hilarious fashion.. these things are not a crime. Throwing away without a care, with apparent reckless abandon and willful negligence, throngs of your company's hard-earned and devoted customers is attempted suicide in business. If not that, then a sign of a serious drug problem. (Hmm....) If Honda was one person, it would be like moving away from your family in the middle of the night and setting up residence in a shack in the mountains, or selling all your worldly possessions on eBay. Or maybe not, but I think the jist is there somewhere.
When Honda loses its specialness, what will separate it from its competitors? Fuel economy? I doubt it. Not at the rate things are going. Too much competition on that front. Driving feel? Will depend on how they continue to soften the vehicles for the masses they're chasing. Price? Incentives will have to increase further still. That, or Honda will have to stop being so damn profit hungry at the cost of their reputation, and stop being so stingy on materials and features.
Honda needs to have influencers in households. Their crappy advertising isn't going to do it. The mass market appliance drivers will be swayed by something other than emotion or enthusiasm. It won't be from driving sensations. It will be price, styling, feature content, fuel economy. When the prospects are too close to call, it will come down to dealer proximity, vehicle availability, sales staff (watch out Honda, you don't score so well there). Honda needs to have people - some number of actual current new car owners - who can talk up the company, who aren't on their payroll. They need product that is worthy of and instills enthusiasm in their brand.
I'm glad mom and sis have their Hondas. What about dad and bro? Um, dad and bro with a pulse?
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