INFINITI TO RE-NAME ALL MODELS WITH A Q

[Larz]

Don't get me wrong, I capital "L" my car ... but what's up with this silly re-branding? The new names tell you nothing about the model or trim level. Here is the official explanation:

"Over the past few months, we have talked at length with our retailers, customers, and our business partners about our brand. The need for a new identity and direction to promote consumer familiarity with our model range as we expand the portfolio became evident. To achieve this, we clearly needed a simple and consistent nomenclature framework". <Infiniti President: Johan de Nysschen>

Yes, because using letters to indicate model and numbers to indicate engine size was completely baffling ?!?!?
Erm 'new identity' and 'familiarity' ? Audi already uses "Q" for their cars - how does that give Infinit a 'new' identity? If anything its infringement on Audi's logo. As for familiarity, how will the present owners of Gs, Ms, etc feel when they want to sell their cars which will now be familiar to buyers as a discontinued model? Just slapping a Q on every model does create consistency across the models, but simple? more like simple-minded I think.
On the up-side, since Infiniti will soon be making smaller engines in all their cars, losing the numbers to indicate engine size will prevent the appearance of downgrading from say an M37 to what might become an M30. At least hey are finally using the X to indicate crossover (Xover) which falls in line with other global car companies like BMW, Vovlo, and the coming Jaguar XQ (yes, yet another Q car).
Why use Q for the name?
It's a good letter to play in scrabble (10pts just to lay it down) and if you use it in a word like qindarkas, you cant get a triple word score!
In latin, Q = every (q4h means every 4 hours). The way Infiniti is using Q seems to mean every as well - it means 'like every other car', because we can't be bothered to be creative.

[atlM35]

post6419897.html?hilit=q50#p6419897

[Larz]

post6419897.html?hilit=q50#p6419897

Seems somebody is a bit late to the party ! I should have ranted earlier perhaps.

[jmichael97]

yeah and it seems like your the only person still bothered lol... it makes a lot of since now that we look at it...

[atlM35]

I'm still not a fan of the naming convention, but all I really care about is the quality of the cars.

[Ilya]

That was an award winning rant Larz. You bring up some good points, but it is what it is.

Like altM35, I'll go with it so long as Infiniti continues to improve and challenge BMW, Audi, and Lexus in the premium segment of their respective classes.

[wingFeather]

"The need for a new identity and direction to promote consumer familiarity with our model range as we expand the portfolio became evident.

Infiniti finally FINALLY realized that their marketing sucks and they need to do something to fix it. And as usual, the solution was lost in translation.

Great products. Poor management.

The solution they should have chose is to fire everyone. Clean house. Turn the marketing over to a US company with no influence from Japan. Turn the dealerships over to someone akin to Elon Musk who could create an experience that would rival the product.

Until then, Infiniti will always be a second tier product in the mind of consumers. Meanwhile, Lexus has dealerships that are like five diamond resorts & marketing campaigns that rival the best of the best. I hate Lexus but they "get it" when it comes to marketing.

[TXT]

"The need for a new identity and direction to promote consumer familiarity with our model range as we expand the portfolio became evident.

Infiniti finally FINALLY realized that their marketing sucks and they need to do something to fix it. And as usual, the solution was lost in translation.

Great products. Poor management.

The solution they should have chose is to fire everyone. Clean house. Turn the marketing over to a US company with no influence from Japan. Turn the dealerships over to someone akin to Elon Musk who could create an experience that would rival the product.

Until then, Infiniti will always be a second tier product in the mind of consumers. Meanwhile, Lexus has dealerships that are like five diamond resorts & marketing campaigns that rival the best of the best. I hate Lexus but they "get it" when it comes to marketing.

wingFeather,
Well said. What do you think will happen if we reach the same tier as MB/BMW/Lexus? Pricing for Infiniti products will probably increase but I'm no expert. Like you said, we have a great product almost equal (or equal in my opinion) to MB and BMW but we are paying second tier pricing

Till' this day, I dont see how MB and BMW kept their interiors looking out dated for so long. It seems like Lexus and Infiniti kept up with trends and technology. It's reasons like those that make me strongly believe that the price of one of those 1st tier cars is just in the brand name itself.

[Larz]

I'm with you lot.
The quality and performance of these cars is brilliant and long as that remains, I'll keep buying them.
The marketing comments are also bang-on. The ridiculous adverts seem to be about anything BUT what makes people curious about an Infiniti and they do naught to influence a buyer to visit a dealership.
Wingfeather hit it when he suggested sacking of the current marketing team.
What they need are adverts showing a soccer mom enjoying the handling and safety with her kids in the back seat watching a video, everyone relaxed and content as the camera passes out oif the vehicle to show they are driving in a snow storm. Also one with a male driver on a freeway showing the handling, cruise control, and blind spot warning. Then the driver finding an open space to pass, followed by the growl of the exhaust on the outside as he smiles, looking at the tachometer, and moves ahead of the pack.
Clearly, this is a company who are dead-on brilliant at design, performance, and realiability of the cars. When it comes to marketing, however, the foot has left the pedal.
An economist would say NO to TXT's idea that raising the market penetration would increase the price because economists are quick to say increased market share and sales will lower costs and that decrease is passed on to the consumer in lower purchase prices. That only works in the text books we study at Uni. As we see in the real world, decreased costs and higher profits lead to higher salaries for the CEO and the consumer is too often left out of the equation at least for a few years. I'm afraid TXT may be on to something there.

[FndMspot]

Has anyone hear of timeline for launch of Q50 and more importantly the equivalant of the M, I believe Q70?

[AZhitman]

Guys, check my recent additions in the Q50 and Q60 forum titled "Confidential."