Below is a pragmatic, soup-to-nuts task list to “sell American cars in Japan like hotcakes.” I’ll start with the guiding approach and why it will work, then list concrete tasks with owners, deliverables, and success criteria. A pinch of humor is sprinkled in—but the plan is dead serious.

Strategy in One Page (How we’ll win & why it’s credible)

Method: A four-pillar “Fit Japan First” go-to-market: measure → avoid → guarantee → train
1. Measure Japan’s physical constraints (garage widths, ramp angles, car-stop heights, multi-story elevators).
2. Avoid mismatches by curating only SKUs that physically fit and tune them for low-speed maneuverability.
3. Guarantee usability with a Parking Fit Guarantee (PFG), narrow-street-aware navigation & a verified parking database.
4. Train owners (and dealers) for urban use; add concierge trip planning and protective hardware aids.
Why it works: Where street width and parking are tight (e.g., the UK, Italy’s historic centers, Singapore), global brands—including American ones with compact or globally homologated models—succeed by shipping the right trims, localizing UX, and over-investing in after-sales and confidence guarantees. Japan rewards that same discipline.
Positioning: “Urban-savvy American”—the style and character people want, engineered and supported to actually fit daily life.

Phase 0 — Executive Guardrails (2 weeks)

Define the Japan SKU Policy
- Owner: Product & Compliance
- Tasks: Approve only RHD or easy-RHD platforms, ≤1,800–1,850 mm width targets, short overhangs; ban “show-queen” trims that blow weight/size taxes or noise limits.
- Deliverable: JP Lineup PRD v1.0
- Success: 100% of launch SKUs meet physical and tax thresholds.
Set the Four Non-Negotiables
- Owner: Country GM
- Tasks: Lock the “measure/avoid/guarantee/train” pillars into every team’s OKRs.
- Deliverable: GTM one-pager signed
- Success: Reflected in Sales, Service, and Marketing scorecards.

Phase 1 — Fit & Localization (6–10 weeks)

National Fit Study (“Measure”)
- Owner: Vehicle Engineering
- Tasks:
  - Lidar scans + tape-measure audits of 300 representative parking sites (mixed prefectures, not just Kanto/Kansai).
  - Compile clearance templates (width/height/ramp break-over) and a “do-not-enter” geo-layer.
- Deliverable: JP Fit Database + CAD overlays
- Success: 95%+ predictive accuracy that a chosen lot will actually fit a given model.
SKU Curation & Low-Speed Tuning (“Avoid”)
- Owner: Product & Powertrain
- Tasks:
  - Elect launch trio: compact SUV, compact pickup/UTE-like, halo icon that still fits.
  - Calibrate steering ratio at low speeds; enable ultra-tight turning mode, adjustable rear-camera guidelines, and auto-fold mirrors.
- Deliverable: JP-tuned calibration files & spec sheets
- Success: Turning circle reduced by ≥0.3 m vs. global tune; parking scrape claims <0.5% in first 6 months.
Parking Fit Guarantee (PFG) (“Guarantee”)
- Owner: CX & Legal
- Tasks:
  - Offer a 90-day PFG: if customer can’t consistently park at home/work, we fund one of: (a) certified slim-tire swap, (b) mirror/camera upgrade, (c) curated lot subscription near home, or (d) no-penalty swap to narrower SKU.
- Deliverable: PFG policy, claims workflow, budget guardrails
- Success: NPS +10 vs. baseline; <2% PFG claim rate.
Narrow-Road Nav & Verified Parking DB
- Owner: Maps/Telematics
- Tasks:
  - Build a width/height-aware routing profile; integrate parking reservation and car-elevator compatibility tags.
  - “Avoid shrine alleys”: add no-go micro-streets and height bars.
- Deliverable: Nav v1.0 (OTA-capable), Parking DB (prefecture coverage heatmap)
- Success: 80% of trips suggest a verified parking option within 400 m of destination.
Full JP Localization
- Owner: UX & Compliance
- Tasks:
  - 100% Japanese UI/manuals, ETC/ETC2.0 support, JP voice assistants, width filters in POI search, OTA compliance docs packaged in-car.
  - EV only: Type-1/CHAdeMO/CCS adapter strategy + home-install partners.
- Deliverable: JP UI build; accessory & adapter catalog; installer network
- Success: <1% dealer escalations related to UI/charging/ETC.

Phase 2 — Distribution & Service Footprint (8–12 weeks)

Dealer Model + Pop-Up “Micro-Bay” Stores
- Owner: Network Development
- Tasks:
  - Expand beyond Kanto/Kansai with micro-bay stores (2-3 service bays) in Chubu, Tohoku, Kyushu.
  - Co-locate with mall parking to demo real-world fit.
- Deliverable: 10 signed locations, 6 live by launch
- Success: 80% of target population within 90-minute drive of service.
Mobile Service + Protection Program
- Owner: Service Ops
- Tasks:
  - Launch mobile van coverage; transparent bumper/door-edge films standard on delivery; “first-scrape fix free.”
- Deliverable: SLA playbook; film SKU kits
- Success: First-year cosmetic claims -30%.

Phase 3 — Demand Gen & Brand (6–10 weeks, overlaps)

Message Testing
- Owner: Brand
- Tasks: Validate “Urban-savvy American” vs. alternatives; keep “hotcakes” energy for social, not legal docs.
- Deliverable: Copy matrix & visual system
- Success: +5–8 pt lift in ad recall in JP panels.
Hero Formats
- Owner: Growth Marketing
- Tasks:
  - “Parking Boss” video series: real tight lots, real owners, one take, no editing tricks.
  - “Shrine-Street Etiquette” shorts: demonstrate respectful routing features.
- Deliverable: 12-episode content calendar
- Success: 20%+ view-through; test-drive CTR >2.5%.
Experiential
- Owner: Field Marketing
- Tasks:
  - Narrow-Street Test Tracks at malls; measure driver stress via smile-score (joking… unless?).
  - Try-Park Pass: 48-hour loan + reserved parking near 3 destinations.
- Deliverable: Event kit + reservation flow
- Success: 25% event→test-drive; 10% test-drive→sale.
Influencer & Community
- Owner: Social
- Tasks: Partner with family vloggers, outdoor micro-influencers, and mechanics who are trusted on “can this actually fit?”
- Deliverable: 20 creator contracts, UGC brief
- Success: Organic reach ≥ paid reach in month 2.

Phase 4 — Sales Ops & Financing (4–6 weeks)

Tax-Smart Bundles
- Owner: Finance
- Tasks: Build trim bundles that hit favorable weight/size tax brackets; EV subsidies maximized where eligible.
- Deliverable: Pricing ladder & calculator
- Success: “Out-the-door” shock rate <10%.
Trade-In & Subscription
- Owner: Sales
- Tasks: Launch 12–24-month subscription with PFG included; build a “narrower swap” path at month 3 penalty-free.
- Deliverable: Contract templates; DMS workflows
- Success: 30% of sales via sub; churn <8% at month 3.

Phase 5 — Owner Training & Concierge (launch-1 → launch+8 weeks)

Owner Onboarding (“Train”)
- Owner: CX
- Tasks: 60-minute delivery lesson on parking angles, camera lines, mirror tricks; route to verified lots near home/work.
- Deliverable: Onboarding checklist; app tutorials
- Success: Delivery-30-day support tickets <0.8 per VIN.
Concierge Micro-Trips
- Owner: Partnerships
- Tasks: Curate “Urban Adventure+” add-on (see below) with reserved parking and cash-back at partner venues.
- Deliverable: 30 partner sites across 6 regions
- Success: 40% attach on first purchase.

Phase 6 — Metrics, Feedback, and Iteration (ongoing)

KPI Stack
- Test-drive→Order ≥12%
- PFG claim rate ≤2%
- “Could park at home tonight?” check-ins ≥98% yes
- Cosmetic scrape claims ≤0.5% in 90 days
- NPS ≥+60; Service SLA <72 hrs in all regions
- Prefecture coverage heatmap ≥85% pop within 90-min service radius
Tight-Loop Improvement
- Weekly: add 500+ lots to the verified DB; push nav no-go updates OTA.
- Monthly: SKU trims re-weighted by actual fit outcomes and PFG learnings.

Distinctive “Use-with-Rules” Offering (Value-Add, not a gag)

Urban Adventure+ (UAX) Pack — sold with the car

What it is: A curated set of micro-adventures (hidden bakeries, micro-onsen towns, riverside BBQ sites) that all have verified parking for your exact model.
Rules & structure:
1. Each UAX route includes 3 guaranteed parking slots (primary + 2 backups) time-windowed in-app.
2. If a slot fails, instant ¥ credit and a concierge reroutes you within 10 minutes.
3. Quarterly “Fit Trials”: owners compete on tight-lot challenges (precision, no cones hit), scored via on-board sensors; winners get subscription months free.
4. Must obey noise/respect rules near shrines/temples; quiet-mode automatically engages under 15 km/h in tagged zones.
Why it adds value: It monetizes confidence, not horsepower; makes the “American vibe” practical for weekend life and social content.

Obstacles & Countermeasures

Obstacle: Parking/road geometry anxiety
- Counter: PFG, verified DB, training, hardware aids (360° + corner cams, auto-fold mirrors, adjustable camera guidelines), low-speed steering tune.
Obstacle: After-sales reach outside major metros
- Counter: Micro-bay stores + mobile service vans; regional hubs in Chubu/Tohoku/Kyushu.
Obstacle: RHD availability & compliance
- Counter: RHD-capable platforms only at launch; compliance docs in-car; fast-follow for others only if PFG data supports.
Obstacle: EV charging fragmentation
- Counter: Adapter kit + home-install partners; app-level charger reliability scoring; fallback hybrid/ICE trims in rural-heavy prefectures.
Obstacle: Price sensitivity due to taxes
- Counter: Tax-smart trims and transparent OTD pricing; subscription with predictable TCO.

Task List (condensed checklist view)

Notes on “Similar Countries, Similar Constraints”

Countries with narrow streets/tight parking—the UK, parts of Italy’s old towns, and Singapore—show that carefully chosen global-platform American models, localized UX, and strong after-sales can succeed. Japan can mirror that playbook: curate compact/global SKUs, over-invest in fit guarantees, and make parking certainty part of the product.

One Last Thing

If anyone asks why they’re selling like hotcakes: tell them we pre-buttered the parking spaces. 🍯🚗

Friday, August 15, 2025

Sell American cars in Japan like hotcakes