Honda Prelude marketing knowing user and magic connecting

This examines the core principles of marketing through the lens of Honda's successful revival of the Prelude sports coupe after 24 years. It argues that effective marketing involves three key steps: 1) precisely identifying and 2) understanding the target customer, 3) thoroughly comprehending their needs and emotional values, and communicating the product's value in a way that resonates with the customer's context. Central to this philosophy is the idea that a marketer acts as a "matchmaker" or "nakoudo," connecting the customer's desires ("Knowing the user") with the company's unique strengths ("Knowing the magic"). Honda's strategy for the new Prelude involved targeting multiple groups, including nostalgic older drivers and a segment of younger generations, by reframing the car as the "Reiwa date car." The piece concludes that marketing is all activity that creates a reason for customers to choose a product, emphasizing that the decision power always rests with the customer.