Table of Contents Marketing 01
Situation Analysis
03
Product Evaluation
04
Competitive Analysis
06
Primary Research
07
Campaign Goals & Objectives
08
Target Audience
Creative Execution 11
Positioning Statement / Big Idea
12
16
Television
19
Ambient
20
Outdoor
22
Radio
23
Online
24
Moblie
25
Dealership
Cause, Promotion & Public Relations 26
Urban Renewal Program
26
Live Loud, Give Back Concert
27
Heisman Hunt
28
Media Plan
32
Media Schedule
Media
Evaluation 32
Plan
Executive Summary
The past three years have been a time of recovery for the automotive industry. Various manufacturers have relied upon bailouts and financial assistance just to stay afloat. In times of economic mayhem, Nissan has stayed buoyant and maintained its position ranking 5th in total market share. Nissan currently ranks 3rd in the multicultural market. Now is the time for Nissan to steal market share from its competitors. Nissan has the opportunity to move into the future and define itself as a leader in an industry that is just now beginning to make a comeback. Through the use of our primary and secondary research we gained a greater understanding of perceptions, attitudes, purchasing behaviors, and lifestyles. This knowledge will help our campaign raise Nissan’s total Multicultural market share from 13% to 17%. Our research shows that Nissan is struggling with brand equity. The goal of this campaign is to increase brand awareness, loyalty, and perceived quality. In order to make these objectives realistic, we need to focus on where the purchase is made--the dealerships. A Point of Sale objective to “Live Loud” at the dealership will directly impact market share and Nissan’s brand equity. Amped Advertising’s campaign will reach 70.2% of our Multicultural (MC) Millennial audience through media buys beginning in April 2013 and concluding March 2014. Our use of traditional and non-traditional media will contribute to Nissan’s ability to amplify the lifestyles of our demographic by driving the mindset that their Nissan is an extension of their personality.
Situation Analysis The Challenge
Amped Advertising accepted the challenge to create a fully-integrated marketing campaign to build Nissan’s brand awareness and favorability among MC Millennials.
Industry Growth
The automotive industry is now beginning to rebound after three years of dismal sales due to the economic downturn. In 2011, US domestic car sales increased by 9% as foreign manufacturers like Toyota suspended production during the massive earthquake and tsunami in Japan. In addition, the instability of gasoline prices adds extra burden on an industry trying to regain its foothold with the consumer. Gas prices are forecast to reach an alltime high this summer with an average of $5 per gallon. Every driver will feel the pinch, especially Millennials. On a positive note, the US has already seen substantial sales in early months of 2012. Some analysts are projecting 2012 sales volume to reach as high as 14.5 million. Automobile sales could be the highest since 2007. Sales look strong as consumer confidence increases and jobs rebound, which affects Millennials as they gain more purchasing power in years to come.
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Situation Analysis
Social Influences
Factors such as status, style, peer pressure, interests, and lifestyle activities impact automobile purchases. The choice of car usually highlights lifestyle and portrays an image that tells a story about the owner’s personality. MC Millennials believe that everything they do highlights their authenticity, as they strive to maintain their cultural identity.
Policy Influences
Increased pressure for fuel efficiency is driving the automotive industry as government regulations have placed minimums on efficiency and emissions. Efficiency regulations state that all vehicles must achieve a 31 mpg average by 2016. By 2025, vehicles must maintain an average of 54 mpg. Millennials are highly aware of the price of gas and seek fuel efficient cars that match their commuting life.
Technological Influences
Increased attention to technology has driven the automobile industry to respond by integrating music plug-ins, external device plug-ins, onboard GPS, integrated dashboards, voice recognition, Bluetooth, and higher quality sound systems. Millennials don’t just want it all when it comes to their new wheels, they want it to come standard. The top features seen as necessity are GPS (67%), an auxiliary port (54%), and 44% asked for a software feature that could track fuel consumption.
Economic Influences
2011 Consumer Reports and US Department of Energy surveys have identified the most important considerations when purchasing a new vehicle as fuel economy, quality, safety, price, and value. Millennials are no different, as 70% rate value and fuel economy as the most important aspects when purchasing a new vehicle.
Key Insight 62% said that their lifestyle was the most important factor when buying a new car, and 58.7% said that the most important factor was fuel economy. -Focus group research
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(Sources: Microsoft, Consumer Reports, US DOE)
Product Evaluation
MC’s Perception of Nissan Primary and secondary research reveal that MC Millennials are apathetic about Nissan as a brand. When asked about their perception, a large number of replies revealed that Nissan is “just ok,” “nothing special,” or “indifferent.” We believe this apathy toward Nissan is directly related to low brand awareness within the MC Millennial group. The research did not show a negative perception, but revealed little desire to understand or to get to know the brand.
Company Analysis With roots in Japan, Nissan is now a global company. Innovation is the core of Nissan’s brand strategy, identity and position. Innovation, style and performance have made them a leader within the U.S. automobile industry. In Q1 2011, Nissan’s US share of 9.4% placed it in the top 5 car manufacturers. However, Nissan ranks 3rd with MC Millennials with a 13.1% market share.
Key Insight “They (Nissan) might have some solid cars, but I’m looking for something that stands out and makes a statement. Something I feel they just don’t have.” -Focus group participant
(Sources: Ad-ology)
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Competitive Analysis Rationale Amped Advertising analyzed each Nissan competitor in detail. Overall, we found many automobile advertisements focus on specific features or attributes of their automobiles. They highlight things like efficiency, reliability, utility, luxury, economy, and value. While these features are important, we found that MC Millennials want a car that fits with their lifestyle. They want something that promotes a positive self-image and style. They expect many features to be standard and want their first major purchase to be something they can make their own. By creating a campaign that focuses on lifestyle, Amped Advertising will set Nissan apart from the competition, thus owning greater mind share among our target.
Tagline: “Moving Forward” Position: #1 in safety and resale Strengths: Perception of safety, sales leader, vehicle longevity Weaknesses: Decreasing market share Promotion Vehicles and Communication Methods: Toyota uses humor to communicate to their consumers. Their leading role within the automobile industry helps promote their successes to their consumers, and drives the thought that Toyota is superior to other manufacturers. Toyota has extensive reach through their many forms of sponsorship, including NASCAR/IndyCar, professional sports teams, marathons, and collegiate sports.
Tagline: “The Power of Dreams” Position: Leader in technology Strengths: Research and development, fuel efficiency Weaknesses: Lack of quality in top models, brands awareness
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Promotion Vehicles and Communication Methods: Honda’s marketing messages attempt to provoke action by appealing to the consumer’s emotions. While utilizing the traditional media, they also reach potential buyers through sponsorship of collegiate sports, marathons, and music festivals.
Competitive Analysis Tagline: “Moving the World Together” “New Thinking, New Possibilities” Positions: The brand that challenges the status quo Strengths: New image, enhanced PR, Car of the Year Weaknesses: Low quality perception, lack of Internet presence and inefficient website Promotional Vehicles and Communication Methods: In an attempt to create a lasting impression with consumers, Hyundai instills an idea of brand passion. With sales increasing, Hyundai is becoming a growing threat to Nissan. Hyundai sponsors “Thursday Night College Football Live” in an attempt to connect to their “all-American” audience. They also sponsor the USA Pavilion Expo, Sun Bowl, Jimmy Fund Walk, Academy Awards, tennis events, and collegiate sports. Tagline: “Runs Deep” Position: The true American vehicle brand Strengths: Product diversity, large market share, brand recognition Weaknesses: Image decline, lagging in environmental/hybrid technology Promotion Vehicles and Communication Methods: The most recent campaigns and tactics used by Chevrolet, appeal to consumers through car stunts and end-of-the-world themes. Like Ford, Chevy attempts to appeal to their consumer by promoting American Loyalty. This theme is also prominent within their sponsorships of professional sports, NASCAR, and other racing programs.
Tagline: “Go Further” “Drive On” “Built Ford Tough” Position: Original tough American vehicle Strengths: Truck sales, brand recognition Weaknesses: American“nationalistic” attitude, decline in market share Promotional Vehicles and Communication Methods: Loyalty to American manufacturing and family values are the backbone to Ford’s advertising message. Many of their sponsorships stem from a strong sense of patriotism involving NASCAR, Professional Bull Riders, Ironman, professional sports teams, event centers, and collegiate sports.
Key Insights 16 out of 155 people that took our online survey responded with Nissan as one of the top three vehicle brands. This validates our secondary research that Nissan is not top of mind with our target. MC Millennials said that if they had the option to buy a new car right now, they would want a car that fits their lifestyle and represents who they are. -One-on-one interviews
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Primary Research Objectives • Reaffirm our secondary MC Millennial research. • Gather first hand perceptions of Nissan. We employed a variety of research methods including, secret shoppers, random survey intercepts, an online survey, focus groups, concept testing, and one-on-one interviews. We wanted to better understand the mindset, attitudes, and lifestyle of our target audience. In order to understand and develop an objective at the dealership, we utilized secret shoppers around the nation to highlight point of sale opportunities. In the end we obtained a sample of 364 unique responses.
Focus Groups
Focus groups of 5-10 people allowed open discussion and identified specific viewpoints to corroborate information from the case study.
Dealership Visits
Secret Shoppers were asked to go to a Nissan Dealership and evaluate the experience. This was done in 9 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Texas and Washington.
Shades of Black
The Shades of Black show is a Northwest concert series that is narrowly targeted towards MC Millennials. With an attendance of over 650 people, we surveyed participants while they waited in line for the show. These surveys focused on car buying perceptions and attitudes toward Nissan.
Online Survey
The national online survey conducted through SurveyMonkey provided insights into the lives of MC Millennials.
Random Intercept
The intercept survey was created to determine influences in purchasing decisions by MC Millennials. These surveys also helped identify qualities that resonated among our target.
Concept Testing
Message testing was employed to evaluate our targets’ reaction to certain messages and to understand how it might influence them to purchase a new Nissan.
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Key Insight MC Millennials prefer to do their own research before big purchases, but would also like to have a sales person educate them on features to ensure they are making a smart purchase.
Campaign Goals and Objectives Marketing Objective Increase total Multicultural share from 13.1% to 17% by March 2014. Rationale Toyota, the current market leader, owns 22% of the US Multicultural audience. Our campaign will raise Nissan’s position from 5th to 2nd in market share by encouraging MC Millennials to switch from competing brands to Nissan.
Communication Objective Strengthen brand equity among MC Millennials. Rationale Brand equity is a combination of brand loyalty, awareness, and perceived quality. Nissan is currently not a top consideration among MC Millennials, and in order to garner more top of mind awareness, we must increase brand awareness. Brand loyalty engages the target beyond the initial sale. This engagement includes maintenance, trade-ins, and future purchases which is critical in maintaining an ongoing relationship with the audience.
Point of Sale Objective Create a positive, seamless purchasing experience from digital (online) to real world dealerships. Rationale MC Millennials spend an average of 16 hours online researching cars prior to setting foot in a dealership. Half of new vehicle buyers said their Internet research was the most influential element in their vehicle search. MC Millennials are even more digitally savvy as they utilize smartphones and online comparison tools. MC Millennials require personal attention. When MC Millennials are closer to purchase they want answers immediately. Training the sales force to be Coaches shifts the mindset from pushy salespeople to advisors.
(Source: Polk, Wakefield)
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Target Audience MC Millennials are a confident, optimistic, and spontaneous audience. At Amped Advertising, our strategy will focus on all MC Millennials aged 18-29, with individual tactics specific for each MC segment: Hispanic, African American, and Asian American. MC Millennials currently make up 9.1% of the US population and present a great growth opportunity for Nissan. Through our research, we discovered traits that will aid our campaign. They include: Highly Connected: MC Millennials are often labeled as Generation “C” because they are connected. 55% of Millennials own a desktop computer and 70% own a laptop. 53% own smartphones. 68% rely on social networks when making big decisions and purchases.
MC Millennials
Give Back: 21.4% of Millennials were involved in some form of volunteerism. 83% of Americans say they wish brands would support causes. 41% bought a product because it was associated with a cause. Personal Playlist: Music is a fundamental part of MC Millennials’ lives. 52.3% of surveyed participants said that music is one of their most important hobbies.
African American
Hispanic
Wary of Car Buying: 67% of Millennials believe buying a car is one of the most intimidating purchases a person can make. 85% dislike at least one part of the car purchasing process. Support their Heritage: MC Millennials know their roots and want to keep family close, but are willing to branch out and try new things.
Asian
Here and Now: MC Millennials want instant gratification. Sports Enthusiasts: 59% of MC Millennials surveyed, said sports were a top interest in their lives.
Key Insights MC Millennials place music as a very high priority saying that they listen to it everyday, and some say that they cannot sleep without it. -Focus Group
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(Sources: ComScore, Marketing to the Emerging Majorities, Magazine Publishers of America, Pew Internet & American Life Project, Ad Age, Ad-ology)
Target Audience Hispanic
Hispanics make up the largest percentage of MC Millennials at 49%, and are the fastest growing population in the US. The entire Hispanic population maintains a growth rate of 43%. This highly ambitious segment is building upon their Hispanic roots. 82% of US Hispanics speak some Spanish at home. Some characteristics include: • Growing online users: 11% of total US online market is Hispanic • Smartphone users: 44.7% of Hispanic cellphone users own a smartphone • Appreciate in-language advertising messages: 40% believe when they hear a company advertise in Spanish it means the company respects their heritage and wants their business • Close-knit family: Hispanics pool resources together and support one another in their families and community
African American
The next MC Millennial group with the greatest opportunity for Nissan is the African American demographic. This demographic is proud of their identity and share a common bond with their fellow African Americans. Some common characteristics include: • • • • •
Smartphone users: 51% of African Americans use smartphones as part of their daily routine Trust black media more than mainstream Motivated by music, fashion, dance, food, family and a sense of belonging African American Millennials have a desire to understand the world and make it a place where people are valued They are highly focused on change, especially when it comes to social justice and environmental issues
Asian American
The Asian American demographic presents another chance for increased market share. This audience considers education and family loyalty to be important values. Some common characteristics include: • • • • • •
Brand conscious, but not brand loyal More likely to buy a new car as opposed to a used one More likely to own a luxury car versus a nonluxury car Tend to choose brands with higher prestige Spend more on vehicle insurance than other MC Millennials Enjoy watching football, basketball, and baseball, but spend less time watching TV than other MC groups
(Sources: ComScore, Marketing to the Emerging Majorities, Magazine Publishers of America, Pew Internet & American Life Project, Ad Age, Ad-ology)
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Target Audience Meet Raul Rodriguez
Nothing improves my mood more than driving while listening to my favorite playlist. Whether I am on my way to work, the club, or to a soccer match, my tunes and my ride are what get me there feeling fresh and on top of the world. I will always be connected to my heritage and plan on advancing my culture as I show my individuality to the world. No matter how much I bounce around Los Angeles, my family is always near. I am at a point in my life where I feel I can do anything and go anywhere. My car is what gets me to whatever destination I choose. My friends and I have driven all over California for music festivals and world class soccer tournaments. It seems I am always driving, and my car is what helps make my life spontaneous and exciting.
Meet Courtney Williams
Art has always been a huge influence in my life. I recently started school at the Art Institute of Philadelphia. I am living my dream. Now I just need to finely tune my skills and bring my art to life within my urban community. I love to drive and took the road trip from Houston to Philadelphia listening to tunes on my iPod. My next car will have the gadgets I need to play my music hands-free with the style and sophistication I love. The city has a pulse and I enjoy the nightlife, cuisine and great music. When I go to buy a new car, I’m savvy and don’t want a dealer to talk down to me. I want someone to answer my questions and help me achieve the first major purchase of my life.
Meet Kevin Wu
As a second generation Asian American, I still cherish Chinese tradition and family values. Even though I am rooted in my upbringing, I embrace the diverse pop-culture that surrounds me. I just started a new job as a product manager and my boss thinks I am on track for advancement. While out and about in my car, I am usually listening to the hottest radio hits with a little techno on the side. Living in Seattle allows me to explore new restaurants, while still being able to travel outside of the city for weekend trips with my close friends. Between work and my social life, it seems like everything I need, I get on the go. I don’t worry too much with yesterday’s news. Instead, I am always looking for the next big thing in fashion, food, or technology, but before buying I always do my homework and check my Twitter to see what people are saying. The other day I left home without my iPhone, which normally wouldn’t be a big deal, but I had forgotten my iPad too. I felt out of touch, like I was stranded on an island.
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(Sources: ComScore, Marketing to the Emerging Majorities, Magazine Publishers of America, Getty Images, Pew Internet & American Life Project, Ad Age, Ad-ology)
Positioning Statement The Big Idea
“Nissan amplifies lifestyles in a diverse world.” Rationale
Amped Advertising understands the MC Millennial. MC Millennials live in the moment and want a car that matches their busy life. They expect features and performance, but their priority is to “Live Loud” now, and their car should be there for every mile of the journey. Nissan’s current theme of “Innovation for All” will be woven into copy and used when applicable; however, for this specific year-long campaign, the main message will be “Live Loud.”
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Print Roll-Out Ad
For Nissan’s “Live Loud” campaign to be successful, it is important to reach all MC Millennials in the early stages. “Live Loud” is more than just a slogan--it is a mindset. A mindset that MC Millennials will connect with. The vibrant and saturated colors, along with scenes of people living loudly, complement each other and speak directly to our target while keeping them engaged in the product. Ads in the first and second phases will include a silhouette of a car. The goal of the silhouette is to focus on how an amplified life surrounds Nissan products. Removing the details of the car helps consumers first connect with the brand based on their lifestyle. After they feel connected, they will find a Nissan car to help amplify their unique lifestyle. Each ad will have a QR code on it. Once scanned, consumers will be taken to a “Live Loud” mobile application. Here, consumers will be able learn about the car in the ad they scanned. From this app, consumers will also be able to access information on all Nissan products.
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Print Phase Two Ads: Each ad within this phase is targeted at a unique MC Millennial demographic.
Hispanic
Our research shows that Hispanic culture, family and soccer are important. This in-language ad utilizes our “Live Loud� slogan and color palette to speak to the Hispanic MC demographic. The ad represents more than just attending soccer matches; it shows our target that Nissan understands their love for the sport. This is only one execution. Other ads will highlight family based situations such as parties, cookouts and events that resonate with this demographic. By amplifying their lifestyle through Nissan, the Hispanic Millennial can continue to enjoy their passions and culture.
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African American
Showing the “Live Loud” slogan and vibrant colors, this ad promotes the AA Millennials’ interest for music and art. The print ad will feature emerging Millennial artists and musicians that this demographic can recognize and relate to. Additional ads will embrace other AA Millennial hobbies, pursuits and aspirations.
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Asian
Asian Millennials relate to professionals who are of the same ethnicity. Embracing the saturated colors and “Live Loud” tagline, this ad features local athletes as well as those who pursued dreams to become pros. This demographic has the drive to achieve and obtain goals that let them “Live Loud.” Further ads will feature other Asian Millennial interests that include cooking, brand specific style, and music.
Phase Three Ad
At the nine month mark of our campaign, we plan to unveil an ad that speaks to all MC Millennials and shows that Nissan has started a mega-movement. Nissan will introduce the Urban Renewal Program, explained later on page 26. The art in the background will be from a city’s revitalization project site, where a local emerging millennial artist has rejuvenated their city with art. The copy states that this is only the beginning of something larger than one person and every day Nissan encourages all Millennials to “Live Loud.�
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Television Storyboard Roll Out Ad Time: 60 Seconds This ad shows people living loud over the course of their day. The roll out ad is designed to reach all MC Millennials because Nissan’s identity must be established at the forefront of the campaign.
Visual- You see a close up of a group of friends walking. The shot is of their feet. Sound- feet walking.
Visual- You see the push to start button and you watch as a finger pushes the start button. Sound- Doors shutting.
Visual- MCs at a BBQ laughing, MCs listening to music in the car, MCs shopping, MCs going out for the night, MCs at a club or bar.
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Visual- The following visual are quick and fast. They will include and show: MCs playing pick up games of basketball and MCs playing pick up games of soccer. Sound- Once button is pushed, an up-beat, feel-good, song starts. Song plays for full ad and fades out at the end.
Visual- The montage will end with them in the nightclub with loud music and bright lights.
Visual- Fade to screen with vibrant background that has Nissan logo and tagline “Live Loud.”
Television Storyboard Mid Campaign Ad Time: 30 Seconds
Visual- You see the “push to start” button and you watch as a finger pushes the start button. Sound- Once button is pushed, an up beat, feel-good, song starts.
Visual- Door to Nissan shuts and the MC drives off. Sound- Door to Nissan shuts and music starts up loud again. Song plays tell the end of commercial.
Visual- You see MC at desk waiting as the time passes. Sound- clock ticking.
Visual- See him in traffic with a bunch of white cars surrounding him. His car is black and his music is loud.
Visual- You see the clock click to 5:00 pm and see him get out of his chair in a hurry. Sound- Clock ticking to 5:00 pm and him scuffling up.
Visual- He pulls up to a nightclub/Bar and goes inside where the same song is playing. He starts singing the song and the visual fades out.
Visual- You see a Nissan pull into a parking lot. Sound- Music Shuts off.
After Nissan’s new identity has been established, we will release a second wave of TV spots. These spots will feature quick cuts between scenes and energizing music. Various spots will tell different stories of Millennials in an amplified day.
Visual- Fade to screen with vibrant background that has Nissan logo and tagline “Live Loud.”
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The Voice Branded Entertainment The Voice resonates with the music lifestyle shared by all of our MC groups. Similar music reality shows like American Idol have high Nielsen ratings, however, through research we know that our budget is better suited to an up and coming show like The Voice. YouTube will help promote our takeover prior to airing. With its growing popularity, The Voice lends itself to reaching the largest number of MC Millennials. As the show grows, our advertising and sponsorship will follow suit, ultimately ending with the winner of the contest, walking away with a new Nissan.
Time: 7 Seconds Placement: Intro – return from commercial breaks during sponsored show.
Visual: Voice logo in vibrant color (1 Second) SFX: Voice music (“This is the Voice”) followed by loud music. This will play until the end of the short intro (as seen in regular shows)
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Visual: Close up of the Nissan Altima zooming in and parking (2 Seconds) SFX: Zoom sound/Tire screech coming to a halt
Visual: Voice logo and the Nissan Altima parked in front of it (2 Seconds)
Visual: Cut to screen with vibrant background that has Nissan logo and tagline “Live Loud.” (2 Seconds)
Ambient Interactive Installation
An interactive LED floor featuring vibrant colors will engage our audience. These floors will be placed at sporting events, concert halls, and mega shopping centers next to Nissan car installations. As our audience walks across the floor, lights will come on and fade out as they step off. A Nissan car, parked at the edge of the floor, will engage our audience by letting them jump in, record themselves rocking out and having fun on the dash mounted tablet. Videos can be uploaded to the Nissan website, Facebook, and other social networking sites. Finally, this floor will be featured as the stage for the Nissan takeover of The Voice.
Coasters
Nissan will provide “Live Loud” drink coasters to music and sports themed restaurants within our designated markets. This will keep our brand in the minds of our MC Millennials during all facets of the day, reminding them to “Live Loud” all the time. The QR codes will link the consumer directly to the “Live Loud” page on the Nissan website.
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Ambient/Outdoor
Bus Stop The Nissan bus stop is targeted at those in our market who do not use a car or truck in their daily commute, but are potential future customers of Nissan. These bus stops are brightly illuminated with a colorful display that boasts “Live Loud.” Inside, USB and AC charging ports will be available for users to charge cell phones, tablets, and other electronics, while being exposed to Nissan and our campaign.
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New York Taxi Nissan will supply a fleet of taxis with custom decal wraps in New York City. The taxi’s will sport lively exteriors, similar to the rest of our campaign, and an interior with amped up speakers. The backseat will house a touchscreen for cab riders to choose the music they listen to on their ride.
Outdoor
Billboard The magnitude of a billboard plays into the big idea to “Live Loud.” The image feeds this feeling with bold and vibrant colors accompanied by a photo of MC Millennials in an exciting environment. The Nissan logo, as well as our tagline “Live Loud”, are prominent and lead the eye quickly for those traveling. LED Billboard Using LED billboards, Nissan will display positive messages in real-time from Nissan’s Twitter feed. Owners, and future owners can post their thoughts about Nissan cars, features and the “Live Loud” campaign. These LED billboards will also feature vibrant colors and images of Nissan vehicles. Placed in high foot traffic areas within our target markets, Billboards will engage our tech-savvy Millennial audience with the Nissan brand.
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Radio/Online Radio Ad
:30 Seconds SFX: Sound of the engine turning over SFX: Up-beat, feel-good, song starts – plays until the end of ad Female: You are part of a new generation. A generation of adventure seekers, nightlife radicals, and heroes of innovation. Male: You are part of a group of rebels whose passions are amplified in your quest to make a life of your own. Female: Your style is unmatched and you have major-league goals. Male/Female: We all have a story. Drive a Nissan and amplify your life. Live Loud. SFX: Music fades out We recommend that this advertisement be run in-language for radio spots targeted towards the Hispanic demographic.
Internet rationale
Nissan’s company website will link the entire campaign together. Our research shows MC Millennials spend an average of 16 hours researching prior to a potential car purchase. The idea is to create a website that will be the first stop in the MC Millennial’s research.Website users will be able to click on links that direct them to the most valuable information about Nissan vehicles. There will be a separate page within the main website that can be accessed from our linked social media sites. Users will have the ability to track their own “Live Loud” moments from Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube videos. They will also be able to stream free music sponsored by Nissan as they browse. Internet banner ads will be consistent with the look and feel of our campaign.
Internet Banner Ads
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Online
Pandora
For 24 hours, Pandora will feature short Nissan ads encouraging listeners to “Live Loud.” The familiar Pandora controls will also be designed to fit the Nissan brand. Instead of dislike, like, play, and next, the Nissan controls will feature symbols for brake pedal (dislike), accelerator pedal (like), ignition button (play), and gearshift (next). These subtle changes and short ad times will help listeners remember the Nissan brand.
Hulu & YouTube
YouTube and Hulu will feature short three-second Nissan ads between every video. These sites have recently been plagued with long wait times, and Millennials want to get their content fast. The length of these ads is what will make this media successful. If the delay between each video is only three seconds, our target will look at it as Nissan doing them a favor. Each ad will inspire the target to “Live Loud.”
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Mobile
Mobile Applications
MC Millennials are constantly connected via smartphones. The free “Live Loud� mobile application will keep the users interacting with Nissan through six tabs. The gas consumption tab, will allow our demographic to know exactly how much gas is left in their tank. This will also be helpful in evaluating the campaign, because it will track how many people are using our application.
iAds
iPhones account for 35% of mobile phones used to access websites and applications. For tech-savvy Millennials, iAds will be useful in reaching our MC audience in a personalized manner through their use of iPhones and iPads. iAds allow our campaign to connect with our MC Millennials by narrowly targeting specific demographics, music passions, locations, and application preferences.
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(Source: Ad Age)
Dealership Live Loud Lounge
Buying a car is a big decision, and not to be taken lightly. The dealership is the most intimidating aspect of the purchasing process for our MC Millennials. Currently, the dealership is used only as a means of test driving and purchasing the vehicle. MC Millennials report that a bad dealership experience will end the purchase. For that reason, the term salesperson will no longer be used. Instead they will be Coaches, assisting with the purchasing process, rather than selling the car. The “Live Loud” Lounge plays into our theme of amplifying our demographic’s lifestyle. Our MC Millennial has done their homework and does not want to be talked at or sold to, but rather coached through the process. Our Microsoft Surface stations utilize today’s cutting edge technology, while being practical in showing the features and accessories of each vehicle. Nissan’s Coaching program, coupled with Microsoft Surfaces, will make buying a car more interactive for the consumer. Nissan’s implementation of QR codes in the dealership help to strengthen the coaching program. They will not only be used to show the features and accessories of the car, but will allow our demographic to customize their car from their phone. After which they can visit the “Live Loud” Lounge to get a better look at what they designed and continue the purchasing process.
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Cause, Promotion & Public Relations Urban Renewal Program
MC Millennials need to feel inspired by the brands in which they invest their time and money. To generate inspiration, creativity, and trust, we propose to launch an art and city renewal program partnered with the Department of Transportation within our top 10 selected markets. Local artists in these 10 markets will get the opportunity to design plans and art for “eye sore” spots of the cities. These plans will be implemented by those in the area who believe in living loud and making a difference in their community. The 10 designers will also create art for the paint job of a Nissan which will be auctioned off in their city at a gala fundraiser. The funds raised will contribute to urban renewal across the country.
Public Relations
The Urban Renewal Program efforts will be highly publicized via news organizations because of its creative and philanthropic components. This program creates press enthusiasm that will contribute to a strong campaign.
Give Back Concert Series
The “Live Loud” theme resonates within the the MC Millennials’ obsession with music. We know MC Millennials value brands that invest in them so we recommend a “give back” concert that thanks our demographic for their support. Nissan will sponsor the production of the 10 concerts, one show for each of the top markets. Proceeds from the admission cost will be donated to fund art and music programs for public schools.
Public Relations
The concerts will be predominantly techno and hip-hop based which are genres that appeal to the MC Millennials, therefore being an appropriate medium to achieve our MC Millennial audience exposure.
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Direct Mail/Email
We will focus our direct mail toward graduating MC Millennials. During the months of May/June and December/January, direct mail will be sent to those graduates as an incentive for them to visit a dealership. We will be giving graduates $3000 off the purchase of a new car. Research shows that this is the average discount for most car dealerships. September through November will consist of emails to our demographic updating them on discounts and promotions.
Cause, Promotion & Public Relations Public Relations
Sports are an integral part of the MC Millennials’ lives therefore it is essential for Nissan to remain in partnership with Heisman. By creating Heisman related events and furthering involvement with their charities, we will be generating press enthusiasm that maximizes Nissan’s investment.
Creative POV
Our color palette will remain similar to the rest of our campaign, but emphasize the school colors of the player. Our slogan is important to have on the ads, because we believe that it will resonate with our audience and keep them involved throughout the college football season.
Heisman Hunt
Nissan’s commitment to the sponsorship of the Heisman Trust will continue throughout our campaign, because we know that we reach all MC’s through college football. At this point in our campaign, “Live Loud” will be well known and easily recognizable by a large portion of our audience. In cities and stadiums where a player is in the “Heisman Hunt” we plan to place billboards around the area, letting people know who sponsors the Heisman Trust. To generate user interaction on Facebook, Nissan will host a photo scavenger hunt in our major target areas. Fans will be challenged to find five Nissan vehicles around each target market at major city landmarks. At each location they take a photograph of themselves doing the Heisman pose, and scan the QR code to submit the photo and receive the next clue. Participants who complete the five stages will be entered to win tickets to one of five BCS bowl games.
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Media Plan Media Objective
Our goal is to reach 70.2% of MC Millennials through a variety of traditional and non-traditional media. We will achieve our target goal through print, television, Internet, public relations, sponsorships and social media. We will expose 58% of our demographic to three or more ads across all media, with 69,500,000 impressions reached by the end of the campaign. Outdoor, ambient, and other interactive advertisements, although difficult to measure, will provide a substantial increase in both reach and impressions. This increase is not represented within reach and impression goals.
Media Strategy
We will reach our MC Millennials by choosing the top media vehicles consumed by our target within print, TV, online, public relations, sponsorships and social media. Our media buys and ad placements will directly relate to media consumption habits and encourage our audience to “Live Loud.” Print We recognize that traditional media is important when reaching a large audience within our demographic. Magazine ads will play an important role in this campaign. Based on lifestyles and interests, ads will appear in the following magazines for all MC Millennials; Paste, Rolling Stone, The Source, XXL, Vibe, Cosmopolitan, ESPN, and Sports Illustrated. Narrowly targeting each demographic is also a factor in our success, and for that reason Ebony and Uptown (African American), Game Informer and Spin (Asian American), Maxim en Español and Cosmopolitan en Español (Hispanic) will also feature Nissan ads. Search Engine Optimization (S.E.O.) To improve visibility of the website and products, we will utilize S.E.O. to target image, local, and video searches. Promoting Nissan through Google AdWords, we will increase traffic and improve visibility of Nissan. MC Millennials are highly connected, infinitely mobile, literate, and empowered by technology. We can leverage this insight by utilizing S.E.O. tactics.
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Television Television is important to our demographic, specifically Hispanics and African Americans. We will allocate 29% of our total budget to national and cable television. Nielsen ratings have pointed us to sporting events, music, and specific television shows like The Voice, which will reach the maximum number of people, and connect us with our demographic. We will place day-time and prime-time :30, and :60 spots within cultural specific and interest specific cable and network channels. Not only will we target specific networks that reach all MC Millennials, like CBS, MTV, ESPN and Comedy Central, but our campaign will place ads on specific markets that target each demographic. BET, Centric, Telemundo, Univision, and Fox Soccer will target each demographic separately, but give us the maximum reach. During our campaign, Comcast will be launching two new channels that will be narrowly tailored to Hispanic and African American Millennials. Revolt, scheduled to debut in 2013, will consist of programming that includes music videos, live performances, music news, and interviews. El Rey, scheduled to debut in January 2014, will feature Hispanic producers, celebrities, and public figures in a programming mix that includes reality and scripted shows. Through coordinated media buys and advertisement placement, these channels will impact all MC Millennials.
(Source: Nielsen, SRDS, Ad-ology, ICED Media, Simmons Car Report, Experian, Lithium, Ad Age)
Media Plan Internet MC Millennials spend an average of 16 hours researching car features and accessories before making their purchase. Web and interactive advertising must be utilized in order for Nissan to reach this demographic. Strategic placement of interactive banner ads and mobile applications will make up the bulk of our Internet campaign. Our ads will appear on sites such as, Car.com, Edmunds.com, etc., where most of the research is being done. Banner ads will also appear on such high traffic sites as, YouTube.com, MTV.com, Rollingstone. com, and BET.com. Mobile advertisements allow the campaign to constantly stay connected in an ever evolving tech-savvy world. Interactive video-ads, multi-panel banner ads, and text-link ads will be used across all smartphone and media devices. Both banner and mobile ads will garner over 5 million impressions, and speak directly to MC Millennials. Radio MC Millennials live an active, on-the-go lifestyle. Music is important from the moment they wake up, until the moment they go to sleep. Our ads will encourage them to “Live Loud” while they interact with their music. The top 10 markets and the top 10 stations will run :30 spots during the peak times, including morning and evening drive. We will target all MC Millennials through the use of hip-hop, techno, and Top 40 radio stations. Our Hispanic Millennials are more likely to listen to inlanguage media. We plan to capitalize on this with in-language radio ads on Hispanic stations.
Hulu Flighting patterns include fall premiere, season finales, and Hulu Latino. Since Hulu has excellent ratings with each MC demographic, we plan to place “Live Loud” ads on shows that go with MC interests. We will also place ads on Hulu Latino’s landing page with in-language content. By offering videos on a variety of websites and devices, Hulu’s robust sharing features and consumer distribution options also allow our message to not only be seen, but to be shareD. Pandora Pandora radio streams 67% of all Internet radio hours. Available in multiple forms (home, web, mobile, and auto). Pandora is a leader and innovator of online music. Pandora has over 42 million unique users (10 million average daily) with 64% of listeners between the ages of 18-34. This medium will have very little waste because MC Millennials are so in tune with their music. Contingency Branded Entertainment Social Media 1%
Public Relations
2% 7%
Promotions
Outdoor To target non-users within our demographic, we will set up media device battery charging stations at bus stops within our top 10 markets. This will support the music and mobile lifestyles of our target audience, while offering the “Live Loud” message in an interesting and interactive way. Outdoor billboards will be placed in our top 10 markets, and we will include interactive LED billboards within our top five markets. The target audience can interact with the updating billboard by using text messaging, mobile application, and/or social media.
(Source: Nielsen, SRDS, Ad-ology, ICED Media, Simmons Car Report, Experian, Lithium, Ad Age)
5%
7%
Traditional
Interactive
49%
10%
Digital 19%
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Media Plan YouTube YouTube is highly utilized with MC Millennials. YouTube is used to entertain but to inform as well. Nissan will implement a take over of YouTube consisting of five days total. We will launch our campaign with a three-day YouTube take over. Two days prior to The Voice airing, we will run an all-inclusive advertising blitz to spread the word quickly about our sponsorship. This will create buzz and interest, increasing viewership of Nissan’s episode. During the rest of our campaign, we will run traditional sponsorship advertisements before YouTube content loads, with the media buy reflected in the Internet allocation.
Pilot Market Rationale
These 10 markets were selected based on their high percentage of MC Millennials. Seven of the ten markets feature high population of all three demographics. Seattle was added due to the number of Asian American Millennials and to create presence of the “Live Loud” campaign in the Northwest. Atlanta and Dallas/Houston were included because of the number of AA and Hispanic Millennials in the respective markets. The success of these markets will decide the future of the campaign.
Twitter Of Fortune Global 100 companies, 65% now tweet. Nissan will use Twitter to keep our demographic informed on upcoming concerts, promotions, and urban art events. A specific hashtag, #LiveLoud, will keep our message consistent throughout the campaign. A promoted hashtag will run 12 times on Twitter over the course of the campaign. Nissan will pay to be a promoted account for our demographic to follow. Facebook We recommend the use of Facebook to optimize interaction of consumers and evaluate the progress of the campaign. Nissan will ask our audience to use Facebook as a journal to document exactly how they “Live Loud.” Continuous updates will be posted to Nissan’s Timeline that will allow for individuals in our demographic to go beyond the ‘Like’ button. They will now be able to interact through posting pictures, videos, and stories. Nissan will gain valuable feedback to understand how users see their vehicle as an extension of themselves. Facebook will be used to assess MC Millennials perceptions, feelings, and attitudes toward the campaign.
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(Source: Nielsen, SRDS, Ad-ology, ICED Media, Simmons Car Report, Experian, Lithium, Ad Age)
Media Plan
All production costs are included within each media buy.
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Evaluation Evaluation Through our research, we have found that the attitude of MC Millennials toward the Nissan brand is not always positive. It would be beneficial to conduct attitude evaluations mid-way through and post campaign to understand how our efforts affected MC Milliennial perception of the brand. This will be administered via surveys, mall intercepts, e-mail interviews, etc. Low brand awareness and an inadequate amount of mind share are leading issues of the Nissan brand. It is important to calculate awareness by recognition and by recall before and after the campaign via surveys, mall intercepts, e-mail, and interviews. To measuring how effective our marketing and communication objectives have been at various stages in the campaign, we will use “category need� data. We plan to do this by comparing the number of MC Millennial Nissan users before, mid-way through, and after the campaign. Analyzing the outcome of promotions, public relations and cause marketing is key to understanding their effectiveness and the best way to apply them to reach our target in the future. To measure these, we plan to calculate the number or MC Millennials involved in events like the Heisman Trophy Tour and the Urban Renewal Program.
Pre-Campaign Brand perception Attitude evaluation Online traffic
Q2 & Q3 Evaluate launch Messaging
Q4 & Q1 Attitude evaluation Messaging
Ongoing monitoring of dynamic elements. App downloads, YouTube hits, Hulu hits, concert attendance, PR, Heisman entries, social media, urban renewal
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Post-Campaign Brand perception Nissan car sales Recommend future plan