Honda Marketing Research Essay Example

the average returns as customers are not that sensitive to the price when they are loyal to the company's rand. The Honda Motor chain alongside with it's strong brand image in the market is able to produce different product, each with its own uniqueness and can create huge demands for Its products causing the Increase In its sales of the entire value chain.

With this well known image, the Honda company can distinguish itself from all of its competitors. For instance, Honda manufactures hybrid cars which are environmental and fuel efficient, whereby the vehicles doesn't emit much carbon dioxide as they are built using environmental friendly material. Moreover, Honda has the capabilities ND resources to create and come out with better design and unique product In outstanding performance and comfort ability. Their price are much lower compared to its competitors. All Honda products are Low Emissions Vehicles or Ultra Low Emissions Vehicles.

In the Malaysian automotive market, Honda Malaysia is known for being solid, stable and aggressive player. Every year, Honda progress and develops in a rapid manner with its set up plant in Peg, Amelia. With this new set up, not only is Honda Malaysia optimistic of reaching and obtaining excellent sales every year, it has also eloped strengthen Hand's name and reputation within the country. The matrix structure was practiced by the Honda Company and matrix organizations are much flexible allowing different dimensions be combined together. Honda is also known for its contribution at public relationship.

Malaysia Honda Dreams Fund (HAD) was established by Honda Malaysia and United Nations Development Programmer (UNDO) to help fund and give a massive boost to scholars in

the road to pursuit their dreams by offering a full and non-binding scholarship in order to further their studies. This fund, HAD started in January 2007 pompons about 20 underprivileged youths every year as an aid to help them pursue their dreams and ambitions in almost any field of their own preference. Honda Malaysia stands firmly and strongly on its motto "The Power of Dreams".

This slogan represents the ever-changing and growing needs of the future, whereby the future includes better technology, along with a better value. Honda Malaysia being a successful and strong brand image company in the automobile industry is constantly in an environment to compete with competitors and new entrants to the market. Even with their brand position now, Honda maintains their image in the market using different strategies and unique product differentiation among the automobile companies in Malaysia. The world's automobile market is very competitive nowadays with various automakers from all over the world.

The main competitors of Honda in the automobile industry in Malaysia would be Toyota Motor Corporation and Ionians Motor Company Ltd. Toyota founded in year 1933 by Choir Toyota is a Japan-based multinational automaker with a dominant name in vehicle manufacturing industry. The Toyota group is one of the major car abeles under the corporation and serves as a main threat to Honda as it tied with the well-known vehicles worldwide. Toyota is recognizable in many foreign countries especially Asian countries are gaining a large contribution in the world's automobile market.

The Toyota group has various types of car suitable for different classes of drivers ranging from small economy cars to luxurious sedans. Toyota has approximately 75

different types of models, which include hybrids, sedans, coupes, Subs etc. In recent years, Honda and Toyota lead the race in the fuel efficient vehicle category ND have been major participants in the hybrid vehicle market. This is due to the changing factors in the taste and preference of customers, the rising income, advantage of the opportunities of these rising demands.

Even with some of their hybrid models are somehow similar, others are more unique and with different technological advancement to each brand. Using hybrids as the comparison for the fierce and intensifying competition among both the company, the best hybrid from Toyota would be the 2011 Toyota Pries and from Honda the all-new 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid. Both having its own compromises and uniqueness are priced reasonably and are big-time fuel economy numbers. Toyota Pries excels in the fuel-efficiency department while the Honda Civic outperforms the Toyota Pries in some performance categories.

Therefore, between Honda and Toyota, the most important factor in selecting which company's hybrids to consider are the needs and wants of the customer. The competition between these two can also be seen on the way the Honda Accord and the Toyota Campy has ameliorate and developed. The battle is raging as both models received many improvements over the years trying to outdo en another. Honda and Toyota are also top competitors in customer loyalty as both are ranked as top honors in the Automotive Loyalty Awards.

Both Honda and Toyota capitalizes on the fact that Malaysian are targeting fuel-efficient and CEO-friendly vehicles and steams up the competition which lead to global popularity. Typically, Honda appears to match Toyota on the lower

stage of prices, but on pricier equipped models, the prices on Honda vehicles are to be substantially higher compared to Toyota. So Toyota leading to a better brand image and price on the similar top quality reduces. Ionians, another Japan-based motor company, is also a strong competitor of Honda. Founded in 1933 by Whiskey Kiowa.

Ionians has become the top motor company in Japan itself and in the world. It is a worldwide known corporation nowadays. The Ionians group not only produces motor cars but also trucks, fork lifers, motorboats and rocket to fulfill the interest of the customer all around the world. Anyway, the most popular production from Ionians is still car. Some of the hot models for Ionians motor cars includes Lamer, Sentry, Lotto. Slaphappy etc. Having to face pop competitions in the automobile market especially Honda, Ionians had been going through transformations in creating new products of vehicles.

Lately, Ionians came out with a brand new model namely the Ionians Leaf, which is a brand new zero emission product from Ionians. It is an electric car which competes with the Honda Insight model from Honda and Toyota Pries model from Toyota. These three models are all environmental friendly car. Ionians Leaf has a five-door hatchback design which is similar to Toyota Pries and Honda Insight. As one of Hand's top competitor, Ionians Leaf has a vexatious competition with Hand's model, Insight. Due to the distance the models can travel, Ionians has a shorter range, which is not so efficient especially for economic condition nowadays.

Secondly, Ionians Leaf also have a relatively low maximum speed than Honda Insight, which is only MPH while

Honda Insight can speed up to MPH above. For some customers who used to drive relatively fast, Honda Insight will be the choice. Thirdly, Ionians Leaf also cost more than Honda Insight. From the economic point of view, feature of Ionians Leaf is better than Honda Insight but it is not. And finally, lastly, Ionians Leaf is Just an electrical component vehicle. When the battery run out, the car stop unless it is replaced by another battery.

Honda Insight, or even Toyota Pries, both have the gasoline and electric duality. So even the battery has run out, the car still can move by other component, which is also much more convenience for today's life. This doesn't seem environmentally friendly anymore, but in reality, efficiency is still the most essential. However, Ionians is currently developing new battery plant and predicted to be released to the automobile market soon. Ever since Ionians Leaf was launched to the market, their demand kept on decreasing. They even cannot reach the market target in almost every country it was launched.

They targeted to sell 20000 Ionians Leaf in the US but certainly they could not reach the target sell at all. However they have not publicly pull back the sale target yet. In comparison, Honda Insight currently reached the worldwide sales of about one million units at the end of September 2012. This is really a huge gap sale between the two brands. Obviously most of the market share goes to Honda Insight. Ionians Leaf is the first electric plug-in car. This achievement actually initiated the development of car to a brand new stage.

Maybe in the future, Ionians can

improve this type of technology and come out with much more powerful and affordable plug- in car. But for now, almost all it's features and abilities seems like still below the other green technology car, yet with a higher price. Thus, Ionians Leaf absolutely cannot get a good sale performance in the market. Even though with all these complications faced by Ionians, it still remains as a top competitor to Honda in Malaysia. The competition between these Asian brands will only continue the development in the automobile industry at a very fast pace.

Over the years, these three company Honda, Toyota and Ionians had been a significant name and favorite among Malaysian and are top competitors in the market disregarding local brands namely Proton and Prouder. Granted, in Malaysia, drivers get to choose from a variety of car brands, so a monopoly does not exist. However, tough competitions among the brands of car remain the issue as all of them are competing to remain top in the market. Therefore, Honda faces many competition and must keep up with the pace in order to come out as the number one choice among its top competitors, Toyota and Ionians.

In 12th July 2012, Malaysia had launched the all new 2012 Honda Civic which is one of the famous line-up by Honda automaker. This new model is redesigned from the previous model and this model is the ninth generation of Honda Civic. The reason that makes this model more outstanding than the same level of competitor is Honda offered the all new Honda Civic Hybrid. This Civic Hybrid is power by 1. 5 liter engine and couple with

electric motor together act as a hybrid system. The fuel consumption for this new hybrid model is Just 5. 3 liter of petrol per 100 km and the CO emission only 1 egg/km.

With the global awareness about global warming issue, many buyers turn out to go for the hybrid car. Honda Civic Hybrid consume less fuel than the same level competitor such as Toyota Altos. Choosing Toyota Altos which stand almost the same price. For buyers that concern about global warming issue will also prefer Honda Civic Hybrid as it's emission of carbon dioxide is much lower than other same level of cars. The all new Honda Civic Hybrid equipped with high technology which is CEO Assist. This feature is not offered by other competitor model such as Toyota Altos or the Ionians Sylphs which within this price range.

This CEO Assist can be activated with the push of a button. This feature enable the car improve fuel efficiency but will reduce the power of the engine and decrease the speed of the car. This latest Honda Civic also comes with High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlights which can improve the sight of driver in the night compare to old school headlamps. It also features the full touch screen multimedia with GAPS system which enable driver no longer fear of getting lost in their way. While on the other policy, Honda Malaysia do really has better offer than other same level of competitors such as the warranty and services.

Honda Malaysia offer 5 years warranty with unlimited mileage for their buyers. This offer did attract a lot of customers since other company such as Ionians

and Suburb did not have such offer. So customer will feel more secure if buy this model over than other model offered by other companies in the market. This 1. 5 liter Honda Civic Hybrid price at RMI 19,980. This price is reasonable and affordable with the luxury features equipped with this car compare to other automaker such BMW and Mercedes-Benz. This price is much reasonable than the same competitor Toyota Pries which they have the same level of usury features.

In 2011, Honda had the number 5 and 6 spot in the 25 top selling cars. Car and Driver magazine had named 25 times for Accord be one of the 10 Best Cars. The Honda Civic Natural Gas won the title of 2012 Green Car of the Year as reported by the Green Car Journal at the Los Angels Auto Show. Honda holds the reputation in their production of high-quality products, from motorcycles to cars and even lawn mowers. Honda also stands at the sixth place of the largest car manufacturer in the global sales of automobile over 100 countries. Their automobiles are generally fuel efficient and liable, as it cuts a lot of cost for petrol expenses.

Their research provided them with competitiveness in innovative products. They try to improve and differentiate their products, in order to maintain and increase sales. Their cars have a great security system and compression durable body. Even the driver facing a car accident is not vulnerable to injuries. They have a successful motivators program, sports cars and race cars. Although these sports cars and race cars are very different than the production car lessons, the transmission better

track performance and future consumption Vehicle Engineering.

Their works in low-emission internal combustion engine and hybrid technology are pioneer. To be successful with each passing day and the help of a revolutionary engine technology, Honda gained a lot of quality and customer satisfaction. The company's best strength is gaining top popularity among others. Honda has a good brand name, advertising and after-sales service is a brand of brand value and customer loyalty to the brand. Lacking with their prices is higher than the non-luxury cars with similar models from other manufacturers, because they are using the latest technology on their products, so it is difficult to keep the prices low.

Honda not provided too many spec to let the consumer to choose, but Toyota and Ionians yes. Nevertheless, the Honda Company has not provided a strong product and proposals. These are highest profit margin of these types of vehicles. Offering activities of head truck will be profitable, even if the price is lower than competitors. Even when they had made progress in this regardless, the technology remains too high for consumers, the infrastructure is non- existent. Their vehicle also has the reputation of underpowered or slow economic box. These are huge markets as cheap and reasonable transportation would be a such better seller.

In addition, they only cater to the upper middle class of people and this limits their customer base. Recently, Honda had recalled their models for corrective measures, resulting in a lot of uproar from the Honda drivers. In addition to their competitor Toyota and Ionians, Honda has to privilege purchase deposit and they focus more on international deposits rather than the domestic

deposits. Honda Company's major weakness would be their Civic model. Although the company focuses on developing hybrid cars, but Accord does not have a Hybrid model. This may lead to a lost of sales, because

Accord has a greater opportunity sales market. By using the R & D advantage, Honda has better opportunity in producing cars catering to the needs and demands of the large base of customers. This is likely to be achieved due to the increase in demand for less polluting and environmental friendly cars. Nowadays, fuel efficiency would be the main selling point and opportunity which can help run better results in sales for the company. Another opportunity would be the low-emission vehicles and alternative energy to continue to progress, and can also be developed more for the future of hybrid vehicles and fuel-efficient car.

Honda should develop a truck line that can compete with other larger auto companies such as MM, Ford, and Toyota, due to the fact that there is a great profit from the truck industry. Honda should be taking their step in Asian countries India and China. China being the closest to Japan and the cost of variation advantage, they should take advantage of its global strategy. In India, they have a large market because Honda cars are dependable transportations for them. Honda can increase their popularity and status by developing better research and development and on the mean time increase their productions depending on research and sales.

According to the reports, Thailand faced one of the most serious flood on October previous year. This causes a lot of industries made a massive lost in their business run.

Honda automaker in Thailand was one of the companies faced this thread. The massive flood affected the Honda plant in Thailand and halts away Honda auto production. Honda estimated that there are more than 40% decline in net profit for the first quarter of year after this massive thread had occurred. With the other strong Korean automaker rivals such as Handy and Aka, it would take over the sales of

In the previous month, Japan and China have some quarrel over the priority to control Kankakee Island. This issue had affected the relationship between China and Japan. The Chinese protestors refused to buy the Japanese cars from Japanese automaker. Another thread occurred for Honda Company again. The nightmare happened again as the Joint venture between Honda and China decreased 40. 5 percent in the previous month. In a few years , the Ionians Leaf will be a common product for the worldwide as it is run on zero fuel and commit zero emissions. As for the worldwide aim, buyers prefer a car that didn't run on fuel and CEO friendly reduce.