Microstar

Subaru woos older buyers and women
25 October 2007

Author: Tom Seymour

Subaru is retraining the sales executives in its UK dealer network in order to tackle the mindset change that comes with selling its new hatchback Impreza.

The Japanese carmaker has developed the new model to move away from its performance orientated image of the past to improve sales of the normally aspirated model.

Sales staff will go on a four-day training session to focus on selling to women with young families and older buyers in their mid-50s, which it says makes up 70% of its potential market.

The training session covers product, competitors, finance opportunities, accessory sales and customer profiling, particularly the inclusion of female buyers. Sales staff will also take a test drive in the new model.

Lawrence Good, managing director of Subaru UK, said: “I cannot stress how important the new Impreza is. It brings us many more opportunities to grow volume and by definition profitability.”

Subaru accepts it will be a challenge to get new customers into showrooms.

Arthur Fairley, PR director for IM Group, the official UK Subaru importer, said: “In our market research we found that a woman’s impression of the Impreza was that it was reliable, handled well, but it has gold wheels and it wasn’t something they wanted to drive. The changes Subaru has made to the model will counter that.”

A national press campaign has been launched and the Impreza will also feature as the headline sponsor on three Sky Movies television channels.

Subaru will also be doing a direct mail out to 75,000 prospects and will stage Impreza displays at major shopping centres in October and at the start of November.

Good said the company would be using its upside down Impreza lorry to support the new brand strap line ‘Subaglue, it sticks to the road’. The lorry will be touring the UK’s main cities.

Good said: “This is just the start. The campaign will continue after Christmas. As we seek to grow our share of normally aspirated sales and broaden the appeal of the Subaru brand to a much wider group of customers.”

Borat_Drives_A_Scooby

Ive heard that the new Impreza comes with matching carpets, matching flat cap, matching slippers and a cream coloured pipe holder.

RB5_245

Just like the original turbo

Dave

girl-in-a-scoob

Take more than that for this 'woman' to buy one lol

Suresh

Gender marketing is a one way street. Want to make a car attractive for wimmins? Then blokes will hate it and vice versa (mostly). However, Subaru have once again made a car so ugly only its mother could love it.
So in summary: Potential customer base lots of wimmins and cotton buds Definate customer base: 1. Oh dear.

noobyscooby

Subaru had better try painting them pink too!!

mgcvk

Surely making the hatch a good looking car might have been a step in the right direction?

andys

Hmm hope it comes in the same colours as the Honda Jazz

RB5_245

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. The original never had all those stupid spoilers and halfords add-ons that seem to be so popular here.

If the Impreza goes back to being an understated ugly family car that is unappreciated yet unmatched in performance, I for one will be happy with that.

pslewis

Subaru seem to have shut the door on the Enthusiast - and after all, most of you buy an Impeza and them change it

I'm disappointed that only 1000 WRX versions will be here ..... the STi is, and has always been, too raw for my liking.

RB5_245

I entirely disagree, Subaru has limited the marque to the enthusiast.

Those that love the chav spoilers and performance looks have no more car. Those that love the car for what it is, and what it can do will now be seen for what they are. It's performance has been improved yet the masses disagree. It's unfortunate that it ever became a car appreciated for its looks.

silent running

Love it. When will people understand, Subaru (or ANY car manufacturer actually) are not in it to win favour with you or I? They are a business like any other, and are in business to make money, not to keep customers happy. Sometimes the two can go hand in hand, sometimes they don't. Impreza enthusiasts may imagine there are millions of us, but there aren't. The Impreza sells to a niche market and Subaru are trying to build bigger sales. These things don't happen by accident. Clearly although Imprezas have built the Subaru brand here in the UK beyond just farmers and gamekeepers, it's not enough to keep things viable, otherwise they would not have changed the design. Mitsubishi can keep the Evo as their niche flagship motor because their 4x4s, pick-ups and duller family models sell in large enough numbers to women, builders and old people respectively, that they can afford to keep the Evo going. Subaru don't have that sort of model range or if they do, you don't see them on the road. I probably see a Subaru that isn't an Impreza once a month round my way, and that's usually a 15-year old Legacy.

mgcvk

I can understand Subaru's motives to increase sales in the mass market, but the base car is just so fugly thats the problem. There is no embarrassment to owning a Golf or a Focus but one of these? I think we will see a makeover sooner rather than later and possibly the introduction of the USA saloon.

stringostar

oh brilliant... sunday afternoon, i wanna take the scoob out for a spin, and what do i get caught up behind?? old george and mildred, out for a leisurly sunday drive, in their normally aspirated impreza, doing 10mph in a 60 zone... and guess what, i cant overtake, becuase coming the other way is old harold and mary doing 5 mph, blocking half the road off.... i cant wait

rossd001