Y marks the spot for Subaru XV
BY PHILIP LORD | 7th Jun 2010
Speaking at the Subaru Forester 2.0D launch last week, Subaru Australia managing director Nick Senior said he had young people working on the campaign for the $27,490 ‘recreational’ crossover.
He said he did not want the campaign wholly created by “a 40 year old”, as he believed only a different approach – one by people of the same demographic – would reach the XV’s under-30 target audience.
Mr Senior would not elaborate on the marketing campaign that we will see when advertising begins later this month, but he said traditional marketing methods involving television and print media were not likely.
Mr Senior said those working on the campaign had been told to loosen their ties.
“I’ve told them to have some fun with this, to do something different,” he said.
For many cash-strapped 18- to 25-year-old buyers, even the Impreza XV will be out of reach, but for them, Subaru offers what it calls “our sixth model line” – used Suburus – in lieu of an entry-level competitor.
“We would obviously be interested in any new (light) car being developed, but we have a very strong philosophy around all-wheel drive and boxer engines,” Mr Senior said.
“Indeed, in recent years it is because of these differences that we have been able to increase or maintain market share in difficult market circumstances.”
Mr Senior said Subaru believed the light-car segment was more viable anyway.
“The light-segment is very competitive, with small margins, a lot of sales support and while it is a significant segment, there is more opportunity for us in the small car segment, the number one segment in Australia,” he said.
“We do 1000 units per month, our market share around about 5 per cent, and I think there is more opportunity and more quality sales in the small-car segment rather than the light-car segment, where it can get really dirty.
“We would be a premium in price in the light-car segment, and I’m not sure if the light-car segment is ready for a premium-priced car.
“The Impreza is $24,000 at the moment we don’t have a new car for those (in the 18 to 25 year-old bracket) who can’t afford our new cars, and let’s face it there’s a whole lot of them who can’t, and that’s why we put a lot of effort into used cars.
“I treat the used cars as the sixth model in our line up. It’s that important to us, and it’s important to the network.
“That’s why we’ve done some rental car deals over time to create stock, because we’ve done that on by-back, with those vehicles coming back to us.”
