Reverse Halo Cars

"Wobbles the Mind" (wobblesthemind)
12/29/2016 at 08:53 • Filed to: Perceptions

The effectiveness of top end halo sportscars and flagship sedans in increasing brand perceptions is well documented, however what happens when you decide to change brand perceptions from the bottom of your lineup instead? Two models in particular come to mind: the Nissan Juke and the Kia Soul.

Where a flagship sedan or supercar can uplift the perceived quality of the luxury and sporting prowess of all your lower models, reverse halo cars can impact the youthfulness and value perceptions of the models above them. I personally think the reverse halo car is becoming a more important aspect of brand perception than high end sportscars and definitely flagship sedans.

So what do you think of this premise? The Jeep Renegade and Hyundai Veloster are other models I would say are on the edge of being reverse halo cars but not quite there yet. Competitors from other brands just seem to lack a certain something and I think it stems from available options and marketing dollars. Think Fiat 500, MINI Cooper Coupe, and smart fortwo which all start at the bottom of the brands offerings and yet have their DNA moved into everything above them.

These reverse halo cars are their own subbrands. Heck, the Range Rover Evoque is its own subbrand within the Range Rover subbrand of the Land Rover brand! And the funniest part to me, these Halos are the ones that annoy enthusiasts the most but have the biggest impact on how actual new buyers view the brands!

We are going to see A LOT of subbcompacts being transformed into full-fledge Reverse Halos, and most will be CUV-ified. *cough* Chevrolet Spark Activ *hack*

Remember to leave your jimmies in the drawer in order to avoid rustling. Hmmm, probably should have started with that...

DISCUSSION (4)

cazzyodo > Wobbles the Mind
12/29/2016 at 09:02

Focus ST?

When people think Ford they think Mustang and F150. The Focus was the compact option that happened to occupy the same space as the Corolla and Civic. Cue the redesign for their global plan and send the FoST from Europe. It was very well received and before you know it we had the Fiesta ST and now the Focus RS.

Definitely brought youth to the lineup and attention from the automotive community.

bhtooefr > Wobbles the Mind
12/29/2016 at 09:22

And, I’d argue that this has gone on for a while - the New Beetle was a reverse halo product that singlehandedly saved Volkswagen of America. (This was while Volkswagen was also trying traditional halo products, in the form of the Passat W8, the Phaeton, and (for the entire group) the Bugatti Veyron.)

Textured Soy Protein > Wobbles the Mind
12/29/2016 at 10:55

BMW 3-series and/or whatever other small BMW is selling at the moment.

With Mercedes, people think of the S-class and the other Mercedeses are like smaller-size versions of the virtues the S-class represents like wafting over the road with supreme comfort.

With BMW it’s the opposite, they think of the big BMWs as big cars that are bigger luxury cars that still have the sportiness of the smaller ones.

RT > Wobbles the Mind
12/30/2016 at 13:58

Yeah, I like to call these fashion accessories.