#AcuraNSXOnTour

[simplife]

Several years ago, a local FM radio station (Rock 105, the Lex and Terry Show) had a segment where one of the DJ's taped one dollar bills all over his body and ran through a homeless section of town to see what would happen. Then they broadcast the audio over the airwaves as he ran for his life. This reminds me of the strategy Acura is currently doing with the "tour" of the new NSX. They never announced where or when they were going to show up either. But maybe I am being a bit cynical.

 

[Olyar15]

If it were solely about working out bugs then they wouldn't have started this whole #AcuraNSXOnTour thing. It's clearly more of a marketing exercise, although I suppose it may serve a dual purpose of helping to identify some additional bugs too. They may also be interested in hearing comments from people on the Internet so they can make further minor aesthetic tweaks.

and how is a hashtag a real marketing effort? In order to test the car on public roads, it will be seen in public, and this isn't exactly a generic car that will blend into traffic. So people are going to take photos, especially in this day and age where everyone has a cellphone. Sure, they are going to take advantage of the buzz that it creates, but that is a side effect rather than the actual reason for these drives.

There's nothing cynical about believing it's mostly marketing designed around the idea of teasing the customer in order to increase anticipation and desire. I know if they showed up at the Honda dealer a few miles from my house and I didn't learn about it until afterwards it would likely make me want to see the car even more badly. I only call it a "tour" in quotes because I don't think showing up at a Subway, Bob Evans, or Honda dealer's parking lot somewhere unannounced qualifies as a tour, at least not from the customer's perspective.

if this was primarily a marketing exercise, don't you think they would use something other than obvious preproduction cars? Note how poorly some of the body panels fit, the obvious tacked-on rear spoiler, and the base interior. Also, most of those people aren't customers. How many of those people can actually afford this car? You are deluding yourself if you think this is an organized marketing effort.

 

[RYU]

if this was primarily a marketing exercise, don't you think they would use something other than obvious preproduction cars? Note how poorly some of the body panels fit, the obvious tacked-on rear spoiler, and the base interior. Also, most of those people aren't customers. How many of those people can actually afford this car? You are deluding yourself if you think this is an organized marketing effort.

I am of the opinion that this is certainly a well organized marketing effort. It's been an organized marketing effort since about 6 months after the concept, that we all know and recognize today, was launched. I can't remember exactly when it was, but Honda's marketing program clearly took an abrupt turn. Their current full embrace of the social media approach to marketing might not agree with many old school people on here but you should be thankful you don't own a Mini or even a Kia for those brands are much more prolific in many of the social media circles we do not frequent (but my 22yo brother certainly does).

Acura has a unique problem. They cannot market to customers like a Mini, Scion, Fiat, etc can. Like you said, the buyers that buys a Civic or a TLX cannot afford an NSX. They also cannot wine and dine their prospective customers like McLaren does in their private events because the NSX is a halo car that needs to lift the entire Honda/Acura brand.

My response to your comments about the preproduction models and poor fitting panel gaps and such is as follows... Acura/Honda are still working on an extremely compressed timeline (according to them). They are making it seem like they had to jump thru flaming hoops just to get a road worthy product out at this point. If that is true then Ted and his colleagues are not only struggling to manage a production and R&D timeline but they're also trying to manage the marketing and product perception of this car. Thems be a lot of balls to juggle.

My personal opinion, which I stated earlier in this thread, is such that this is probably the best bang for the buck marketing they could do right now. The product is obviously not ready but doing the "secret tour" will only entice the hardcore NSX fanatics to seek them out and maybe the occasional passerby who happen to be in the area. I could argue the feedback from this approach is almost a guaranteed net positive.

 

[Olyar15]

You still don't get it. Marketing is useless unless there is a product to market. At this time, there is no product. Which means their primary goal is to finish developing their product. If this were primarily a marketing event, they would bring their car to the people most likely to buy it, at pre-anounced locations. But since they are not doing this, it seems pretty obvious that their goal is to finish the car. Since this is a road car, potential buyers will expect this car to work in the real world. And there is only so much real world driving you can do on a racetrack. And that means driving it in different environments, on varying road surfaces, in traffic. And that might mean staying in one place longer than expected, or revisiting certain roads while they work out the kinks. That is not compatible with a set marketing schedule. I'm not saying that Honda isn't trying to squeeze whatever marketing buzz that they can, just that marketing isn't the primary objective - car development is.

 

[Boostedtaco]

I'm leaning towards Engineering testing with splash of marketing. Looking up close you could see temperature probes glued on to the calipers, all sorts of gauges in the cabin and swapping parts as well. That's just my take

As for planning, i think they have some sort of schedule. They did a have some unscheduled stops along the way and if they wanted some sort of marketing they would have driven around the Dallas area. Currently the cars (production vins 2 out of 5?) are in West Texas heading to the mountains. Be on the lookout Rocky mountain guys!

 

[Elistan]

I'm leaning towards Engineering testing with splash of marketing. Looking up close you could see temperature probes glued on to the calipers, all sorts of gauges in the cabin and swapping parts as well. That's just my take

As for planning, i think they have some sort of schedule. They did a have some unscheduled stops along the way and if they wanted some sort of marketing they would have driven around the Dallas area. Currently the cars (production vins 2 out of 5?) are in West Texas heading to the mountains. Be on the lookout Rocky mountain guys!

I'll definitely be keeping an eye out, but I'm not near Denver where I suspect it's most likely they'll stop if they do come into CO and don't bypass us for the west coast. Send me a note on Facebook if you happen to hear more details about a precise location. How'd you find out about the location in Texas, anyway?

Mark

 

[Boostedtaco]

I'll definitely be keeping an eye out, but I'm not near Denver where I suspect it's most likely they'll stop if they do come into CO and don't bypass us for the west coast. Send me a note on Facebook if you happen to hear more details about a precise location. How'd you find out about the location in Texas, anyway?

Mark

Some breadcrumbs, Some logic, some luck and alot of stalking. I feel like i've googled maps the hell out of dfw. I'll keep you updated Mark!

 

[krea.tion]

You still don't get it. Marketing is useless unless there is a product to market. At this time, there is no product.

I'm sorry but you are so wrong. Just because the product isn't ready to be sold doesn't mean marketing doesn't need to be done. This is the case in almost every industry. Pre order games, movie trailers, iPhone reveals, so many things involve marketing when there is no actual product to be sold. The point is that there will be a product in the future and in order to increase sales, preemptive tactics have to be used. That the entire point of a concept reveal or even a car show. This is absolutely first and foremost a marketing event and SECONDLY a mechanical review (two birds, one stone). Your idea of there needing to be a product available NOW for marketing to happen is out-dated. If you think about it, these are some of the first official on-the-street looks at the production/near-production version of the NSX. Its actually probably a large milestone for Acura. Driving them around with an associated hashtag allows the public to do all the marketing for them. Like someone above mentioned, its probably just the most cost-effective method of advertising they can use at this time.

 

[RYU]

You still don't get it. Marketing is useless unless there is a product to market. At this time, there is no product.

It would benefit you to stop being so myopic. Every public appearance of this car, scheduled or not, planned or not, has everything to do with marketing the brand. The Brand.. not just the product. A halo car has always been traditionally about marketing the brand probably even more so than marketing the specific car itself.

Of course, they are also using this opportunities to test the car. Hell, they will be "testing" the car even thru the first year it's sold to the public.

 

[Olyar15]

It would benefit you to stop being so myopic. Every public appearance of this car, scheduled or not, planned or not, has everything to do with marketing the brand. The Brand.. not just the product. A halo car has always been traditionally about marketing the brand probably even more so than marketing the specific car itself.

Of course, they are also using this opportunities to test the car. Hell, they will be "testing" the car even thru the first year it's sold to the public.

It would benefit you to actually think. I am actually giving Honda the benefit of the doubt. Obviously, there is marketing involved. But if you think this is primarily a marketing effort, then you obviously think very little of Honda.

So, let me get this straight. Honda wants to market this vehicle, so they:

1. Don't alert the press.
2. Don't announce scheduled showings so potential customers can get a chance to see the car.
3. Bring along some obviously preproduction cars, and not even bother to attempt to align the body panels, nor bring a car with what will likely be the up-optioned interior. Thereby showing the car in the worst possible light.
4. Show up unannounced at some random spot, just to get the opinion of some random passerby who will most likely not be a potential customer, rather than get the opinion of potential customers.
5. Not have the final specs, or the actual price available.

If you believe all this, then you must believe that Honda has the most inept marketing department in the world.

The more likely alternative:

Honda is a car company, that makes great cars. Furthermore, what made the original NSX so great was that it was, first and foremost, a supercar that actually worked and not just style and branding over substance like some of their competitors. So, in order to make this car worthy of the NSX name, they must ensure that the car is as fully sorted out as possible, which means extensive testing. Therefore, they will have to test these cars extensively on public roads in all sorts of environments. Sure, this is also an opportunity for the public to see the car, and some marketing effort is put into it. But the exercise is primarily for development of the car. Therefore:

1. There is no need to alert the press.
2. These are still being tuned, so no need for pristine and polished vehicles.
3. While there may be a planned route, the primary goal is development rather than showing off the vehicle. Therefore there is no way to schedule or announce any showings since issues may come up.
4. Final specs are still up in the air.

Now to me, one of these scenarios makes more sense than the other. I'm not saying that Honda hasn't made mistakes in the past, but I will give them the benefit of the doubt and believe that they are concentrating on substance over marketing.

 

[BB]

It would benefit you to stop being so myopic. Every public appearance of this car, scheduled or not, planned or not, has everything to do with marketing the brand. The Brand.. not just the product. A halo car has always been traditionally about marketing the brand probably even more so than marketing the specific car itself.

+1. It doesn't matter if the car is available or not. The more they tease you with the tour images while withholding information, the more you will desire what you cannot have. Only the selected few (and not you!) are allowed to even see it. Some of this desire they generate will ultimately be redirected at the Acura brand itself.

Take a look at this recent tour video. His narration at the end of the video makes it sound like he just found hidden treasure. Who owns all those NA1/NA2's parked there and where are the owners? Does it seem believable that so many NSX owners would find this location on their own, yet when the new NSXs actually arrive most of the owners are off somewhere else without a single one near their car? It appears somewhat prearranged or staged.

 

[Zoom]

@Olyar15 I think you have missed the boat of social network buzz marketing (and grassroots campaigns)...

One key element is, how do you create awareness around a brand/model when there is virtually no one around who knows what an NSX is, remember even on the prior model people still ask me "Honda made THAT car !?".
So why not, we're in 2015, roll with the times.

 

[BB]

It would benefit you to actually think. [snip] I will give them the benefit of the doubt and believe that they are concentrating on substance over marketing.

Lol. You're coming across as really naive and idealistic.

 

[Olyar15]

@Olyar15 I think you have missed the boat of social network buzz marketing (and grassroots campaigns)...

One key element is, how do you create awareness around a brand/model when there is virtually no one around who knows what an NSX is, remember even on the prior model people still ask me "Honda made THAT car !?".
So why not, we're in 2015, roll with the times.

To quote Ripley, "Did IQs just drop sharply while I was away?" I am well aware of creating buzz in social media. I'm not denying that is what they are doing. All I'm saying is that first and foremost, they have to develop the car, and that takes precedence over marketing. Are you really saying that you believe Honda is wasting their time and money on such a poorly conceived marketing attempt, rather than concentrating on developing the car?

- - - Updated - - -

Lol. You're coming across as really naive and idealistic.

Really, because I was thinking that you all were. I was being pragmatic.

 

[RYU]

It appears somewhat prearranged or staged.
]

I was thinking this same thing. Reading some of the buzz on Facebook it does appear there is a very select few who know the future stops for this "tour". There's only one way any owner(s) could possibly know that

- - - Updated - - -

To quote Ripley, "Did IQs just drop sharply while I was away?"

I think you've proven you might be from a different planet. Perhaps that planet is populated by much smarter people than us simpletons. Since you're vastly more wise and knowledgeable... I've decided you're not worth responding to as to prevent any further wasted efforts on your part. I'm helping you here. Really.. I am.

 

[BB]

@Olyar15 I think you have missed the boat of social network buzz marketing (and grassroots campaigns)....

This brings up a good point. People today are far more distrusting of obvious advertising than they were in the past. Younger people especially give more credence to a marketing message that appears to be grassroots, honest, and from the heart. That's what Acura is attempting to construct with this tour. That Olyar15 doesn't perceive this process is occurring is a sign that for some people such marketing is highly effective.

- - - Updated - - -

Are you really saying that you believe Honda is wasting their time and money on such a poorly conceived marketing attempt, rather than concentrating on developing the car?

Acura undoubtedly has both marketing people and engineers assigned to this car. Thus they can do marketing at the same time the engineers are developing the car. It is not the either-or decision you suggest it is. Both tasks can be accomplished simultaneously without delaying the car.

I wouldn't characterize it as a poorly conceived marketing attempt. Compared to the cost of TV ads or auto shows this is likely an extremely cheap form of advertising. Even if the marketing benefit derived from the tour is low, the cost was even lower. And I have to admit that seeing these tour images and videos slowly, yet continually appear is working to pique my interest in the car.

 

[Olyar15]

Where did I say that the two cant occur at the same time? Where did I say that they weren't marketing the car? All I'm saying is that they are concentrating on the development of the car, and when car development clashes with marketing, then car development would most likely take precedence. Hence, the secrecey of the route and destinations, since those can obviously change.

Of course they can both at the same time. It's just my opinion that the marketing on this tour comes second. How can I make myself any clearer?

 

[clean_green]

I assure you that no fakery happened here because I own one of those cars :smile: We did a little detective work when we heard the Gen 2s were on their way from OKC to Dallas and found them at the Honda Tech Training Center in Irving, TX. There were about 7 that showed up early and waited for the big garage door to open and reveal these 2 fine specimens. They look much hotter in person than in pics and sound amazing!

 

[Boostedtaco]

Who owns all those NA1/NA2's parked there and where are the owners? Does it seem believable that so many NSX owners would find this location on their own, yet when the new NSXs actually arrive most of the owners are off somewhere else without a single one near their car? It appears somewhat prearranged or staged.

Sorry to burst your bubbles....

I'm one of the owners. And we were standing in the shade. After waiting over an hour for them to leave for the next stop.

As for finding the Location, it was work of a few people (myself included) with too much time on their hands stalking one of the drivers Ig account. And knew enough Acura mechanics to recognize the location. I wish it was pre planned because I spent way too much time trying to figure it out.

 

[RYU]

I assure you that no fakery happened here because I own one of those cars :smile: We did a little detective work when we heard the Gen 2s were on their way from OKC to Dallas and found them at the Honda Tech Training Center in Irving, TX. There were about 7 that showed up early and waited for the big garage door to open and reveal these 2 fine specimens. They look much hotter in person than in pics and sound amazing!

Sorry to burst your bubbles....

I'm one of the owners. And we were standing in the shade. After waiting over an hour for them to leave for the next stop.

As for finding the Location, it was work of a few people (myself included) with too much time on their hands stalking one of the drivers Ig account. And knew enough Acura mechanics to recognize the location. I wish it was pre planned because I spent way too much time trying to figure it out.

Great investigative work! I hope someone does the same when they make their way down to SoCal.

 

[simplife]

So, according to what we know now, the marketing strategy by Honda is aimed at social media and not at all about meeting "enthusiasts" along the route because if you were fortunate to be a location where the "tour" stopped it was either pure luck or due to someone that did extensive detective work and tipped off their buddies. It was obviously not pre-arranged. An inexpensive way to create media buzz leading up to the official announcement at a later date as was said in an earlier post with added benefit of real world road testing. Do I sound like Captain Obvious?

 

[docjohn]

I hope they don't have an na1 gen 2....:tongue:

 

[White92]

They are visiting specific dealers along the way. Those dealers know exactly when they will be there and have been asked to NOT start calling friends and potential customers to come see them. It's not that kind of visit.

I'm amazed at the pissing match going on here. I honestly haven't posted in maybe a year or more. Everyone has been waiting for this car for close to about a decade. Sure it might not be exactly what everyone wants or maybe it's more than some expected, but to have this constant argument about the real reason they are traveling across the country? I don't get it??

It's 2 cars going across the county to visit some dealers and record some real world data while also posting a few pics on Twitter... Let's just leave it as simple as that.

 

[Olyar15]

How about word from Acura?

http://www.torquenews.com/1574/2016...-stage-pre-production-real-world-road-testing

"According to Ms Fini, a quality assessment team lead by engineers from Honda’s Performance Manufacturing Center(PMC) is driving 2 NSX sports hybrids across the country, subjecting Acura’s next big thing to high altitude, and desert heat, while assessing everything from engine durability and reliability, sustained braking and handling, electronic systems, range, etc. Ms Fini notes that all Acura models receive similar endurance testing and evaluation, generally performed under camouflage and more than a bit of security measure."

 

[Elistan]

Most recent official photo by Acura.
This is one of the state rest stops on on US Highway 287 which goes between DWF and Amarillo.
What I'm wondering now is, did the continue west on I40 to go to SoCal, or did they head further north into Colorado?