Rant about inexplicable corporate decisions (first up, the Nissan Armada!)

[Thaleia]

I'm still trying to figure out the Mustang suv thing.

[BmillsSkier]

I'm still trying to figure out the Mustang suv thing.

When you figure that one out, see if you can make sense of whatever this is. Apparently they sell.

[Timberridge]

Did BMW start this thing with the X4/6? You don't see many Audi Sportbacks for some reason, but they make em.

[BmillsSkier]

Did BMW start this thing with the X4/6? You don't see many Audi Sportbacks for some reason, but they make em.

Yes they did, and Clarkson's initial review of the X6 was hilarious.

[MontuckyFried]

Or how about corporations shitting all over their core demos? Most egregious example I can think of was when Proctor & Gamble ran those Gillette toxic masculinity ads few years back. I think that move cost 'em like $5 billion dollars in lost sales, and I'm not sure they've ever been able to claw those sales back from their competitors who got boosted from the whole fiasco. Then the CEO doubled down by saying that losing customers "was a price worth paying." Like, we all can agree that women shouldn't be harassed and all, but is telling your core consumer how they need to "do better" really a winning strategy for profits?

Gillette ads went from being motivational and inspirational to men back when I was young like this classic:


To this one telling us how much we suck:

[MarcusBrody]

Uhm, it's mf'n Nissan. The last 25 years in the US market has not been all that successful, for that matter globally. At least they are honest that most truck and SUV buyers NEVER go off pavement.

I would agree except that they play up the off-pavement angle of their non-capable SUVs. It's like the worst of all worlds. But as you say, maybe that's Nissan's MO in the US market.

Or how about corporations shitting all over their core demos? Most egregious example I can think of was when Proctor & Gamble ran those Gillette toxic masculinity ads few years back. I think that move cost 'em like $5 billion dollars in lost sales, and I'm not sure they've ever been able to claw those sales back from their competitors who got boosted from the whole fiasco. Then the CEO doubled down by saying that losing customers "was a price worth paying." Like, we all can agree that women shouldn't be harassed and all, but is telling your core consumer how they need to "do better" really a winning strategy for profits?

Gillette ads went from being motivational and inspirational to men back when I was young like this classic:
To this one telling us how much we suck:

I think it might be more a misunderstanding of your key demographic than intentionally shitting on them. Ads are always aspirational. I assume that Gillette assumed that men want to consider themselves "one of the good guys" and they wanted them to associate their brand with being one of the good guys. But they apparently didn't understand that a lot of men would focus on their connection to the part where they pointed out bad stuff and take it as "shitting on them" rather than associating themselves with the men who are not being assholes at the end of the ad.

Kind of the same with the Bud Lite/trans Influencer thing. In terms of who I'm prejudiced against in society, influencers rank pretty highly. But it would never occur to me to not do something I'm already doing just because they were promoting something. I assume the Bud Lite marketer just imagined that they could expand into a new segment. They totally misunderstood that part of their key demographic truly HATES trans people. To the point that they want to bring down anything associated with them. Should they have been able to see that coming? Maybe. But I see it as a scenario where they less meant to slap the key demographic in the face, and more they just assumed it would be totally unrelated to the key demographic.

[irul&ublo]

The diesel version of the LesboStrap 5000

[hatchgreenchile]

eliminating the geo tracker… most capable low-cost full frame 4wd vehicle the United States has ever seen.
.

If we're talking about 4WDs that corporate should have never killed off, you have to start with the Jeep XJ.

[MarcusBrody]

The diesel version of the LesboStrap 5000

I can't believe they discontinued it. A gas engine is never going to give you those deep throbbing vibrations!

[dunfree]

I would agree except that they play up the off-pavement angle of their non-capable SUVs. It's like the worst of all worlds. But as you say, maybe that's Nissan's MO in the US market.



I think it might be more a misunderstanding of your key demographic than intentionally shitting on them. Ads are always aspirational. I assume that Gillette assumed that men want to consider themselves "one of the good guys" and they wanted them to associate their brand with being one of the good guys. But they apparently didn't understand that a lot of men would focus on their connection to the part where they pointed out bad stuff and take it as "shitting on them" rather than associating themselves with the men who are not being assholes at the end of the ad.

Kind of the same with the Bud Lite/trans Influencer thing. In terms of who I'm prejudiced against in society, influencers rank pretty highly. But it would never occur to me to not do something I'm already doing just because they were promoting something. I assume the Bud Lite marketer just imagined that they could expand into a new segment. They totally misunderstood that part of their key demographic truly HATES trans people. To the point that they want to bring down anything associated with them. Should they have been able to see that coming? Maybe. But I see it as a scenario where they less meant to slap the key demographic in the face, and more they just assumed it would be totally unrelated to the key demographic.

bud lite paid a few $k to a not very well known influencer to try and do something different, which is what some marketers do, and it blew up. Bud had marketed to people their supposed core hates for decades. Decades. There were rainbow bud signs in the oughts.

[MontuckyFried]

I think it might be more a misunderstanding of your key demographic than intentionally shitting on them.

That's probably true, but when a marketing executive has a mere "misunderstanding" of their very product's key demographic, then they obviously suck at their job. Bad. It's LITERALLY their job to understand their customers inside and out. At least that USED to be Advertising 101. Know thy customer.

[Cisco Kid]

I never saw the can IRL, did you?

[El Chupacabra]

If we're talking about 4WDs that corporate should have never killed off, you have to start with the Jeep XJ.

I'd buy a new or well preserved one today, if a reasonable price.

They wouldn't pass current crash tests or emissions, and that long lived 4.0L is pretty weak by today's engine standards.

But the XJ is and shall always be the best real off road worthy SUV.

[PB]

When you figure that one out, see if you can make sense of whatever this is. Apparently they sell.

Ha! We're all geezers on this bus.
Takes a little getting used to but I love mine - it's a C class, 43 ......... but I AMG'd the fuck out of it!

[BmillsSkier]

But the XJ is and shall always be the best real off road worthy SUV.

Save the 1991-1995 Nissan Pathfinder. Ironically.

Ha! We're all geezers on this bus.
Takes a little getting used to but I love mine - it's a C class, 43 ......... but I AMG'd the fuck out of it!

Hey man, I'm happy for you, or anyone, that loves what they drive. That's what makes car talk so much fun. People like what they like and other people sometimes don't. Cheers!

[evdog]

Kind of the same with the Bud Lite/trans Influencer thing. In terms of who I'm prejudiced against in society, influencers rank pretty highly. But it would never occur to me to not do something I'm already doing just because they were promoting something. I assume the Bud Lite marketer just imagined that they could expand into a new segment. They totally misunderstood that part of their key demographic truly HATES trans people. To the point that they want to bring down anything associated with them. Should they have been able to see that coming? Maybe. But I see it as a scenario where they less meant to slap the key demographic in the face, and more they just assumed it would be totally unrelated to the key demographic.

Had Bud ran a national campaign selling cans with her face on them or putting her on billboards/ads, then I could see the argument that they didn't understand their core demographic.

But they didn't do that. The partnership was only promoted on the influencer's social media to her followers.

Y'all Qaeda was never meant to see it. Which makes it pretty hilarious that they threw a tantrum and boycotted when it was brought to their attention.

Just wait until they find out about the plethora of other partnerships that exist between various people they hate and corporate America. They'll all be scraping the Punisher stickers off their bro-dozers when they find out that Marvel comics is owned by woke Disney.

If it's this easy to get Y'all Qaeda to abandon their favorite products, let's launch a guerrilla ad campaign with trans and gay people holding AR-15's and glocks as an answer to the gun control problem.

[BmillsSkier]

Had Bud ran a national campaign selling cans with her face on them or putting her on billboards/ads, then I could see the argument that they didn't understand their core demographic.

But they didn't do that. The partnership was only promoted on the influencer's social media to her followers.

Y'all Qaeda was never meant to see it. Which makes it pretty hilarious that they threw a tantrum and boycotted when it was brought to their attention.

Just wait until they find out about the plethora of other partnerships that exist between various people they hate and corporate America. They'll all be scraping the Punisher stickers off their bro-dozers when they find out that Marvel comics is owned by woke Disney.

If it's this easy to get Y'all Qaeda to abandon their favorite products, let's launch a guerrilla ad campaign with trans and gay people holding AR-15's and glocks as an answer to the gun control problem.

While I find "Y'all Qaeda" to be fucking hilarious, I think the name needs to be adjusted. Places where people say "y'all" are hardly monolithic except to those who don't live there or never will visit there. This continues to be reinforced as truth as more and more of our population moves to these regions to go to school, work and retire.

Call the trucknutz ammosexuals what they are and try not to get any bycatch.

[Danno]

How about gravy seals?

[tang]

On the flip side, is there a more genius product than crocnutz?

[BmillsSkier]

That's it. We've reached peak-stupid. Park's closed folks, moose out front should've told ya.

[Crusty]

How about gravy seals?

Meal Team 6.

[MagnificentUnicorn]

If we're talking about 4WDs that corporate should have never killed off, you have to start with the Jeep XJ.

My daily driver. 1997 with 150,000 miles


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[MagnificentUnicorn]

While I find "Y'all Qaeda" to be fucking hilarious, I think the name needs to be adjusted. Places where people say "y'all" are hardly monolithic except to those who don't live there or never will visit there. This continues to be reinforced as truth as more and more of our population moves to these regions to go to school, work and retire.

Call the trucknutz ammosexuals what they are and try not to get any bycatch.

Except statistically those places are where most of “y’all qaeda” live even though it’s not a monolithic demographic. Change starts at home.


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[MontuckyFried]

If we're talking about 4WDs that corporate should have never killed off, you have to start with the Jeep XJ.

Now Jeep's like, "Here! Have this Fiat!"

[warthog]

Now Jeep's like, "Here! Have this Fiat!"

I drove a stick diesel Renegade all through the mountains of Sicily. It was super fun. Even got me through a super sketchy Google maps route from Mt Etna to Palermo, where we didn't see evidence of humans for over an hour, and the road got so narrow that branches were scraping both sides of that tiny vehicle.