This provides an extensive analysis of the marketing strategy for the Carmo-kun auto subscription service, focusing on barrier removal and driver enhancement.
It uses Carmo-kun as a case study to illustrate the critical importance of deep customer understanding, noting that the company initially assumed customers wanted many choices, while in reality, the target demographic—who lacked extensive car knowledge—found too many options to be a psychological barrier.
The company subsequently simplified its offerings and communications to address selection, knowledge, and price barriers, while also strengthening drivers like convenience, economic rationality, and the desire for ownership through options like receiving the car after a long-term lease.
The overall lesson emphasizes that successful marketing requires eliminating friction and simultaneously providing strong motivations for customers to act, moving beyond seller assumptions to align with genuine consumer psychology.
