Honda updates Crosstour Facebook page with official response
Honda Crosstour - click image above for high-res gallery
Whoo boy! We would not want to be on the business end of the Honda whip this week. In case your head has been in the sand, Honda put up a Facebook page showing off their new Crosstour. General reaction was, to put it Orwellian terms, ungood. What's the problem with social media marketing if you're a corporation? You give up control of your message. As it turns out, sometimes you even give up internal control, too. Which is exactly what happened when Honda's light truck product planning manager Eddie Okubo posted a defense (or is that a defenestration?) of the much maligned new CUV without divulging the company he works for. Well, he got caught.
In a novel/strange/unprecedented move, Honda has gone and posted a clarification on its Crosstour page – about everything. Here's the short version, all bullet pointy like:
- The images that everyone thinks are the second coming of the Aztek are actually akin to bad yearbook photos. Put another way, the Crosstour is better looking that it looks.New photos will set you all straight.
- This isn't the European Accord wagon (as cool as Honda knows the Euro wagon to be) because it's an Americanized version of an American Accord wagon. i.e. bigger.
- This next part bears copying and pasting, "Many of you don't like the styling: It may not be for everyone." Though, Honda thinks among CUV buyers, the Crosstour will do well.
- Honda can't give out any more specs – sorry
- Finally, Eddie's comment wasn't removed because Honda was embarrassed by it. His comment was removed because he violated a policy concerning personal opinions on Facebook.
Gallery: 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour
_thumbnail.jpg)
_thumbnail.jpg)
_thumbnail.jpg)
_thumbnail.jpg)
_thumbnail.jpg)
[Source: Honda]
PRESS RELEASE:
Hi, Facebook fans. We're listening, and we want to address a few things you've been talking about over the past few days.
The photos: Arguably, the two studio photos we posted didn't give you enough detail, nor were they the best to showcase the vehicle. There are more photos on the way. Maybe it's like a bad yearbook photo or something, and we think the new photos will clear things up.
It's not the European wagon: We've seen a lot of comments about the desire for a wagon, but this is neither a wagon nor designed for wagon buyers. We think the Euro wagon is a cool vehicle, too, and we appreciate the feedback... but a version of that wasn't our intention here. That's another segment worthy of our consideration, but the Accord Crosstour, built on the larger, Accord platform, is meant to give you the best of two worlds – the versatility of an SUV with the sportiness of a car.
Many of you don't like the styling: It may not be for everyone. Our research suggests that the styling does test well among people shopping for a crossover.
You want further details about the Accord Crosstour: We typically can't give you details so far out from when the vehicle goes on sale for a number of reasons, including competitive intelligence and pure availability. However... we hear your frustrations, and while specs on the vehicle aren't finalized, we're trying to get some stuff together that we hope will satiate some of your curiosity and give you more to think about.
Honda associates participating in the wall comments: We didn't remove comments out of embarrassment. We removed comments that were posted contrary to American Honda's consumer-generated media policy for associates: We must first clearly state that we are Honda employees and that a posting is a personal - not Honda's - opinion. Eddie forgot to add that, so his comments were removed.
Thank you for all of the interest, and we'll be in touch again soon...
Get a WordPress.com Blog
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)
MajorGeek 10:05AM (9/04/2009)
Good luck with the damage control. Even if it looks better, most people now have such a negative opinion of the car, I doubt you can pretty it up enough :(
Reply
Sean Flanagan 11:03AM (9/04/2009)
I guess I'm the only one who finds it completely inoffensive. It looks like it belongs in the Honda lineup between the Accord and the Pilot, like someone did one of those morphs between the two and paused it somewhere in the middle. Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing I can't really say. I'm more surprised by the amount of attention it's getting.
akboss302 11:34AM (9/04/2009)
...yep, you're the only one.
derek 3:08PM (9/04/2009)
Ahhh...the Panamera of the Hondaz.
Very niiice.
Nick 12:19PM (9/04/2009)
Nope, I like it too.
daleam 12:47PM (9/04/2009)
With explanations that it "may not be for everyone" and comments were removed for supposedly violating Facebook, and not because of embarrassment, I agree, good luck. How arrogant is Honda? Very. They need to listen or the car is going to tank, which is exactly what I expect to happen. Major FAIL, Honda.
Paul 1:18PM (9/04/2009)
Yep, this launch is now a business school text on how to be clueless. Even after it launches, everyone's going to be watching and offering up yet more (negative) opinions on it.
Seriously, who is in control over there? Are they so inept as to acknowledge that the Eurowagon everyone wants is "cool" while accepting that this is not? Someone at the top needs to stop this train wreck from damaging the entire brand further.
Tool 1:33PM (9/04/2009)
My question is why Honda is designing such ugly vehicles?
Don't they clinic these to get some feedback, like all other automakers do?
I can't believe the reaction was positive, because I have had a visceral response to this. The proportions are all messed up and it looks like a high school metal shop experimental gone awry.
PJ 2:52PM (9/04/2009)
This fiasco reminds me of the "Create Your Own Tahoe Commercial" online campaign, which also didn't exactly go as the automaker planned.
Social marketing is still young enough--and cheap enough--that most marketers think they don't need to put a lot of thought into using it to advertise. Wrong--the public doesn't care that your FB page didn't cost you anything, and to some folks, it's going to be higher-profile than your million-dollar TV spots.
PiCASSO 9:51PM (9/04/2009)
"The photos: Arguably, the two studio photos we posted didn't give you enough detail, nor were they the best to showcase the vehicle. There are more photos on the way. Maybe it's like a bad yearbook photo or something, and we think the new photos will clear things up."
I don't understand. If you are going to showcase your new vehicle... will you show its BAD side??? Why would you begin to show pictures that maybe distorted if it **maybe** looks better in real life? Wouldn't you want to choose pictures that are close to the real thing? Seriously... did the studio only have 2 pictures to offer to Honda?
kal326 2:21PM (9/06/2009)
Looks like somebody missed an introduction.
Honda meet public opinion. public opinion, Honda.
Now why don't you two get to know each other so you can work together better. Oh and while you at it Honda, why don't you go talk to Microsoft. Ask them about their friend Vista and how it and public opinion got along. Should be a very enlightening conversation.
MajorGeek 10:06AM (9/04/2009)
Wait, I got it! The next photos will be a night shoot with the parking lights on!
Reply
VW GTi 10:19AM (9/04/2009)
Maybe with the lights off would be better?
Jared 10:32AM (9/04/2009)
VW GTi is correct -- it would be much better photographed with the parking lot lights off. A black CrossTour. On a night with no moon, an overcast sky, and far out in the country, away from any sources of light.
MajorGeek 11:02AM (9/04/2009)
I thought the parking lights might finally give it some shine ;)
Chazz 11:20AM (9/04/2009)
Yeah... Pitch black, no lights on - that how it should be photographed. maybe a coyote-ugly howling in the background.
James 12:44PM (9/04/2009)
The damage has been done, Honda...admit it!
fragmit 1:21PM (9/04/2009)
I took the liberty of reducing the light levels on one of the crosstour pics to simulate night. See if it looks any better this way.
http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/5552/accordcrosstournight.jpg
fmwso 3:28PM (9/04/2009)
@fragmit: lol, no photoshop will ever make the Crosstour any better.
MajorGeek 3:48PM (9/04/2009)
Most 3 stars in a thread I have ever seen here, nice! Comment and vote on!