Have any of you fellow Piloters been targeted in the following marketing campaign [it's by Lexus, not Honda, but I thought it was unusual enough to share]:
I received a fairly large, elegant-looking envelope with my name/address nicely printed in script, with a hand-applied stick-on 37-cent stamp (no bulk mailing this). The overall impression that this was some sort of invitation of substance continued upon opening the envelope--inside was a tri-fold card printed on top-drawer stock, along with an RSVP card. Basically, in an exclusive, white-glove manner, it was Lexus inviting me to Great Meadow, Virginia, where--at a time of my choosing--I could appear and drive any of several high-end SUVs (dang, don't have the card with me; can't remember exactly), including, of course, Lexus models but also Mercedes, Infiniti, Lincoln, Acura [MDX], etc. (For those of you unacquainted with Virginia "horse country," Great Meadow is an exclusive, open stretch of rolling land where steeplechase events, upper-crust fairs, etc, take place, primarily oriented to the horsey well-to-do set or well-to-do wannabes.)
While the mailing stated it was an invitation from Lexus, no attempt was made to pitch Lexus over any of the other SUVs mentioned. No dealership or salespersons names were mentioned. It seemed like they encouraged you to consider it a family event, stating that "Entertainment and activities would be provided for the children."
This invitation left you with the impression that they were quietly confident that, after driving the competitors, you'd most likely pick Lexus. Who knows, maybe part of Lexus' plan is to hit you up with an "offer you can't refuse" at this gathering, as the coup de grâce of the sales strategy.
The fact I bought a Pilot probably got me on Lexus' list of those they think might consider an upgrade...and surely I'm not the only one. (Kemosabe, PaulV7, Mpressive, UMGoBLue--my "neighbors"--you got your "invitation" yet?) While there's no reason for me to attend--they ain't gonna part me from my Pilot--it would've been kinda fun to drive the MDX and compare against the others (and the Pilot, for that matter).
I received a fairly large, elegant-looking envelope with my name/address nicely printed in script, with a hand-applied stick-on 37-cent stamp (no bulk mailing this). The overall impression that this was some sort of invitation of substance continued upon opening the envelope--inside was a tri-fold card printed on top-drawer stock, along with an RSVP card. Basically, in an exclusive, white-glove manner, it was Lexus inviting me to Great Meadow, Virginia, where--at a time of my choosing--I could appear and drive any of several high-end SUVs (dang, don't have the card with me; can't remember exactly), including, of course, Lexus models but also Mercedes, Infiniti, Lincoln, Acura [MDX], etc. (For those of you unacquainted with Virginia "horse country," Great Meadow is an exclusive, open stretch of rolling land where steeplechase events, upper-crust fairs, etc, take place, primarily oriented to the horsey well-to-do set or well-to-do wannabes.)
While the mailing stated it was an invitation from Lexus, no attempt was made to pitch Lexus over any of the other SUVs mentioned. No dealership or salespersons names were mentioned. It seemed like they encouraged you to consider it a family event, stating that "Entertainment and activities would be provided for the children."
This invitation left you with the impression that they were quietly confident that, after driving the competitors, you'd most likely pick Lexus. Who knows, maybe part of Lexus' plan is to hit you up with an "offer you can't refuse" at this gathering, as the coup de grâce of the sales strategy.
The fact I bought a Pilot probably got me on Lexus' list of those they think might consider an upgrade...and surely I'm not the only one. (Kemosabe, PaulV7, Mpressive, UMGoBLue--my "neighbors"--you got your "invitation" yet?) While there's no reason for me to attend--they ain't gonna part me from my Pilot--it would've been kinda fun to drive the MDX and compare against the others (and the Pilot, for that matter).
