What’s My Age Again? Lexus & Cross-Generational Branding
Built with strategic branding & innovative design, Lexus is rethinking simply making luxury Toyotas. Is the brand moving in the right direction?
In the marketing world, millennials are currently the most sought-after demographic on the planet. However, in an op-ed for the NY Daily News, Rebecca Lindland views Lexus’ attempts at catering to millennials as a risky move.
Lindland points out the move away from the “Passionate Pursuit of Perfection” to “Experience Amazing” as a marked shift in Lexus’ branding. She sees this as a move to appeal to potential millennial customers over Lexus’ current baby boomer owners. She also believes that this strategy fails to address Generation X buyers, which would be a problem.
However, we’re not convinced that she’s seeing the big picture. The first thing to consider is how big brands remain big brands over the decades. A brand stays relevant by crossing generations and blurring the lines between them. Baby boomers already know Lexus. Generation X and millennials need to be courted by Lexus. The trick with branding is to leave an imprint in the mind of the next generation before they become potential customers, while at the same time appealing to the current generation for sales now. If we look under the hood, Lexus is doing a very good job of appealing to both Generation X and Generation Y.
