NEW CAMPAIGN ANSWERS THE QUESTION "WHY LR4?"

"Why Breadcrumbs?" That's one of the intriguing questions we're asking in an innovative new point‑of‑sale marketing campaign, called "Why LR4?", that kicks off this week, writes Finbar McFall, Vice President, Marketing, Land Rover North America.

In case you didn't know, "breadcrumbing" is one of the remarkable features of the new 2010 LR4's Hard Disk Drive (HDD) satellite navigation system.

If you're heading offroad along a trail that isn't mapped onto any navigation software, the system marks points along your route ‑ with electronic breadcrumbs ‑ so that you can re‑trace your steps.

Any customer walking into a Land Rover showroom will see a new LR4 covered with bold graphics asking questions like "Why Breadcrumbs?", "Why Stadium?" "Why Direct Injection?" "Why Terrain Response?" "Why TFT?" "Why Boron?" and ultimately "Why LR4?"

It's all part of a push to focus more attention on our dramatically improved 2010 LR4, which gets fresh design, a new direct‑injection 5.0‑liter V8, retuned independent air suspension, and a significantly upgraded interior.

While our two new Range Rover models continue to exceed our sales expectations ‑ so far this year, sales of the Range Rover flagship are up 19.4 per cent, with the dynamic Range Rover Sport up 23 per cent ‑ we predict the future growth will be in the medium premium SUV segment where the LR4 competes.

Our research tells us that between now and 2013, this section of the market will grow an impressive 53 per cent.

To increase the awareness of LR4, we've dialed up our media prescence and, in addition, have just announced a highly‑attractive $699‑a‑month lease. We're also ramping up LR4 production in the UK to increase availability at our retailers, and putting a renewed focus on getting customers, and media, behind the wheel for test drives.

We're also planning a very cool event in New York in the coming weeks to spotlight the awesome sound of the LR4's available harmon/kardon® Normal.dotm 0 0 1 2 ICON Creative Technologies Group 1 1 2 12.0 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso‑style‑name:"Table Normal"; mso‑tstyle‑rowband‑size:0; mso‑tstyle‑colband‑size:0; mso‑style‑noshow:yes; mso‑style‑parent:""; mso‑padding‑alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso‑para‑margin:0in; mso‑para‑margin‑bottom:.0001pt; mso‑pagination:widow‑orphan; font‑size:12.0pt; font‑family:"Times New Roman"; mso‑ascii‑font‑family:Cambria; mso‑ascii‑theme‑font:minor‑latin; mso‑fareast‑font‑family:"Times New Roman"; mso‑fareast‑theme‑font:minor‑fareast; mso‑hansi‑font‑family:Cambria; mso‑hansi‑theme‑font:minor‑latin; mso‑bidi‑font‑family:"Times New Roman"; mso‑bidi‑theme‑font:minor‑bidi;} Normal.dotm 0 0 1 2 ICON Creative Technologies Group 1 1 2 12.0 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso‑style‑name:"Table Normal"; mso‑tstyle‑rowband‑size:0; mso‑tstyle‑colband‑size:0; mso‑style‑noshow:yes; mso‑style‑parent:""; mso‑padding‑alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso‑para‑margin:0in; mso‑para‑margin‑bottom:.0001pt; mso‑pagination:widow‑orphan; font‑size:12.0pt; font‑family:"Times New Roman"; mso‑ascii‑font‑family:Cambria; mso‑ascii‑theme‑font:minor‑latin; mso‑fareast‑font‑family:"Times New Roman"; mso‑fareast‑theme‑font:minor‑fareast; mso‑hansi‑font‑family:Cambria; mso‑hansi‑theme‑font:minor‑latin; mso‑bidi‑font‑family:"Times New Roman"; mso‑bidi‑theme‑font:minor‑bidi;} LOGIC7 ® Normal.dotm 0 0 1 2 ICON Creative Technologies Group 1 1 2 12.0 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso‑style‑name:"Table Normal"; mso‑tstyle‑rowband‑size:0; mso‑tstyle‑colband‑size:0; mso‑style‑noshow:yes; mso‑style‑parent:""; mso‑padding‑alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso‑para‑margin:0in; mso‑para‑margin‑bottom:.0001pt; mso‑pagination:widow‑orphan; font‑size:12.0pt; font‑family:"Times New Roman"; mso‑ascii‑font‑family:Cambria; mso‑ascii‑theme‑font:minor‑latin; mso‑fareast‑font‑family:"Times New Roman"; mso‑fareast‑theme‑font:minor‑fareast; mso‑hansi‑font‑family:Cambria; mso‑hansi‑theme‑font:minor‑latin; mso‑bidi‑font‑family:"Times New Roman"; mso‑bidi‑theme‑font:minor‑bidi;} audio system.

We're hiring a Manhattan recording studio and will have a musician lay‑down a track in the studio watched by groups of customers and journalists. We'll then play back the track through the LR4's harmon/kardon®  Normal.dotm 0 0 1 2 ICON Creative Technologies Group 1 1 2 12.0 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso‑style‑name:"Table Normal"; mso‑tstyle‑rowband‑size:0; mso‑tstyle‑colband‑size:0; mso‑style‑noshow:yes; mso‑style‑parent:""; mso‑padding‑alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso‑para‑margin:0in; mso‑para‑margin‑bottom:.0001pt; mso‑pagination:widow‑orphan; font‑size:12.0pt; font‑family:"Times New Roman"; mso‑ascii‑font‑family:Cambria; mso‑ascii‑theme‑font:minor‑latin; mso‑fareast‑font‑family:"Times New Roman"; mso‑fareast‑theme‑font:minor‑fareast; mso‑hansi‑font‑family:Cambria; mso‑hansi‑theme‑font:minor‑latin; mso‑bidi‑font‑family:"Times New Roman"; mso‑bidi‑theme‑font:minor‑bidi;} system to highlight the sound quality.

The "Why LR4" campaign kicks off initially with our New York Tri‑state retailers ‑ that's New Jersey, New York and Connecticut. The plan is for it then to run nationally from June.

We're hoping those breadcrumbs will lead a path to something big.