Key takeaways:
- Taking a customer-first approach helps drive strong brand growth.
- Innovation and adaptation support sustainable success in a competitive market.
- Effectively managing and engaging several multicultural segments is easy when you establish strong relationships with partner agencies.
Only 35% of small businesses have a roadmap for long-term growth.
This means that the majority of businesses (65%) don’t have a formal plan for sustainable success — an oversight that can weaken resilience and hinder the ability to navigate challenges effectively.
This is a bad practice that can lead to various drawbacks:
- Limited strategic focus
- Struggle to adapt to market changes
- Missed opportunities
- Resource constraints
So, if you struggle with long-term strategy due to short-term challenges, then you are not alone.
Developing strategies for sustainable business growth can ensure your efforts not only solve short-term problems but also create lasting value for your company and your customers.
In this interview, Lexus Advertising Manager Sara Lara shares Lexus’ proven approach to building sustainable brand growth — a strategy that continues to deliver results 36 years on.
Who Is Sara Lara?
Sara is a valuable asset for Lexus who brings over 17 years of experience in the automotive industry and executing strategies that evolve around digital marketing, advertising, and market research. Prior to joining Lexus, she had various roles at Toyota North America where she was responsible for supporting the ongoing marketing efforts and brand growth.
Every business dreams of sustainable success — but what does that really mean today?
It’s more than just profitability. While profits fuel growth, lasting success hinges on:
- Building customer loyalty
- Strengthening brand recognition and reputation
- Adapting and innovating in a changing world
True sustainability goes beyond financial gains; it’s about creating a resilient, customer-focused future.
36 Years of Innovation Rooted in Customer-First Principles
Sara explains that when Lexus launched in 1989, the brand established “The Lexus Covenant,” a pledge to always value their customer, or as Lexus calls them, “the guest.
36 years later, this philosophy still guides everything they do at Lexus, every car they create, and every service they provide.
“Over time, we’ve found that our guests want an experience that meets them where they’re at — from the consideration of a vehicle to the sale and ownership experience. And that’s reflected in the strategies that have shaped the brand and the direction of the brand in the future. It always comes down to our guests,” Sara says.
Lexus’ customer-centered philosophy was one of the foundational and pivotal strategies in establishing the brand’s unique position within the premium automotive sector.
In 2021, Lexus reinforced its commitment to guest-first innovation, by introducing “Monogram,” a simple four-step process that offers guests greater transparency and control when making a purchase.
“We unveiled Monogram to provide Lexus dealers with the ability to give guests transparency and flexibility when purchasing their vehicles.
Monogram provides guests with increased insight into current inventory, real-time pricing, and the flexibility to shop when and how they want. It puts the guest in complete control, and I think we’ll see more of that play out in other industries,” Sara highlights.
Push Brand Growth Forward Through Innovation and Adaptability
Lexus is well known for being innovative and adapting its strategies to support its brand growth.
For instance, back in 2014, the brand switched from region-specific advertising to a unified global marketing strategy to increase brand recognition and coherence worldwide.
Starting with models like the 2022 NX, Lexus replaced the traditional rear "L" emblem with the brand's name spelled out in letters.
This change in branding highlights the brand's evolution and modern approach, aiming to catch the eye of consumers and reinforce its brand identity.
“As we looked at the last several years where we’ve had the opportunity to launch new and exciting products, we recognized how Lexus has built desire through these products. For us, it’s continuing that momentum and evolving with our guests and their needs,” Sara says.
Additionally, the brand recently focused on establishing various collaborations and partnerships to meet customers where they are, align with their passions, and attract new audiences.
“It’s not just the way we communicate through our traditional advertising, but through partnerships that we embark on and meeting the guests where they’re at and aligning with their interests. Whether it’s through the World Surf League, 100 Thieves, or our most recent partnership with the Wicked movie premier, we’re finding new ways to engage audiences.”
To stand out from its competitors, Sara shares that today, Lexus is making efforts to show its brand in a way that is more exciting and modern, allowing the automaker to connect with a new generation of customers.
“We’re looking to connect with a younger audience while not alienating our loyal guests. We want to be genuine in what we do. It needs to feel real. Even though we want to show up in unexpected places, it still needs to feel authentic.
For example, we started getting involved with the esports community in 2021 and have continued to grow our partnerships in that space.
It’s more than just seeing the Lexus logo in the community, we want to ingrain the brand in the community and build authentic partnerships.
We’ve been a presenting sponsor for the Esports Awards for the past six years, recently enhanced our partnership with 100 Thieves, including Lexus’ first-ever apparel collaboration with the brand, and worked with Razer to create a custom ‘gamer’ TX,” she explains.
How Lexus is Redefining Holiday Sales with Story-Driven Marketing
Lexus is well known for its high-impact advertising campaigns, often leveraging sophisticated storytelling and emotional appeal to connect with its target audience.
The "December to Remember" campaign has become a hallmark of Lexus' branding over the years.
But what exactly makes this campaign so enduring, and how does the brand manage to keep it fresh while honoring its traditions?
“There’s a heritage to ‘December to Remember.’ When the campaign launched 25 years ago (in 1999), it was a new approach to year-end sales. Where competitors appealed to consumers’ wallets with conventional retail sales campaigns, Lexus sought to connect with consumers emotionally and focus on the holiday season versus year-end sales messaging,” Sara says.
She explains that for Lexus, this campaign goes beyond a sales event – it’s really about that human story and how the brand’s products play a role in that story. It’s about keeping the focus on its guests and their experiences and making those magical moments happen throughout the journey.
“Emotional storytelling is central to our marketing strategy and how we continue to attract a new generation of guests. We believe that when we truly understand our guests and their experiences, we can create impactful narratives that resonate deeply.”
By leveraging brand storytelling, Lexus reminds its audience of the importance of spending time with loved ones. This is a key strategy that helps build emotional connection with consumers and strengthen brand identity.
In a previous podcast, DesignRush spoke to Trappe Digital owner Christoph Trappe who talked about how fearless storytelling makes your brand unforgettable and shared how to develop stories that sell.
Watch the video to learn more:
Lexus Engages Multicultural Audiences with Authentic Strategies
When operating in the highly diverse U.S. market, effectively engaging multicultural segments is crucial for brand growth and relevance.
Given that Lexus oversees six multicultural segments in the country, I was curious to hear how its team develops advertising strategies that authentically connect with the unique cultural characteristics of each group.
Sara highlights that they develop marketing campaigns with the help of their digital agency partners who are part of multicultural audiences and segments.
“With our agencies, we conduct research and look at the landscapes for each of these audiences to make sure that we understand the multicultural nuances that connect with the overall platform.
At the end of the day, we want there to be a common thread across all of the work, but we want it to resonate with different audiences while still being authentic and infusing those unique multicultural nuances that connect with them. We want to make sure that they know we as a brand understand them.”
Leading a team that collaborates with multiple agencies can be challenging, as it requires maintaining strong partnerships and ensuring all parties stay aligned with Lexus’ strategic objectives while delivering creative that meets the brand’s high standards.
"Open dialogue is imperative in ensuring that we're communicating our objectives as a business but also in allowing them to take the lead in their areas of expertise.
We want everyone to bring their different viewpoints and perspectives so we can collectively decide how to bring our advertising objectives to life while maintaining our ability to meet our objectives,” Sara adds.
Hiring the right agency is also important.
Previously, DesignRush spoke to Billups Global Chief Strategy Officer Dr. Stephanie Gutnik, who highlighted the biggest mistakes brands make when hiring an agency. Watch the video to learn more:
Finally, Sara shares how a new brand entering a luxury market can successfully differentiate itself and drive meaningful growth:
“It all goes back to the guest or for other brands, the customer. That’s going to set you apart from any other brand. Keeping that human-centricity top of mind is imperative in differentiating yourself and driving meaningful growth.”
As a brand that has established a strong reputation in a competitive market, Lexus teaches us that customer-centric philosophy drives long-term success.
In everything you do, make sure to put your customers in the first place. Find out about their needs, understand their pain points, and meet them where they are.
This will help you build a foundation for sustainable growth and a strong brand identity.
