The bottom line: Toyota Camry LE has a companybrandimage, while Honda Civic LX has product brandimage, which make it difficult for the two companies to generate the necessary Word-of-Mouth and buzz to keep the two models on the best-selling list of consumers.
Company officials say that the campaign featuring Mr. Toyoda as a cockpit jockey helps the company turn the page on its recent mishaps and provides a sportier image for the brand.
Most marketing experts believe that it takes between 5-10 separate instances of exposure to your brand name and image before prospective customers feel comfortable making a purchase decision with your company.
"An Internet company has to build its brand up from scratch, in terms of software, order fulfillment and brandimage, " Netessine says of Amazon's dominance.