"...it came out freaking sweet!"

I think most of what is done in the automotive industry is boring & tired. Sure, I like gawking at the new body styles from certain manufacturers each year, but honestly most of what is coming out of that industry seems pretty staid to me.

Except for Scion and what they're doing with Scion Speak.

I like what they did when they introduced the car. I like how they have marketed the car. I like how they sell the car (using separate areas in Toyota show rooms). And I like how they are building customer loyalty around the car. I think they've done a good job of knowing what market they are going after and they hit it.

(TANGENT: this is available here through the NY Times, which should have a free sign up form if you can't already view the article; otherwise it's $1,000 USD to republish on the internet for 1 Year (maximum) - that's nuts! I feel another blog coming on...)

I think this is a great example of leveraging the Voice of their brand, and strengthening (and building more of?) their raving fan customers. This car is all-about self expression. It's a mass produced, customized ride.

But don't confusing "Marketing" (which is what we're talking about here) with "Sales" (which is a different part of the company and frankly, not doing all that well).

Scion has carved out a niche for itself that it should focus on. I see Scion Speak as one step on that path, and would like to see what they do with it next.

Would I buy one? Probably not. Would I try to emulate their marketing & sales techniques. I think you would be "Scichotic" not to...