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A VISION THAT’S DRIVEN. Presented by: Ringling College of Art + Design
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TABLE of contents 002 Executive Summary 003 Situational Analysis Brand History | Competitive Analysis | Secondary Research
005 Primary Research Journey Overview Of Approaches | Quickfire Games | Media Portrayal Focus Groups | Expert Interviews | At The Dealership | Targeting / Culture | Nissan Strengths & Weaknesses Assessment
012 Marketing Objective 013 Strategy 014 Creative Brief Who Are We Talking To? | What Do We Want The Audience To Do? | What’s In The Consumer’s Head? | What Is The Brand Personality? | The Single Most Important Idea To Communicate
015 The Big Idea 016 Creative Executions 030 Media Planning 032 Measurement & Evaluation
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EXECUTIVE summary
On the road to success, cars are the last thing on any 18-29 year old Multicultural Millennial’s mind. There is little time to consider the ride between going to work, tweeting at stoplights, taking the kids to practice, and checking Facebook. We were faced with the difficult challenge of finding out how to cut through the competitive clutter and give this young and ambitious demographic a lasting impression of Nissan®. So we started off by asking: Who is Nissan? The answer is unclear. Nissan has struggled to distinguish its brand image in order to stand apart from its competition. We also discovered that traditional classification systems regarding this demographic negate the connection and strength developed by MC millennials during life’s collaborative and innovative moments. This key insight allowed us to see that just like Multicultural Millennials, Nissan is multifaceted, adaptive and never standing still. Our demographic values authenticity and can appreciate a transparent campaign. Because of this, Nissan can no longer get away with simply stating that they are innovative; they must live and breathe innovation throughout all channels of communication. By doing so, Nissan will bring originality and creativity to the otherwise static automotive advertising landscape. Successfully identifying with this demographic will require Nissan to allow MC Millennials to take the wheel in the pursuit of a future that can’t be defined by traditional methods or motivations.
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SITUATIONAL analysis BRAND HISTORY Nissan Motor Company is a Japanese car maker whose dedication to innovation has stood the test of time since its origins as Datsun in 1914. Nissan’s development over the last century has led to successful relationships, alliances and mergers with other motor production companies, strengthening product offerings for consumers. The 2010 positioning strategy of “Innovation for All” leverages Nissan’s new movement toward green initiatives and technological advancements. Nissan prides itself on a rich cultural history of Japanese company partnerships and collaborations as it looks forward to developing a stronger connection with its Multicultural (MC) Millennial market in the future. But much like its competition, Nissan’s promotional materials have focused on the ideal life sought by its consumers, promoting stylish and reliable cars at a great price. As a result, Nissan’s brand positioning among any given demographic is limited and unclear, revealing a prime opportunity for rebranding among indecisive car buyers. Consumers have the potential to be attracted by Nissan’s innovative products, but only if the channels that reach them are innovative as well. Our team’s objectives stemmed from an analysis of Nissan’s own marketing strategies, which we then compared to their competition. In order to do this we decided to assess the competitors’ attempts at innovation to see if they were comparable or superior to Nissan’s initiative. COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS Our first step to understand Nissan’s situation was to conduct a competitive analysis. We examined each company’s branding efforts to determine their relevance to MC Millenials.
TOYOTA “Moving Forward”
PROS: Loyal customers feel they can rely on their purchase. CONS: Large size of the company makes change hard to implement.
HONDA
“The Power of Dreams”
PROS: Quality of engineering gives consumers reason to buy. CONS: High price and shaky delivery weaken consumer outlook.
CHEVY
“Chevy Runs Deep”
PROS: Safety and durability breed loyal consumers. CONS: Financial and economic instability may overwhelm buyers.
FORD
“Go Further”
PROS: American-made pride keeps consumers coming back. CONS: Foreign competitors produce a more reliable product in the long-run.
HYUNDAI
“New Thinking. New Possibilities.”
PROS: Cheap price is desired and necessary in this economy. CONS: Low quality gives consumers an unfavorable impression. Positive relevance to MC Millennials. Negative relevance to MC Millennials.
Now that we understood the platforms, strengths, and weaknesses of Nissan’s competition, it was time to begin researching MC Millennials to better understand the target demographic.
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SECONDARY RESEARCH Before we began our own investigation into the world of Nissan and MC Millennials, our team researched various websites, articles and studies as references during our process. Here are a few key insights that helped us begin our understanding of the demographic:
African American (70%) and Hispanic (65%) Millennials are significantly more likely than White Millennials (53%) to always be looking out for the next big thing in technology, fashion, music, or art.
MC Millennials value authenticity in any brand and advertising messaging.
African American (56%) and Hispanic (52%) Millennials are significantly more likely than White Millennials (40%) to always be one of the first to know about cultural events, happenings, and trends.
Issues relevant to MC Millennials include being successful, raising a family, and participating in green practices, when financially viable.
We still had questions though, especially about the relationship MC Millennials had with their cars, and how they felt about the discrepancies between how they wanted to be portrayed in the media and how they were actually portrayed. Once this initial research was completed, our team had the information needed to design multiple forms of primary research. MC Millennials value experiences over things or ownership.
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PRIMARY RESEARCH journey OVERVIEW OF APPROACHES When we first began our Primary Research Journey we decided to test the breadth of the demographic and send out as many surveys as we possibly could. We created two different surveys and gave them to MC student organizations at colleges in over 10 states across the US. We also posted them on various social networking sites and multicultural chat forums. Additional surveys were given in person at cultural festivals, shopping malls, across college campuses and placed on vehicle windshields as QR codes. Some information and statistics we were able to pull from the survey results are as follows:
One of our surveys gave us the most insight into the MC Millennials’ lifestyles by examining their interests, media exposure and social networking habits. Some insights from the Lifestyle Awareness of MC Millennials survey are as follows: Almost all MC Millennials are involved in social networking, and most of these individuals use Facebook. There is a wide variety of preferences in Millenials’ music choices, hobbies and interests. Live events are popular for their social life and connection to music. The websites they visit most are private, pseudosocial networks like Tumblr, account-based news sites and LiveJournal. When asked what their favorite car model, the majority of respondents left the question blank, picked a luxury car associated with status or a car featured in their favorite show—cars that are obviously beyond their reach or budgets. Given the narrow demographic of Chinese, Hispanic, and African American Millennials, obtaining large quantities of participants proved to be a challenge. After taking a few weeks to get a better understanding of how many MC Millennials we could reach, we decided to go as in depth as possible with each individual we came across. Our research proved to be more successful when conversing thoroughly with the demographic rather than simply handing out large numbers of impersonal surveys.
Moving forward, we gained many more key insights through various other marketing tactics:
QUICKFIRE GAMES Most MC Millennials have the dream of owning a car. They know what brand, model, color, and even what additions they would want to see in their automobiles. But what makes this thriving group of American society choose the car brand they’re going to purchase? We needed to know what consumers in this target market wanted when purchasing an automobile, how they choose the cars or brands they buy, their mindset when it comes to automobiles and where they go when they’re looking to buy a vehicle.
We designed an interactive event to find out the following: Why MC Millennials choose the cars that they buy/lease How their car fulfills their travel needs What features of a car are most important Which car brands they relate to and why
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“THE WORLD DOES NOT REVOLVE AROUND ONE ETHNICITY.” This information was gathered through a Quickfire Game where participants selected a scenario out of a hat (ex: road trip, going to work, etc.). Participants were then given one minute to select an outline of a standard vehicle and fill the inside of the car with all the items they would need for that scenario (ex: GPS, Bluetooth, coffee, etc.). Options were displayed on fabric with velcro to make their selection process simple. Finally, they were asked to explain their choices and “brand” their car by selecting the appropriate logo. We expected to see a correlation among the decisions of our target audience that would point us toward preferences in brands. Our participants surprised us when the data came back and revealed that there was little to no connection between one’s race, age, or gender (among our target of MC Millennials) and the brand that they chose for their vehicle. Instead, brand selections were made primarily based on three factors: A family member or friend with previous ownership experience Perceptions of reliability and safety Perceptions of style Because two out of three of their decision-making factors stemmed from perceptions gathered from media portrayals, we decided to dig deeper to find out just how MC Millennials feel about their presence and portrayal in the media. MEDIA PORTRAYAL FOCUS GROUPS Our research pointed to the fact that MC Millennials were diverse in their habits, hobbies, and interests. We thought it necessary to see if the media was taking this into account, or if advertising was stereotypical in the
generalizations of this target. The words “diversity,” “tolerance,” and “change” are familiar to this group, but are these ideals being portrayed in the media and advertisements geared towards this target demographic? Our group gathered this information by conducting six focus groups. These included two groups of each of the following ethnicities: African Americans, Hispanics, and Chinese American Millennials. The participants of these focus groups were shown various ads and images in print and video format and asked a series of questions
by a moderator. The images consisted of miscellaneous cultural icons, situations and symbols along with editorial and advertising content. Some were specifically chosen to be offensive, and others were simply ads made by or for their ethnicity by multicultural advertising agencies. Three of the focus groups used a moderator of the same ethnicity as the respondents, while three others used a moderator of Caucasian ethnicity. Answers were compared to see if simply changing the moderator produced different results. In addition to this, the food served at the focus groups was representative of each ethnicity (ex: Mexican food for the Hispanic group) to see how they would respond. We discovered: MC Millennials prefer seeing someone like themselves in a group of mixed races. One focus group member stated, “The world does not revolve around one ethnicity.” MC Millennials do not necessarily want to hear the language or accents they might use at home in commercials. They want realistic portrayals of their race and not clichés such as the Rap and R&B motifs commonly used for
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TEXAS African American audiences. A negative portrayal in the advertisements tended to make each group unhappy. African Americans are concerned about the state of their community, and expressed an awareness of the action needed for positive growth in their community. Hispanics tend to value both unity and individuality, bringing up the fact that most Hispanic cultures are incorrectly lumped together as if they were all the same. Asians are relatively unconcerned about being negatively portrayed in the media, but expressed dissatisfaction with the ‘token’ Asian as a fringe character archetype. MC Millennials are not influenced by multicultural celebrities but rather by people who leave a legacy, such as the activist Martin Luther King, Jr. The different moderators tended to set the tone of the discussion. With a moderator of their own ethnicity, the conversation was critical towards media portrayal and the problems they face navigating the social climate as MC Millennials. With a moderator of Caucasian ethnicity, the discussion stayed focused solely on the various media portrayals. Even though MC Millennials do tend to be more comfortable in groups of their own race, they do not want to be portrayed this way in the media. This demographic transcends race and gender, and is more concerned with common interests unifying them rather than cultural commonalities. This was confirmed later when we asked experts for their insights on this demographic. EXPERT INTERVIEWS To make sure our findings could be backed up by multiple sources, we decided to turn to nine advertising and marketing experts around the country to gain more insight on the demographic from a professional perspective. Speaking to these different individuals allowed us to learn more about advertising as a whole, the demographic from the expert’s perspective, and
Corey Seaton, Senior Art Director, Sander/Wingo Advertising, Austin, TX: (African American Millennials) Greg Rogers, Writer/ACD, Sander/Wingo Advertising, Austin, TX: (African American Millennials)
FLORIDA George Zwierko, Owner/Partner, Rumbo Advertising, Tampa, FL: (Hispanic Millennials)
FLORIDA Pedro Perez, CEO/Co-Owner, Nuevo Advertising Group, Sarasota, FL: (Hispanic Millennials)
FLORIDA A r m a n d o H e r n a n d e z , C C O, M a r c a A d v e r t i s i n g , M i a m i , F L : (Hispanic Millennials)
FLORIDA John A. Lack, Creator of MTV/Chief Partner @ FireMedia Partners, Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, FL: (Millennials as a whole)
CALIFORNIA Lilian Lee, Account Director, Dae Advertising, San Francisco, CA: (Chinese American Millennials) Kelly Ko, Dae Advertising, San Francisco, CA: (Chinese American Millennials)
MICHIGAN Jeremy Water, Strategic/Account Planner, Mars Advertising/ E-Prize, Detroit, MI: (African American, Hispanic and Millennials as a whole)
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the automotive industry in advertising. There were many overlaps of important information given by these experts on MC Millennials. The key insights across the board for our demographic are as follows: Image, status, and style are very important. Their family orientation is strong. Both religious and local communities are prominent influences on their decisions. Social networking is important to the demographic for staying connected and upholding their image. This target is the most mobile, utilizing portable technology for convenience. This generation transcends race. This demographic is ever-changing, and unique and they want the advertisements aimed towards them to be the same. The target wishes to be grouped by sub-interests and peer groups rather than ethnicity. They are trying to keep the balance between their nightlife and family life. They have many different influences: family, friends, media, etc. AT THE DEALERSHIP Once we felt comfortable with the information we gathered about MC Millennials, we decided to focus on what happens from Nissan’s end when an MC Millennial
is ready to buy a car or is researching their options. A positive dealership experience for MC Millennials is crucial when it comes to purchasing a new vehicle. Each member of the Creative Suite was able to visit and observe at several Nissan dealerships, taking participants from our target consumer base (ages 20-27) to see if the experience was different for the MC Millennial target. In total, our team visited 15 Nissan dealerships in 8 US states and one in the UK: Florida, Georgia, Texas, California, Virginia, Missouri, Kansas, New Hampshire and London. Each MC Millennial was asked to fill out a questionnaire both before and after their dealership experience to see if and how their perceptions of the Nissan brand had shifted. Although some Nissan dealerships had unique features such as charging stations for electric cars, each group reported not being ‘wowed’ on their initial visit. Some QR codes were utilized on newer 2012 models, but they weren’t nearly as informative as a traditional brochure. The staff, environment and overall experience were very unremarkable when compared to other car lots. Another common key weakness the visitors expressed was the lack of dazzling customer support. Overall, the trips were nothing special, and half of the participants were not interested in purchasing a Nissan model after their visit. But the good news is that the dealership experience is largely the same for all brands. In order to grip the MC Millennial consumer, Nissan must provide a more interactive and unique dealership experience. MC Millennials need to be convinced that Nissan’s innovation message goes beyond just a tag line, and
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“…OUR TARGET DOES NOT WANT TO BE TREATED DIFFERENTLY,
reaches this young target with interesting and relevant experiences at every touchpoint. TARGETING / CULTURE Using our extensive research efforts as a guide, we worked to segment the target market in a way that made the most of our creative executions. The most obvious means of target segmentation for MC Millennials was by ethnicity, so we began collecting opinions and feedback on what makes African Americans, Hispanics and Chinese Americans unique. However, our focus groups on media portrayal uncovered that MC Millennials do not want to be grouped by ethnicity, but rather by their hobbies and interests. Surveys and personal interviews showed that Millennials as a whole have an incredibly diverse range of interests, and segmenting in this way would not be useful either. Our team also attempted to segment based on the demographic’s various life stages such as graduating from college, starting a new job, getting married or starting a family. But we found that these events crossed over too easily (ex: a working mom), and some of these stages like graduation or marriage represent only one day in an MC Millennial’s fast-paced life. Many of our surveys looked into what MC Millennials used their car for most. Though we came to solid conclusions as to what MC Millennials wanted in a car, we were unable to segment along those lines because it would not speak to their deeper motivations. We came to the conclusion that our target does not want to be treated differently, they just want to be treated equally. They don’t want a specific advertising campaign that targets them as the exception, they simply want to make it a rule that they be included and represented in a brand’s overall advertising efforts. Unlike previous generations MC Millennials branch out beyond their ethnicity when it comes to friends, interests and choices. This allows for a deeper understanding of each other,
other cultural backgrounds and gives them a sense of wholeness. They are aware of stereotypes, but their entire identity is railing against them. NISSAN STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES ASSESSMENT
STRENGTH
WEAKNESS
nissan OPPORTUNITY
THREAT
INNOVATION FOR ALL | SHIFT_THE WAY YOU MOVE STRENGTH: Dedication to innovation and consumer needs keeps Nissan flexible and future-oriented₁₂₃ WEAKNESS: Consumer awareness of the Nissan brand positioning is low OPPORTUNITY: Nissan can leverage collaboration, engineering, and re-branding initiatives₄₅₆ THREAT: Nissan could be overlooked due to competitive clutter and brand loyalism₇
Now that we had enough data from our primary and secondary research, we were able to complete Nissan’s own strengths assessment in order to better determine our strategy. PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION At the end of our research process, three issues became evident: The current climate for car ads is largely homogeneous and predictable.
1: Innovation for Endurance campaign 2: Innovative models 3: Energy award 4: Aerodynamic shipping containers 5: Nissan releases Datsun for underdeveloped countries 6: Leaf first electric available in all markets 7: Other Brand Loyalist 2012 Survey
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MC Millennials displayed an aversion to being singled out in advertising. Nissan has no strong presence in the mind of an MC Millennial. In one experiment, our team pulled car advertisements for a wide range of car makes and models from magazines, sorting them in accordance to their appearance, function and then target (or target of the magazine). Out of the approximately 75 ads from 15 different publications, there were very few that interrupted the sea of very similar visual trends and concepts. Print ads were either too boring, or showed too little of the car and were hard to identify as the brand. Car commercials, while having a little more variety were still largely the same, following a set of trends that made individual recollection difficult. The ads that did stand out often stood out for negative reasons. (Pictured below) This creates a huge opportunity for Nissan to introduce a unique and relevant campaign to grab MC Millennials’ attention. Another problem our research revealed was the
ineffectiveness of ads that don’t acknowledge the connectedness of the world MC Millennials inhabit or their own undefinable identity. Focus group participants felt uncomfortable with ads that drew excessive attention to their ethnicity or tried to segment them in stereotypical situations (e.g. African-American actors listening to Hip-Hop music or Chinese actors eating rice with chopsticks). The focus groups appreciated ads that had an African-American actor as the only character without going out of the way to ‘qualify’ his race. In addition, even though MC Millennials said they felt most comfortable around members of their own ethnicity they still had a wide and diverse friend base. The connection this segment has with peers of all backgrounds stays true to the data we found about Millennials in general. Our research confirmed these things: Millennials have many sources of input about their purchasing decisions: family, friends, their job and education situation and the Internet. The large variety of familial situations means some Millennials have a lot of variables depending on which car they choose (e.g. children, parents sharing the car, large families, etc.). MC Millennials prefer to be grouped by interests and peer groups.
Overly goofy
Focusing on unrealistic driving scenarios
Trying too hard
MC Millennials are impossible to generalize. All of their interests, situations, and attitudes are vastly different and certainly worth celebrating. Diversity links the segment together. Stating that a company is innovative is not enough. This target understands innovation through a company’s actions, so marketing tactics must be innovative as well. Apple®doesn’t call themselves innovative necessarily, but time and time again our focus groups listed Apple as a company that lives and breathes innovation. The biggest problem and the one that is most easily changed, is that Nissan currently has no strong image in the minds of MC Millennials, positive or negative. Individual models have better luck, but not by much. Compounding this problem is the fact that MC
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MARKETING objective Millennials do not generally think about cars unless they are planning to buy one soon. If Nissan can secure a more memorable image that better integrates itself into Millennials’ lives, they can position themselves to be the car that MC Millennials think of when that time comes. Not everyone is aware of Nissan’s brand and their positioning because they don’t stand out among their competitors. MC Millennials crave brands that will engage them and communicate in a relevant way using inventive methods and technologies such as online sites, social media, in-game ads and mobile marketing. They might also appreciate a brand that has just as much to prove as themselves, in terms of self-image and identity. Nissan had increased sales in the MC segment by 29% for the 2010-2011 year as a result of multiple marketing strategies including the ‘Innovation For All’ campaign. it’s not a matter of matching this increase, but increasing enough to pass the competition. This means a massive 9% increase is needed to exceed both Toyota and Honda’s 2011 MC market share. We plan to attract the 83% of consumers in our demographic who are looking to purchase a car in the next 1-5 years. In order to achieve our objective, a 10% sales increase is projected for the 2013 fiscal year with an additional 2% Year Over Year (YOY) increase over the next 4 years for a total five year increase of 18%. Nissan’s largest advantage is that they produce well-engineered Japanese cars that are on average $1,258 less than top models from other Japanese manufacturers such as Honda and Toyota. In order to reach our marketing objective we need to approach this target consumer by focusing on their individual interests and peer groups, with an overarching message of rebelling against stereotypes. Continuing with the existing marketing focus, strategy will position
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STRATEGY the following cars in our campaign for MC Millennials: Altima, Rogue, Sentra, Pathfinder and Versa. A focused product lineup featuring the new 2013 redesign of the most popular Altima model will ensure strong consumer understanding during the establishment of Nissan’s brand repositioning. As we have previously stated, Nissan currently does not hold a strong brand awareness with MC Millennials. They know Nissan exists, but they don’t know Nissan’s personality. This allows us to leverage this non-identity by firmly taking the stance that being defined means you aren’t moving or growing. We now have a great opportunity to show that Nissan not only understands the importance of its drivers’ diversity, but is also a part of it. Authenticity is a major attribute for MC Millennials. Since this target is all about individuality and expressing themselves in their own unique way, they will not let brands define them. Only 17.7% of Millennials agree that their favorite ad led them to purchase the product being advertised. It will take a multi-layered campaign with a deeper message to gain their trust. They stay true to who they are, so this campaign should allow MC Millennials to tell Nissan who they are. We used the key insights we have gathered through in-depth research to connect with consumers on an emotional and modest level. We need to talk to MC Millennials in their language and stray away from the mundane automotive advertising that has flooded the
Journey Life is a journey and Nissan will take you there. At this stage in MC Millennials’ lives, they are experiencing the biggest journey so far. Whether it is excelling in college, beginning their career, finding themselves or even starting a family, Nissan wants to be there every step of the way.
Change Nissan is not your mom’s car. We change with you. MC Millennials should understand that Nissan is evolving along with them. They are not static and unchanging – they are on the cutting edge and will never be comfortable standing still.
Style You can drive an affordable car and look good doing it. Most MC Millennials do not have disposable income to purchase their dream car. Because of Nissan’s affordability, the target can drive a stylish car and look really good doing it.
Innovation Not only does Nissan say they’re innovative, they can prove it. They might talk the talk but Nissan needs to drive the drive. This campaign includes innovative marketing tactics that MC Millennials have never seen before, allowing the target to make the instant connection between Nissan and innovation.
Undefinable You are not a stereotype. Neither is Nissan. Nissan understands the entire Millennial demographic cannot be summed up in a few words or generalizations. Nissan wants to embody rebelling against stereotyping, by being the undefinable element.
market. We know that setting ourselves apart from the current car companies will create the buzz we need to have a highly successful campaign. Based on the results of our research, we identified the most important ideas to communicate to MC Millennials as a foundation for the development of our campaign:
ENNIALS, NISSAN WILL FOREVER REMAIN UNDEFINABLE.”
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CREATIVE brief Our strategy emphasizes and leverages Nissan’s lack of a strong brand image and allows the consumer to help ‘undefine’ Nissan, thus humanizing and personalizing the campaign. Nissan has no set image and neither do MC Millennials because once you define something, it stops moving forward. Like MC Millennials Nissan remains undefinable as it strives for innovation. The following creative brief outlines our creative strategy, as well as the specifics of the demographic, objectives, and the message we want to communicate through the strategy. WHO ARE WE TALKING TO? MC Millennials age 18-29 (African American, Chinese, Hispanics) No generalizations can be made about their interests, motivations or identity. They value experiences over material goods and believe that authenticity is key. They value the opinions of their friends and family, especially when making major purchasing decisions. They’re connected through their heavy use of social networks and mobile web. Whenever possible, customization is the preferred way for this target to express their individuality and desire for novel experiences. While they appreciate environmentally friendly products, their budgets don’t always make purchase of those products realistic. WHAT DO WE WANT THE AUDIENCE TO DO? Put Nissan at the top of their consideration set. Make their next car purchase a Nissan. Share their insight/love of the brand if they already own a Nissan . Identify with Nissan on a personal level.
Consider ‘undefinable’ a positive attribute. WHAT’S IN THE CONSUMER’S HEAD? Our target generally doesn’t think about cars on a daily basis. MC Millennials have no impression Nissan’s brand positioning. Consumers tend to have stronger appreciation of individual models such as Altima, Maxima and the Z series. WHAT IS THE BRAND PERSONALITY?
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THE BIG IDEA E n g a g i n g , c o l l a b o r a t i v e , f r i e n d l y, i m a g i n a t i v e , empathetic, altruistic, reliable and innovative, unique, flexible, always in motion. MOST IMPORTANT IDEA TO COMMUNICATE Just like Multicultural Millennials, Nissan is always generating new ideas and adapting to its surroundings. NISSAN IS UNDEFINABLE Analysis of our research positions MC Millennials as a powerfully authentic demographic whose appreciation of innovation is supported by a need for freedom, creativity and connectivity. Nissan’s brand attributes promote a similar foundation of realism that prevents the company or its innovative efforts from ever being defined as any one thing. The need to remain
flexible in an ever-changing world now becomes a shared connection between Nissan and its target MC Millennial consumer. Each facet of production within our Undefinable campaign ensures that the overarching themes of development, connectivity and collaboration are clear and stated with pride to mirror the aforementioned MC Millennial mindset. The campaign celebrates such a hyperconnected lifestyle by embracing the varied and widespread channels of communication used to reach our target demographic. It emphasizes the spirit of revolution and rebellion against stereotypes assigned to MC Millennials, so it is especially important for the design to embody that message with powerful visual appeal. Even though we created a new platform for Nissan to rally under, we understood the importance and relevance of the ‘Innovation For All’ campaign
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LOGO & WEBSITE REDESIGN when connecting with MC Millennials and maintained its sentiment throughout each stage of the campaign’s rollout. Above all, we made sure to take advantage of the technology that plays such a significant role in MC Millennials’ everyday lives so that their involvement with Nissan becomes as effortless and engaging as a modern-day connection with a friend. Nissan’s most recent logo update was over eleven years ago in 2001. This presents us with the opportunity to catch the attention of Nissan’s trend-savvy consumers by catering to the MC Millennials who are more likely to understand and embrace developing trends in design and fashion. Our logo redesign will be implemented along with our Undefinable campaign to give Nissan a fresh new look that will kickstart the process of informing MC Millennials of developing brand initiatives. The overall shape remains the same, but has been adjusted from the current three dimensional form to a modern, vectorized symbol with a custom Futura typeface. This change will help persuade consumers that Nissan has completely revamped their image to be more innovative in all aspects of their Undefinable brand. Our budget for the campaign allows for the logo update to roll out in
communications only; logo changes to dealerships and car models are to be made later in the development of the brand, after the given fiscal year. Redesign of the website is crucial for aligning to the MC Millenial’s need for effortless interaction. Our website design was developed specifically to greet MC Millineial consumers with a user-friendly interface which is customizable in stylish black, red or blue. Visitors now have customization options as an alternative to simply browsing through vehicle models individually. Finding the right vehicle is easier than ever with model option toggles that can be adjusted to suit the individual MC Millennial’s needs. Users will have the freedom to select their preferences in terms of body, MPG, seating and price range so that choosing the right vehicle is easier than ever. Our new Nissan website also has an Undefinable Member area where MC Millennials can connect their Facebook account to quickly and easily sign up for more in-depth engagement options. Undefinable Members can curate their own page with pictures of personal Nissan experiences that other members can rate by
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IN-STORE EXPERIENCE “loving.” In order to promote user-generated content, the top twenty members with the most “loves” will have their photo featured in a rotating slideshow displayed on the home page. Usability and personalization dominate our online experience, providing a foundation for the Undefinable campaign that evolves throughout the fiscal year while remaining in total alignment with MC Millennial needs. After reviewing our many Nissan dealership visits, we determined that the current in-store experience is uninspiring and forgettable. We countered the most glaring problems — including dealer intimidation, lack of engagement and disconnected emotional experience — with creative solutions by designing an interactive car buying environment. One overarching goal of in-store redesign is to undefine the traditional dealership experience while highlighting select features of the cars that distinguish Nissan from its competition. At least 15 dealerships in ethnically diverse cities like Houston, New York City, Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas and Chicago will be specially redesigned to incorporate model-themed rooms or pods. Our sample depicts the Altima Experience, complete with furniture and accessories using car parts that relate the experience of being inside of an Altima. The pressure of a test drive would otherwise confine MC Millennial consumers to a small space with the ever-present salesman by their side. Instead, air conditioned side tables remain fully adjustable while touch-screen displays feature interactive car models
and in-depth product descriptions. All furniture has a corresponding QR code that can be scanned to see what model car it came from. Select rooms would highlight Nissan’s rich history and development milestones in coordination with specific models that have seen an evolution in their design over the years. Rooms utilizing more recent model developments would focus on the future of Nissan’s innovation and environmental initiatives. The My Nissan app, which we will elaborate on in the next section, also allows consumers to interact with their surroundings while at the dealership. The augmented reality feature would allow MC Millennials to hold
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NISSAN APP their phone up to a car on the lot and virtually change its color, add accessories and change various other attributes. Before or after test-driving a car, consumers could use their phones to scan a code inside the vehicle that would download all the information about the car to their phone as well as a music playlist specially curated for that particular model. Consumers would exit any given space with a total appreciation of Nissan: as a company, its many innovations and the individual qualities of the featured Nissan models.
MY NISSAN
MC Millennials desire constant mobile connectivity with the people and brands that they love - and our research supports this insight. Our My Nissan smartphone app allows for a consolidation of all current Nissan applications in order to cut through brand clutter that traditionally defines branded marketing efforts. MC Millennial users will have a more streamlined experience in caring for their Nissan while getting involved in initiatives specific to the Undefinable campaign.
PRICING ZONE
This portion of the app allows MC Millennials to view maintenance and upkeep information on their own schedule. They can check brake replacement, tire rotation and oil change timelines for their specific vehicle model and keep track of upkeep. Due to the widespread use of YouTube among our demographic, tutorials are in video format and cover various maintenance issues, such as how to change a tire or check tire air pressure.
This section allows the MC Millennial to view a comparison of Nissan model features on-the-go - one element of car buying that was eagerly desired by our target during research. The user can select one model to view in-depth features or select two models to compare side-by-side. They can easily share a chosen page via text or email to get feedback from a friend or family member. WIN IT
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Here, the MC Millennial user can select one of three options: Daily Challenges, Undefine-U or Undefine Yourself. Under Daily Challenges, the user has the option to scroll through previous Daily Challenges or view current Challenges with a faux scratch-off card that appears on screen and reveals content with a few swipes. More on Daily Challenges, Undefine-U and Undefine Yourself will be outlined later in the book in the order of their launch throughout the Undefinable campaign. SCAN IT This feature of the app allows the MC Millennial user to scan various marketing elements that utilize AU technology. Dealerships outfitted with special furniture can be scanned to learn more about the make and model
that the piece come from. Print and billboard elements of our campaign can also be scanned to activate AU elements that promote interactivity. EVENTS This feature shows Nissan-sponsored and Undefinable campaign events on a calendar that is easy to read and share. The calendar syncs with the My Nissan portion of the app in order to gives the user reminders for when they need a break replacement, tire rotation or oil change. SETTINGS
Augmented Reality Screen
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AU BILLBOARD, PRINT & ONLINE The final portion of the app rounds out customizable features by allowing MC Millennials to alter visual elements of the app, turn sound on and off and connect their social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube for easy-access during regular use of the app. The My Nissan app contains a wealth of information and interactivity for the MC Millennial to harness as they develop their relationship with the Nissan brand. The truly innovative usability, however, is most evident as we explore its coordination with the various other elements of our Undefinable campaign. As our research points out, MC Millennial consumers are increasingly tech-savvy and appreciative of having their voices heard. Our interactive billboard and print series caters to their unique tastes by encouraging interactivity and exploration. The bright and attention-getting visuals prompt users to download the free My Nissan app that brings each piece to life using augmented reality
technology and the mobile device’s built-in camera. MC Millennial Nissan owners cannot define their car as any one thing, but instead an ever-changing facilitator of the task at hand. By capturing the ad in their device’s viewfinder, MC Millennials will be able to touch, scroll through and contribute to a long list of nicknames attributed to a Nissan’s individual benefits. Nissan’s Undefinable qualities transcend each individual car model, allowing owners to attribute their own title to their personal vehicle. Each nickname tells a story, elaborated on by the innovative features that contribute to the overall experience of the car. The option to add to the list of nicknames empowers current owners while descriptive copy gives future owners an idea of what owning a Nissan will be like. Select print pieces will run without the need for AU additions, simply by including a condensed list of Nissan model nicknames with one select feature highlighted and explained.
Billboard
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Online
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HOW UNDEFINABLE ARE YOU? While print and billboard utilize augmented reality, web banners function using rollover to initiate the engagement process. Online buys make use of limited space by extending further into the browser window when the ad is initiated by the MC Millennial consumer. The Print, Billboard and Online marketing efforts each provide a crucial level of technological advancement that facilitates viral sharing and excitement among MC Millennials. Our target will, at this point in the rollout, realize their alignment with our campaign sentiment and seek ways of exploring additional Undefinable branded content. 76% of college freshmen spent more than an hour per day on Facebook, utilizing the social network as an outlet for expression as well as a means of curating their interests for others to see and share. By allowing the ‘How Undefinable Are You?’ Facebook app to access
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UNDEFINE YOURSELF profile information, consumers are compared statistically to their stereotypes, friends, and shared-interest peers. An Undefinability Rating is assigned based on these comparisons along with a link to share the results online. Users are given suggestions for music, movies, sports and activities to try that divert from their stereotype in order to boost their overall score and become even more undefinable. A simple non-Facebook version gives a preview of the experience, comparing the user’s undefinable qualities along stereotypes alone. The Facebook experience is marketed as the total experience that explores true analysis, sharing and development of all the qualities that make MC Millennials undefinable. This is a social media campaign that challenges people to undefine themselves. Our positioning for Nissan states that once you define yourself, you stop moving forward, so this phase of the campaign is intended to provoke viewers to try new things and break from their routine. Nissan will suggest new tasks every day that one might not do on a daily basis. Through trying out these new experiences, the consumer will learn more about their world and grow through self discovery. This phase of our campaign will launch in two waves:
INSTAGRAM Sharing content is an important part of MC Millennial expression, especially visual content that can be tweaked and stylized using a convenient mobile application such as Instagram. The Undefine Yourself account uses Instagram as its primary platform, posting a new daily task or challenge with a photo and the hashtag #time2undefine. Participants will respond with their own picture performing the task with the hashtag #time2undefine so it can be viewed by others. In lieu of monetary prizes, select participants will be featured by Nissan via the connected Twitter account and same hashtag. YOUTUBE Participants will submit videos of themselves discussing how they are defined by their lives, whatever it may be, and why they want to be undefined. Nissan will pick a new person each week for five weeks to be “Undefined.� Other YouTube users will choose bigger challenges for the person such as skydiving, giving strangers money, etc. During their challenge they will be given a Pathfinder to help them perform the tasks, and will get to keep the car after they have completed all the challenges. Each challenger will be documented on the Undefine Yourself YouTube channel so others can watch and interact. A Twitter account will be used to make announcements, update recent postings from Instagram, and interact with consumers as a link
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:30 TV, HULU, YOUTUBE & WEB BANNERS between Instagram and YouTube. EXAMPLES OF DAILY CHALLENGES: Call a distant relative Yell a deep secret out of your car while driving through a busy town Give a stranger a high five, down low and up top Volunteer in a different part of town Analyze your dreams Write a poem about your most recent meal Spin a globe and cook a native meal from whatever country your finger lands on An ‘anthemic’ approach was taken for our TV execution in order to relate to the rebellious nature of the undefinable target market. Shots of various MC Millennials are displayed, speaking out as one unified voice against the media that depicts them as stereotypes of their race. This triumphant attitude is paralleled by the new Nissan brand in order to make the bold statement that we are not like other car brands, but just like MC Millennials in our shared undefinability. Our primary inspiration for style was well-known Rogue Film’s director Sam Brown because of his bold color choices and edgy visual appeal. We utilize a dark palette juxtaposed with elegant imagery to emphasize the variety within our target demographic as well as the stylish and intriguing shapes prevalent in many popular Nissan models. Scenes transform and transcend the typical imagery used in car commercials by showing artistic interpretations of passion, empowerment and rebellion.
The slots we selected fall between shows with large MC Millennial audiences such as American Idol and The Voice. Select buys are made on Univision (a Spanish channel) to connect directly with Hispanic Millennials’ parents, who often play a large part in buying decisions. We also did two package cable buys with Comcast and Brighthouse Networks, two of the biggest cable companies. In order to acknowledge MC Millennials’ heavy usage of video websites and Internet TV, we also purchased slots that would run before videos and show premieres on Hulu and YouTube. In addition, a series of web banners visually reminiscent of the spot will run on popular blogs, social media hubs and ‘reader’ websites (i.e. Reddit) for several months. SHAZAM EXTENSION
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I will not be defined by my color. If you think you can label me, you’re wrong. I speak my mind. I won’t let you tell me what path to take. So guess what? I’m changing your landscape. Because I do not drive down empty highways or do donuts in the desert. I don’t try to be anything I’m not. It’s not about where I come from, but where I’m going. I will be better than what came before me. So don’t try to define me. Because once you define something, it stops moving forward. And I don’t plan on slowing down anytime soon. I am undefinable.
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UNDEFINE-U Shazam is a new mobile technology that enables users to identify audio content in order to receive free items such as music downloads or exclusive content. Shazam is a growing trend among cable advertisers due to unique audience interaction that creates interest and brand favorability among younger consumers. By placing the Shazam logo in the corner of the commercial spot, it prompts MC Millennials to pull out their smartphones and ‘Shazam’ the advertisement. By doing so, our audience will receive a free download of the song featured in our :30 second advertisement. They will also be given access to view behind-the-scenes footage of the commercial, exclusive interviews with production artists and downloadable visual content including desktop wallpapers featuring stills from the commercial. Undefine-U is a nationwide challenge to students to undefine traditionally accepted designs of everyday objects in order to stimulate innovation and reveal previously unseen possibilities in design. Schools visited by the Undefine-U bus are as follows, based on crossreferencing high levels of campus enrollment with a wide range of ethnic diversity: Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio THE BUS The Undefine-U Bus is a symbol of the contest beginning at any given school. It ignites a sense of rebellion and collective thinking to get students excited about the challenge and the possibilities that it presents. THE CONTEST School faculty will choose a team of their brightest and most out-of-the-box thinkers to participate in the Undefine-U challenge. This team will be given an everyday object and asked to undefine it. Its design, how it’s used and how it contributes to society overall. THE WRAP-UP As team efforts pour in, an elite team of professional designers, engineers and craftsmen will gather to evaluate the results.
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POP-UP LOUNGE THE FINALE A nationwide webcam event will be hosted live (by a popular comedian/speaker) and broadcast online. Participating schools will hold individual events at the same time and tune-in virtually with projection equipment, webcams and refreshments provided by Nissan. A winning team will be announced after project challenges and results are revealed. THE PRIZE The first place team will be awarded a combined $50,000 scholarship that will be divided equally among the participants to go toward their continued education. The second place team will receive a combined $25,000 scholarship that will be equally divided in the same way. In addition to a redesign of the permanent Nissan
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SHOW OF HANDS MUSIC FESTIVAL locations, we found a great way to bring Nissan into MC Millennials’ lives in the concept of a pop-up lounge. These interactive spaces encourage group socialization and self-paced learning about the brand in a way that is significantly closer to how Millennials research on their own when using the Internet and their peers as trusted resources. The Nissan lounge would be deployed at festivals, car shows, trade shows and any public park or venue that caters to a MC Millennial crowd at large. The lounges would have car-themed furniture similar to that of the dealership experience. By encouraging consumers to spend time in the space, separate from the restrictions of a test drive, Nissan is allowing consumers who might not be familiar with the brand to become more comfortable with their presence as not only a car company, but a provider of an undefinable experience. Music festivals combine the MC Millennial love of music with the desire to be a part of a community. Nissan will throw its own music festival, Show of Hands, in the centrally located and ethnically diverse city of Houston, Texas. This festival will show Millennial consumers
that Nissan is ‘undefining’ the average music festival experience by integrating fun and interactive brand experiences for all of our attendees. Nissan will partner with the not-for-profit organization VH1 Save the Music to host the event. 30% of the proceeds from the event will then be donated back to Save the Music. The Show of Hands festival also poses an up-close-and-personal opportunity to promote the new 2013 Nissan Altima to continue establishment of the updated model. LOCATION We chose Houston, Texas as an ideal location for a music festival celebrating diversity and fun. According to the U.S. census, Houston’s population is 43% Hispanic, 23.7% African American and 6% Asian. In addition, its central location makes it a convenient and realistic destination for roadtrips from either coasts. VOTING
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Customization is important to Millennials, so we decided the most successful way to decide on the festival artists was to let the attendees choose. There will be an online voting process for undiscovered talent so that the attendees get to decide who they want to see at the festival, while promoting local music. LIVE ART Various talented visual artists, chosen through the same voting process will get to bring their vision to life using
the new 2013 Nissan Altima as their canvas. This way Nissan can display their product as well as display unique art on their cars that will generate buzz for both the cars and the artists. At the end of the festival, randomly selected attendants who have entered their name and information at one of the pop-up lounges will win a car to drive off with. UNDEFINABLE STAGE
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MEDIA planning Along with the main stages there will be one unannounced stage. Keys will be placed throughout the festival with notes stating the keys have been lost, hinting at the location of a secret set, where artists will perform. The Undefinable Stage’s location and performance timeline would be shared via word of mouth, creating significant buzz through Twitter and Facebook during the festival. MORE FUN Other fun activities that display Nissan products in a light-hearted and interactive way will occur at the event. Individual model features will be displayed via smaller exhibits throughout the festival: a large bounce house constructed entirely from air bags promotes safety
while a bumper car area with mini-Nissans make use of superior handling. In our approach to media buys, we used our initial primary research data and the results from our surveys, interviews and focus groups to determine what advertising channels and mediums would best reach our demographic. In our interviews with experts in MC advertising, we came to the conclusion that English was the most appropriate language for our demographic, which was reinforced with insights from our focus groups and data from our secondary research. Another big change was updating the Nissan logo to reflect trend-savvy consumers that would take note of the initiative displayed in rebranding design in coordination with marketing. We also came to the
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conclusion that emphasizing community awareness in our events was one insight strongly reinforced by our research. Our use of augmented reality in our billboards, magazine ads, and mobile app brings together MC Millennials’ heavy mobile technology usage and Nissan’s dedication to innovation. We chose to plan a concert to bring people together, and a contest on a smaller scale to unify schools.In addition to the events and contests, we’ve bought several cable network packages, :30 second TV spots in relevant
slots for the demographic as well as on Hulu and YouTube, a web banner series, magazine ads in several magazines an augmented reality billboard and an interactive bus stop ad. In order to improve the lackluster dealership experience and lack of knowledge about Nissan cars, we also decided to do a complete overhaul of the existing dealerships and develop a fleet of pop-up lounges.
MASTER BUDGET
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MEASUREMENT & evaluation TOTAL IMPRESSIONS OF CAMPAIGN TV = 800,000 impressions per station per week x 7 stations = 5,600,000/week Busstop: 5,000 impressions x 4 signs x 15 cities= 300,000/week Billboard =150,000 impressions x 5 signs x 25 cities = 18,750,000/week Magazine = 500,000 readers per magazine x 5 magazines = 2,500,000/week Online = 182,000 impressions x 10 sites = 1,820,000/week Online Video (Hulu- $45 CPM) = 1000 clicks x 500= 500,000 total Online Video (Youtube- $1~2 C CPM) = 1000 clicks x 1000 buys= 1,000,000 total Total Impressions/Week = 28,970,000 (excluding total impressions from Hulu/Youtube) In order to achieve optimal results in terms of brand identity, awareness and consumer opinion, we recommend continuously monitoring sales metrics and media presence and setting benchmarks to track the success of the campaign. Dealership and online traffic can be benchmarked statistically in addition to social media engagement that is prevalent throughout the lifespan of the Undefinable campaign. Data on the campaign’s effectiveness and customer perception of Nissan will be collected before, during and after the completion of the campaign. We’ve earmarked 10% of our total budget for these evaluation methods, and recommend using at least part of those funds to have a dedicated and social media-savvy team to update, watch and create buzz in social media feeds. We’ve also budgeted another 10% for any contingency plans that may need to be carried out in the case of opportunities that arise or an event failure. Our campaign focuses heavily on events, stunts, contests and any extra marketing that might be needed in response to low public awareness has been included in the budget.
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CREDITS & acknowledgements Our Undefinable campaign is structured to first release waves of content that establish a fresh brand presence. Logo, site design and a flexible in-store presence set the stage for a brand new MC Millennial perception of Nissan. Secondary waves of marketing materials including video, online and mobile engagement pieces to establish a strong connection between MC Millennial values and Nissan’s own passion for innovation. We round out the fiscal year with a third wave of content via mobile and nationwide event engagement that positions final marketing strategies as open channels for feedback and reciprocation. Our extensive research maintains that user-generated content predominates the campaign from the beginning, connecting MC Millennials to the entire process of reinforcing Nissan’s brand presence and ensuring its longevity. The Undefinable campaign establishes that innovation itself is not the result of a single person’s understanding, but the power of many who come together to acknowledge that innovation is ever-changing, evolving, growing and undefinable. The UNDEFINABLE TEAM Turns out, we can’t be easily defined either. Each member of our team took on multiple roles throughout the development of this campaign to ensure an entirely integrated approach. DANIELLE BURKE Photographer COURTNEY COX Creative/App Developer/Commercial Director/Motion Designer MICHAEL DECKER Creative/Designer/Presenter DANIELLE GARONE Creative/Photographer/Presenter CHASE GILBERT Researcher/Strategist/Designer/ Copywriter/Creative Director/Presenter AARON GOLDBERG Creative/Commercial Director/Motion Designer CASEY LIGON Researcher/Strategist/Creative/Copywriter/Presenter SARAH MCCAULEY Researcher/Strategist ALEXANDRA ORWASKY Creative/Design Director
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