Chevy Volt Marketing Campaign Book

7/29/2019 Chevy Volt Marketing Campaign Book

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The 2011 Chevy VRedening Hybr

COMPASS COMMUNICATIO

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Mission

Compass Communications understands that each and everyclient is unique. Whether you know your destination or yourbrand needs a new direction, we are devoted to guiding youdown the path to success.

ResearchAlex Lugo

AccountBlair Brophy

CreativeHeather Laing

Justin Mertes-Mistretta

MediaCaitlin Furin

Public RelationsBrett Sommers


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Table of Contents

Situation AnalysisPages 3-14

Campaign StrategyPages 15-24

Creative BriefPages 25-36

Media PlanPages 37-44

Public Relations StrategyPages 45-59

Appendix

Pages 60-63


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Situation Analysis


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General Motors was founded on September 16, 1908. Louis Chevrolet and William Durant formedChevrolet Motor Company three years later on November 3, 1911. In 1918, GM acquired Chevrolet.1

In 1996, GM made the initial plunge into the production of the electric car and created the GM EV1, theonly predecessor of the Chevy Volt. Produced from 1996 to 1999, the EV1 received positive reactions

from leasing customers, but GM came to the conclusion that electric cars were part of an unprotableniche market of automobiles.

In January 2007, the Chevy Volt concept car was introduced at the North American International AutoShow, becoming the rst-ever series plug-in hybrid concept car shown by a major manufacturer.2 Someof the major differences when compared to the EV1 were the change to a ve-person vehicle, top elec-tric speed increases and the key design parameter of a 40 mile all-electric range. The range itself wasdetermined by a study showing that 78 percent of daily commuters travel 40 miles or less.

The production model itself was ofcially unveiled on September 16, 2008, celebrating GMs 100thanniversary. The production model was quite different from the original concept car, which GM cited

necessary for aerodynamic changes that needed to be made in order to maximize the efciency of theVolts full-charge range. In 2009, GM allowed journalists to test-drive the Volt powertrain in the body ofa Chevy Cruze.

The rst retail vehicle was delivered to a customer on December 15, 2010, and the Volt has been on thepublic market ever since.3

History


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Industry Trends

Motor Vehicle Industry Overview

As the price of crude oil continues to increase, the Big Three automakers (GM, Ford and Chrys-ler) have faced similar and difcult challenges. With closures of plants, employment reductionsand less funds for development and research, automakers have struggled. The weakening econ-

omy and a lack of consumer condence in the industry are factors that also led to their decline.4

Nearly 276,000 jobs in the industry were lost, making up 36 percent of employment in theautomotive sector. As a result, Chrysler and GM both asked for bankruptcy protection in 2009.In August of 2010, GM led paperwork to ask for less government ownership, for the automobileindustry appeared to be stabilizing, though at a slower rate than that between 1999 and 2007.According to the Freedonia Report, continued growth in automobile sales is expected to be con-sistent, in part due to an expanding driving-age segment of the population. Overall, efciency,environmental benets, and performance will be the main factors driving demand. Ultimately,according to the IBIS Report, all automakers will focus on production of environmentally friend-ly vehicles through 2016 in order to become more competitive.

Hybrid-Electric Vehicles Industry

The rst hybrid-electric vehicle (HEV), the Honda Insight, was introduced in 1999, but sold lessthan 20 vehicles in that year. The Toyota Prius was introduced the following year and quickly be-came the most popular HEV, selling over 800,000 units between 2000 and 2009. In 2004, therewere only ve HEV models available, four of which were automobiles. As the Prius continuedto gain popularity, other automakers rushed to produce competing models. By 2009, two-dozenHEV models, both automobiles and SUVS, were available.

After the introduction of these new models, industry sales increased steadily until 2008, when an

overall 11% decrease in the automobile industry occurred due to an economic recession. Evenso, conventional vehicle sales were affected more than HEV sales during the recession.

Of the hybrid-electric automobiles in themarket in 2009, the Saturn Aura and ChevyMalibu were considered mild hybrids. Therest of the models were considered fullhybrids, with internal combustion enginehybrid-electric powertrains. Mild hybridsoffer some limited environmental advan-tages. Because they lack the hybrid-electric

powertrains that full hybrids utilize, how-ever, they mainly save energy by turning offthe engine when coasting or breaking.5

As economic conditions improve and auto-mobile consumers become more environ-mentally conscious and concerned aboutreducing fuel costs, light hybrid-electricvehicle demand in the United States isexpected to rise 30.5% each year between

Graph retrieved from: OneSource. (2010, September). Freedo-nia Focus on Hybrid Electric Vehicles; http://www.globalbb.onesource.com/.


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2009 and 2014. In addition, consumers, may not necessarily need such a vehicle, but are respondingto pressure from society and the government to be more environmentally friendly.6

Technology and Product Developments

Competition is being driven by demand for a decrease in fossil fuel use and pollution elimination. Therst internal combustion engine hybrid-electric power plant produced its rst model in Japan in 1997.

Since the 1990s, the industry has invested several billion dollars in research and improvements of thesepower plants. The rst fuel cell-powered vehicles were introduced in 2003. The main factors inhibiting agreater utilization of fuel cells include high costs in comparison to gas-powered engines and batteries,size and weight restrictions, and safety concerns with pure hydrogen use.7

Regulations and External Drivers

Many external drivers contribute to success of sales in the car and automobile industry. The followingis a list of potential external drivers, how they have contributed to the industry, and how experts expect

their impact to change.

The consumer sentiment index is slowly increasing due to a rise in consumer condence and willincrease signicantly after the recession when disposable income is on the rise and credit is avail-able. This is a potential opportunity for the industry.

An increase in the price of world crude oil between 2004-2008 led consumers to demand morefuel-efcient cars. This initiated a shift from large, sporty SUVs and trucks to smaller, greenercars.

According to the Freedonia Report, Government intervention as expressed in the political will toimpose standards, and offer subsidies and tax credits, is the primary force behind making HEVsmore attractive to consumers, and will be the main driver of demand in the coming years.

Graph retrieved from: OneSource. (2010, September). Freedonia Focus on Hybrid Electric Vehicles;http://www.globalbb.onesource.com/.


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Competitive Analysis

Hybrid sales are increasing, which is directly correlated with rising gas prices and increasingavailability. The Chevy Volts top competitors, in terms of sales, are the Toyota Prius, HondaInsight and Nissan Leaf. However, the Volt separates itself from these competitors by being theonly hybrid-electric vehicle (HEV) with an electric plug-in that also allows for the use of gaso-line.8

Make and Model ype Fuel Eciency (Comb. MPG)

Electric Range(miles)

Base M3RP

oyota Prius IV Gas-Electric Hybrid 50 n/a 26,200

Honda Insight EX Gas-Electric Hybrid 41 n/a 21,300

Honda Civic Hybrid Gas-Electric Hybrid 42 n/a 25,000

Chevrolet Volt Extending Hybrid 230 n/a 32,500

Toyota Prius

The Toyota Prius is the leading hybrid, representing 58 percent of total hybrid sales.13 Advertisingfor the Prius looks to pair the environmental synergy with primetime television spots and out-of-home displays in midtown Manhattan, New York. All Toyota HEV vehicles, including the Prius,offer Hybrid Synergy Drive that drives the wheels with electric motors and gas engines. The Priusis powered by a 1.8 inline four-cylinder engine and an electric AC synchronous motor that gen-erates 134 net horsepower. A plug-in model of the Prius is set to hit the U.S. market in 2012.9

Honda Insight

In 2011, The Honda Insight saw its sales increase by 52.2 percent from October to November.

While the Insight is more affordable than the Prius, it has far less power (98 net horsepower).Similar to the Prius, the Insight plans on launching a plug-in hybrid by 2012. The Insight mar-kets itself as the hybrid for everybody and has creative ads that resonate with the Go Greenmovement. The Insight print ads focus heavily on vehicle features. The Insight is front wheeldrive, powered by an I-VTEC engine and an integrated Motor Assist system.10 11

Nissan Leaf

In 2011, the Nissan Leaf saw its sales decrease by 20.8 percent from October to November.13Advertising for the Leaf promotes it as the worlds rst affordable, zero-emission car. Similar to

the Chevy Volt, the Nissan Leaf pushes for leasing, rather than buying. Nissan also matched GMseight-year, 100,000-mile warranty on their batteries. The goal of Nissan Leaf creative is to get15% of the target audience to test drive the vehicle.

In terms of market and sales, the Chevy Volt is in close competition with Toyota, Honda andNissan. But, when it comes to performance, the Chevy Volt is the leader by default, as it is theonly electric-powered car that allows for gas to take you further. This notion is conrmed by

Joel Ewanick, the vice president of U.S. marketing for General Motors. The Chevrolet Volt willbe the best vehicle in its classbecause its in a class by itself, Ewanick said in a statement atthe Plug-In 2010 conference in San Jose, Calif. No other automaker offers an electrically drivenvehicle that can be your everyday driver to take you wherever, whenever.12


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Consumer Analysis

Primary Research

To better understand our consumers and target audience, Compass Communications planned to coor-dinate an effort to understand the current Chevy Volt brand through social media and a dealership visit.Our representatives visited a Chevy dealership in Middleton with a few questions in mind (See Appendix

for list). Volt representative Daniel Freeman at Ballweg gave Compass Communications key informationabout the characteristics and attitudes of people buying the Volt in south-central Wisconsin. Buyers ofthe Volt have a college education and are very interested in technology. Purchasing the Volt for the envi-ronmental benets is only part of the reason people choose the Volt for their hybrid vehicle. Buyers seekto learn all they can about the Volt, assuring that the vehicle is exactly right for them.

Additionally, our representatives conducted research of social media sites and automobile forums. Com-pass Communications devised a coding system in which our representatives looked for comments basedon certain criteria (The number in parentheses represents the number of comments that pertained to thatparticular category): Look (16), Environmental factor (10), Technology (23), Difference from competi-tors (17), Cost (19), Safety (22), Charging Stations (9), Overall brand image (8), Other (9). Here are somesample comments from the forums and websites:

I also want to support GM and American manufacturing. Im not really a big GM freak, so Iwould feel the same way if Ford or Chrysler were doing this, but not so much so if Toyota orHonda, and Im sorry, Im never buying a Chinese car until they force me to.

-DaV8or on gm-volt.com

I love the ability of being able to not burn any fossil fuels at all for many of my trips, yet stillhave the ability to go on a last minute road trip/vacation/ travel soccer game and not worryabout running out of battery range.

Jim Jonah, Chevy Volt Owner, VoltAge

Thanks to the Hampton Inn in Bartlett TN for letting us charge the #chevyvolt overnight!

*See Brand Analysis for our primary research on brand image perception.

Simmons III Data

Demographics

Adults between the ages of 35-39 and 55-59 are more likely to buy hybrid or fuel-efcient vehicles.While married couples are more likely to own a hybrid vehicle, families with children were not likely toown a hybrid.

Upper-class individuals are more likely to buy a hybrid car. In general, people earning more than$100,000 annually are drastically more likely to own a hybrid.

College graduates and full-time employees, especially in sales, administrative, and teaching careers, aremore likely to own hybrid vehicles. Those who attended graduate school are signicantly more likely toown a hybrid vehicle. This is also true of people who are employed full-time.


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Attitudes

Individuals who own hybrids are more likely to be en-vironmentally friendly. These attitudes include: payingmore for environmentally friendly products, believingproducts that pollute should be banned, being con-cerned about the pollution caused by their cars andmaking a conscious effort to recycle.

Those who believe that the Internet changed the waythey spend their free time and that Internet is the newway they socialize with people are more likely to owna hybrid.

Those who agree that they are likely to use a product ifa character in a television show or movie uses it are more likely to own a hybrid.

In addition, our target audience was found to believe money is the best measure of success, con-

sider work as a career rather than just a job, and want to stand out in a crowd.

Behaviors

Readers of Outdoor Life magazine are more likely to own hybrid cars. People who watch scienceTV shows are also signicantly more likely to own hybrids.

Early adopters and techies are attracted to fuel-efcient vehicles. People who try to keep up withtechnology developments are more likely to own a hybrid. Our target audience was found tobe the rst of their friends to own a product, to love new gadgets and appliances, and to havefriends who ask their advice about electronic equipment.

With respect to community involvement, hybrid car owners are more likely to belong to environ-mentalist and human rights organizations. Local government, art associations and country clubsare also among the groups that hybrid owners belong to.

Hybrid car owners mostly enjoy an activelifestyle and engage in: sports/exercise,dancing and going to nightclubs, goingto beaches or lakes, gardening, diningout, cooking for fun, backpacking/hiking,

camping, mountain climbing, sailing andswimming.

*See Media Usage Analysis and CreativeAnalysis for more details on behaviors ofhybrid car owners.


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Brand Analysis

Brand Competitors

The top brand competitors for Chevrolet are Toyota, Ford, and Honda, which were each rated higher insafety, quality, and environmentally friendly aspects than Chevy. Ford presents an additional challenge inthat their brand image is situated securely in American history and legacy, like Chevy.13

Surveys from CarInfo.com suggests that although the competition is tough, Chevys brand has increasedin strength and is considered one of the top automobile brands in the country. Chevy continues to offerstate-of-the-art technology and driver-friendly vehicles that are now also fuel-efcient.14 However, de-spite the success of their new products, GM rivals are arguing that Chevrolets success is being lead bytheir products, not brand image. Although progress has been made, one executive from a GM rival com-pany stated that Chevy has great products, but theres nothing providing a foundation, a brand promise.They havent found their identity. Compass Communications wants to build the Volts brand image andperception so that Chevy can fully compete in the market.15

Brand PerceptionChevrolet, a subset of the automaker General Motors, is branded in an incredibly distinct way: themodels appeal to consumers sense of rugged Americanism. Chevrolets brand provides a reliable andaffordable automobile that exudes the American work ethic, values and spirit.

Consumer Reports 2011 Car Brand Perception Survey showed that Chevy jumped from ninth place tofourth place from 2010 to 2011 in consumers evaluation of the overall brand. Unlike other brands,Chevy excelled in multiple areas, including quality, value, performance, design/style, and environmen-tally-friendly/green aspects.16This perception has not changed with the introduction of the Chevy Volt. In2011, the Chevy Volt has won multiple awards, including Car and Driver Best Ten Cars, Motor Trend Car

of the Year, Green Car of the Year by Green Car Journal, Automobile of the Year by Automobile Maga-zine, North American Car of the Year, the World Green Car, and additional others.17

To get a more comprehensive idea of brand perception, Compass Communications surveyed individualsand asked them to name the rst three to ve words that they associated with Chevy. This word cloud,produced by www.wordle.com, demonstrates the multiple answers we received. The top responses in-cluded American, America, trucks, tough, reliable, dependable, and masculine. 18


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Early adopters and those with higher incomes are increasingly using the Internet to do every daytraditional media activities, such as reading the newspaper, listening to the radio and watchingtelevision programs.

According to Simmons III data, those who are high-tech and early adopters frequently click on

Internet banner ads. They are exceedingly likely to read magazines such as Mens Health, Forbesand ESPN Magazine. They enjoy watching primetime sports, scientic programs and networkslike the CW. They tune in to programs like the American Music Awards, the Grammys and theVideo Music Awards. They plan to watch big sporting events like the Super Bowl, PGA Champi-onship, NBA playoffs and the Summer Olympics.

In 2011, Chevrolet bought ve 30-second ad spots during the Super Bowl to build on the ChevyRuns Deep campaign, making a huge comeback since its last appearance in 2007. Theyworked with Rolling Stone magazine to reach a younger demographic, pairing Chevy cars withrock stars and offering 49-cent downloads from a Chevy Soundtrack. Various Chevrolet ve-hicles appeared in the Transformers movie franchise as well. 19

Media allocation for the Volt mirrors the go big or go home media usage philosophy of theChevrolet brand. A 60-second ad aired during the 2008 Summer Olympics, giving the largeaudience its rst glimpse of the Volt. The Volt also appears in various print advertisements, onbillboards and in commercial slots during primetime broadcasts. 20

Interactive media offers consumers a whole new way to experience the Volt. Facebook and Twit-ter pages dedicated to the car feature quick facts and showcase customer interaction. The MyVolt website allows Volt owners to access information such as how much charge their car has,or unlocks their Volt with the click of an icon. Chevrolet Voltage is a social media site exclusively

for the Volt and Volt owners. Chevrolet adapted to changes in media throughout the years andhas clearly mastered the art of reaching people everywhere.

Media Usage Analysis

Creative Analysis

By playing off of old techniques and evolving them to appeal to modern audiences, Chevrolet habeen able to keep strong themes going throughout its brand development.

Chevrolets main advertising theme has always been patriotism and American spirit. Through theyears, the brand has continually sought to evoke a feeling of American pride from its consumers.

Some of the most popular campaign tag lines have included:

Lets Go America! (1932) See the USA in Your Chevrolet (1952) Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie and Chevrolet (1974) An American Revolution (2003)


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Evoking a feeling of patriotism was meant to make consumers associate buying a Chevy with doingtheir part to support their countrys legacy.21

Chevy ads have also utilized pop culture to get their message across. In 2003, General Motors begantheir They Dont Write Songs About Volvos campaign, in which they made a list of 200 songs thattalked about their Chevrolet brand. The ads for this campaign displayed celebrities singing these songswhile driving in Chevys, evoking fond memories associated with the brand and popular songs of thepast.22

Chevrolet advertising has alsotargeted past campaigns specicallyto men, one of their largest targetmarkets. Their 1991 to 2004 Like aRock campaign tied the brand withmasculinity. In 2009, a TVcommercial with NFL player HowieLong made fun of their competitors,Ford F150 owners and Dodge Ram

owners, depicting them doingfeminine tasks.23

Building off of consumers love ofAmericanism and unity, Chevroletalso used advertising to build up itsreputation as a family brand.24 In1957, Chevys Birthday TV spotdisplayed a family giving their mom a new car for her birthday gift. A 2009 TV spot showed a babyriding on an assembly line and being taken care of by the machines, highlighting the Chevy brand as aparent gure.

In 2011, Joel Ewanick, GMs global chief marketing ofcer, said he wanted more consistency inChevys campaign. While he said the campaign would improve, he said he was especially happy withSpaceship Earth commercial that utilized shots of forests and windmills to promote Chevys interestin reducing carbon emissions and renewable energy.25

In 2011, the Chevy Runs Deep campaign was tied into the popular musical TV series Glee afterthe Super Bowl. Cast members from Glee road in the Volt, Camaro, and Cruze compact and sang theSee the U.S.A. in Your Chevrolet song from the 1950s and 60s. It took Chevrolets old ties to Ameri-canism and re-invented them by making them seem important to a whole new audience. To continue

this, Ewanick stated he wanted more modern versions of past successful campaigns, in which peoplehad good memories tied with Chevrolet.26

General Motors Hybrid-Electric Vehicle Campaign History

General Motors was the rst to produce an all-electric car when it introduced the EV1 in 1996. Forthe debut, GM displayed a commercial from San Franciscos ad agency, Pubilicis & Hal Riney, whichshowed fans moving away from a house to go to the garage and greet the new car.27 Its slogan was,The electric car is here- EV1, General Motors.


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needing any gas. Google trends showed a spike in searches for Chevrolet Volt by 7 p.m. onAugust 8, the rst day the spot aired. On August 7, there were 1,029 searches for the Volt, andthis peaked at 10,429 searches on August 12.

Since its debut in 2010, Chevy Volt has followed along with General Motors advertising themeswhile adopting some new strategies to highlight the vehicles technological advances and unique-ness.

GM partnered with Google to use Google Maps in the Chevy Volt navigation systems. GM partnered with Microsoft to create a Microsoft X-Box 360 Kinect Joy Ride game, in

which users are prompted to view a Chevy Volt ad and then allowed to design their ownVolt and take it for a virtual joy ride on the game.

The Volts recent commercials are informational about the cars plug-in abilities in addition to itsability to use gasoline.

One of the latest commercials depicts a Volt owner pulling into a gas station stopped bya man and his son who question why the Volt is there. The commercial serves to remind

people that the Volt does have gas capabilities and ends with the tagline More Car thanElectric and the phrase Electric when you want it. Gas when you need it.30

Another TV spot depicts workers at a drive through bickering over the Volts gas and elec-tric capabilities and utilizes the same tagline.

A third commercial describes how consumers live in America, a country dominated byspontaneous acts of freedom, which the Volt drivers can partake in due to the cars elec-tric charge and gas back-up.

A fourth commercial involves a parking attendant hopping in a Volt and asking a driverstuck at the entrance of a parking ramp about the Volts features.


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SWOT Analysis

StrengthsAppeals to consumers desire to help the environ-ment, but without changing their routine; the currentbrand enforces this ideaConsumers are able to charge Chevy Volt at home,

making ownership a convenient optionCompared to the other competitors in the price range,it is the most powerful hybrid, with instant torqueThe price of purchasing a Volt eventually equals themoney saved from gas purchasesSleek interior and exterior design gives the vehicle aluxury feel without a luxury price

Won numerous awards (see Brand Analysis)

Key Issues and Implications

As a brand, Chevy Volt appeals to a variety of environmentally, issue-conscious consumers who, asadults, appreciate the value of a hybrid car. The increasing demand for a green lifestyle gives ChevyVolt hope for upcoming years. With consumers ability to charge the Volt at home, the product becomesmore of a convenience. While many consumers have complained at the high price of the car, Chevymust nd a way to satisfy consumer needs with a greener car, but also build their market with a moreaffordable product. Highlighting the Volts gas and electric capabilities helps to set the Volt apart fromother hybrid competitors. With other cheaper competitors entering the market, Compass Communica-tions will look to launch a campaign that will build Chevy Volt as a premiere fuel-efcient vehicle, andsatisfy the needs of its target market.

Weaknesses The price and brand of the Chevy Volt conicts wi

Chevrolets overall brand image Charging stations are not readily available in the

public yet

Consumer base is less informed of the Volts capacto utilize both diesel-fueled engine and electric batery

Consumers thought that GM had lied about the Vohybrid capabilities

Threats Consumers may be waiting for the price premium

to decrease on hybrid vehicles During this recession, people need more money

now during recession, consumers would rathersave now than have a purchase payoff in the future

Other less expensive competitors, such as Nissan,Toyota and Ford

GM recently led for bankruptcy, which may de-crease consumer trust in the brand

OpportunitiesHigher gas prices cause consumers to want fuelefcient, smaller cars than in the past; potentialbenet for hybrid vehiclesOverall trend of eco-friendly, green initiativesChevy volt doesnt have any real competitorsbecause it is the only hybrid with both fuel andelectric capabilitiesThe gap between pricing of regular and hybridvehicles is expected to decrease


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Campaign Strategy


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Consumer Target Market

Compass Communications was able to dene an accurate target audience for the Chevy Volt thanks to

Ballweg Chevrolet Dealership and Simmons Data III. By using our Simmons data to initially segmentthe market, we were able to reinforce these ndings with primary research, which included interviewingprofessionals at the Ballweg dealership and researching public opinion about the Volt and the Chevroletbrand through social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, and various blogs.

Generally, our primary and secondary target markets are educated, informed, highly involved, and serveas role models for their social groups. They differ slightly in age and income, and therefore, differ in thereasons they wish to purchase a Chevy Volt. Novelty and status are the main aspects of the Volt that ap-peal to these groups.


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Primary Target Market: The Ashers

Ethan and Andrea Asher met in graduate school, married two years later, and are currently livingtogether in San Francisco, California. Although Ethan, 36, and Andrea, 35, are recently married,they are not interested in starting a family just yet. They are each educated, informed, career-ori-ented individuals, who would prefer to concentrate on their career, social lives, and commitmentto each other.

Ethan, a management consultant for a local business in San Francisco, thinks of his currentposition not just as a temporary job, but as the beginning of his career. He is constantly strivingto get ahead in his work and is rewarded by his annual salary. Andrea works as an account man-ager for a sales rm and aspires to eventually own her own sales and marketing business.

They take full advantage of the fast-paced lifestyle that California offers. Not only do they enjoykayaking, backpacking, rock climbing, and camping in the state and national parks, but also theyare incredibly involved in the California Association of Human Rights Organization(CAHRO).

Ethan and Andrea also love taking risks and see themselves as incredibly unique and progressive.They surround themselves with like-minded individuals who also consider themselves pioneersin recent trends and movements. In their social circle, Ethan and Andrea are known for theirinterest in the latest innovative technology and their ability to be the rst to own a cool, newproduct. Although their rst concern is the novelty of a product, they also value purchases thatshow their concern for the environment, while making a conscious effort to recycle and reducepollution.

The Ashers purchased a Chevy Volt because of the cars unique ability to utilize both a batteryand gas engine backup, which is something they considered to be innovative and energy-

efcient.


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Secondary Target Market: The McCoys

Although the McCoy family is similar to theAshers in many respects, William and Adri-enne McCoys income level is signicantlyhigher than the Ashers.

William, 52, and Adrienne, 49, were highschool sweethearts. They waited to get mar-ried until just after college and promptlymoved to a residential suburb near Chicago.Their two children, Brian and Julie, are grownand have families of their own.

William is a psychology professor at theUniversity of Chicago. Although he started hiscareer as a psychologist, he was sosuccessful that he decided to teach at hisAlma Mater and conduct research of his own.His wife, Adrienne, is one of the top realestate agents in the Chicago area. TheMcCoys have been incredibly successfulnancially, and even though they had theopportunity to retire at a young age,William and Adrienne love and appreciatetheir careers. They believe that money is thebest measure of success.

The McCoys are also heavily involved inlocal associations and enjoy takingadvantage of their busy social life. Williamenjoys participating in local government,while Adrienne volunteers for Friends of theArts, a not-for-prot arts support group. Although they would prefer to spend their time with friends attheir country club, William and Adrienne also enjoy spending time alone. Gardening, sailing, yoga,photography, and cooking are just some activities that the couple has experimented with.

William and Adrienne are educated and informed. They value purchases that show their concern forthe environment, but more importantly, they value products that strengthen their image and status.

Their friends look to them as models for purchasing decisions and aim to emulate their lifestyle.

The McCoys bought a Chevy Volt to reinforce their image; the car has style, efciency, exibility, andhas redened what it means to be the driver of a hybrid.


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Tertiary Target Market: Berry Plastics

Businesses are constantly being challenged to become more energy efcient and environmental-ly friendly. By offering the Chevy Volt as a company car for employees, businesses can demon-strate their concern about being environmentally friendly. This also complements our consumertarget markets like the Ashers and McCoys, who are high-income, career-oriented individuals. Inaddition, the Chevy Volt is a newer product. Offering it as a company car may help promote the

vehicle and allow individuals to experience the benets of the Volt without personally investingor seeking it out from the start. Because some companies only offer few select vehicles that em-ployees can choose from when receiving a company car, this may single out the Volt as the onlyhybrid option available.

We would like to offer companies like Berry Plastics Corporation a number of Chevy Volts forcompany cars. As a large company that produces plastics, Berry Plastics has recently becomeconcerned about showing potential customers that their products are durable and strong, yetenvironmentally conscious and energy efcient. This company has been known to give companycars to their employees. By giving this company a hybrid car, they can highlight the positiveaspects about the companys attitudes. This strategy will be targeted towards types of companies

that are not usually perceived as environmentally-conscious, like those that produce plastics,chemicals, and other materials, but are striving to be more green.


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Campaign Objectives

Compass Communications ultimate business objective is to increase overall knowledge of the ChevyVolt, increase the level of brand awareness for Chevy, increase the Volts share of the hybrid market, andnally, to increase sales of the vehicle. Ultimately, our primary objective is to increase sales of the Chevy

Volt by ten percent. However, to compliment the increased sales, we would also like to increase generalknowledge of the Volt by ten percent and increase our target audiences desire to purchase a Volt by 25percent. With a combination of creative marketing efforts and public relations strategies, Compass Com-munications has created a comprehensive and successful campaign for branding and advertising theVolt.

Competitive Advantage

Although it is compared toother hybrids, the Chevy Volt istruly the only car on the marketthat uses both electricity andgas, making it the only car ofits kind. Because it is the rstand only car in its category, wewill differentiate our productby focusing on the novelty anduniqueness that the Voltembodies. We plan onfocusing on the Volts innova-tive combination of electricity

and gas to appeal to the earlyadopters in our target market,like the Ashers, who desirenew and original products.

Furthermore, because of theVolts unique capabilities, we would like to focus on the exibility that the vehicle offers. Consumerslike the Ashers and McCoys will not need to worry about running out of charge, like in a fully electriccar, or running out of gas, like in a diesel-fueled vehicle. Therefore, for consumers like the McCoys, whoare attracted to the Volt due to the inherent status incentive, will be attracted to the Volt instead of otherhybrid vehicles that do not offer this exibility.

Chevrolet is also an American vehicle, unlike many other of the hybrid car options. Chevrolet is anincredibly trusted brand and has many brand loyal consumers. Like other Chevy vehicles, the Chevy Volhas instant torque and incredible technological capabilities. Unlike other hybrids, consumers may bemore willing to follow Chevy into the new hybrid market, because even though the Volt is a hybrid, it isalso a Chevy. Additionally, compared to other vehicles in the hybrid market, the Volt is sleeker and morevisually appealing. For our consumers interested in serving as a role model for their social circles, theseaspects of the Volt may become increasingly important.

Campaign Strategy


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Brand Personality

Appealing to those who want to be green, but presumably do not want to go out of their way tochange their routine to do so, Chevrolet has marketed the Volt as another step in a daily routine.The rst set of commercials, Breathe Socket and Unplug focus on how plugging in the voltis similar to plugging in a cell phone, coffee maker, or other household appliances that are partof a routine. The second set of commercials has been purely informational, concentrating on thebenecial effects of using the Volt, with taglines such as from gas friendly to gas free. Finally,perhaps in an attempt to appeal to the Chevrolet consumer base as a whole, the Volt has sportedthe tagline Its more car than electric, appealing to the consumers need to go green withoutchanging their lifestyle or routines.

The current brand position of the Chevy Volt is solely that the vehicle is half electric and halfgas. Currently, the Volts unique selling point is Electric when you want it, gas when you needit and that somebody has to be rst. First, in our research we found that individuals often areconfused by the transition from electric to gas motors and believed that GM lied, claiming thevehicle was entirely hybrid. Some claimed that it was not really a hybrid because it uses gas.This is not an ideal brand position for the Volt. Furthermore, although we would like to target

early adopters, the phrase somebody has to be rst implies that buying the Volt isnt a greatdecision, rather its interpreted as its a necessary decision simply because some people need tobe the rst to buy a car.

However, the Volts marketing campaign has also emphasized the easiness of being environmen-tally friendly. The Volt is portrayed as another part of a consumers daily routine, emphasizingthat charging a car is similar to charging a cell phone or laptop. This campaign places less em-phasis on the environmental effects, appealing to consumers who would like to be energy ef-cient and environmentally conscious, but do not necessarily have the time to commit to activi-ties or organizations.

Perhaps most importantly, in the Consumer Reports 2011 Car Brand Perception Survey, Chevywas not highly scored in innovation by consumers. This is something Compass Communica-tions wants to change and will apply to our branding strategy.31

Compass Communications would like to reposition this brand personality. Our Simmons III Datashows that Chevrolet Volt consumers are hard-working professionals who are early adoptersand love to embrace new technologies. Because of this, we will seek to redene consumersknowledge of the Chevy Volt, consumer feelings about the Volt and Chevrolet brand, and hybridvehicles in general. This will position the Volt as the newest, latest technological advancementthat early adopters, like the Ashers, will feel compelled to purchase and allow consumers like

the McCoys to see the Volt as an essential status incentive.


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Ultimately, Compass Communications aims to redene what it means to be a hybrid, positioning theVolt as a new, innovative product that would intrigue the Ashers. We would also like to redene what itmeans to be a driver of a hybrid. Hybrid drivers will no longer be viewed as dedicated environmentalists,but rather, sophisticated, educated, and suave role models, similar to the McCoys.

Chevrolet Redened

Though Chevrolet has always emphasized the importance oftradition and a strong connection to the Chevy brand,Compass Communications would like to redene this byusing the trust that brand loyal consumers feel. By encourag-ing consumers to trust in Chevrolet because of its strong andconsistent legacy, they will feel more comfortable adoptingthe new technologies Chevy is supporting.

Thus, we propose a new tagline, Trust in Tradition, thatwill remain similar to past taglines such as Like a Rock andChevy Runs Deep. These past taglines emphasize a strongemotional connection to the brands legacy, but Trust in Tradition will redene this image by focusing onthis emotional connection as a means of encouraging consumers to follow Chevys footsteps in introducingand adopting new one-of-a-kind technologies.

Redening Chevy in this way will demonstrate that Chevy recognizes the changing values of the Americanpeople. Chevy understands individuals desire to stand out and be technologically advanced. Emphasizingtrust and brand loyalty will emphasize that Chevy will supply consumers with products that t these desiresbut still hold true to traditional Chevy values.

Compass Communications will redene Chevy as a growing, innovativebrand that appeals to the changing values of the consumer, while still re-maining a trusted, American company.

Hybrids Redened

Compass Communications will seek to redene the stereotype ofhybrid cars as solely environmental purchases. Cool factors such as thelook and design of the vehicle, as well as the uniqueness of the dual gas and

electric capabilities, will be emphasized to highlight the reliability andexibility that people will gain in addition to underlying environmentalbenets. Buying a Chevy Volt will no longer be just a statement about aconsumers environmental concerns; the purchase of a Volt will beinnovative and admirable, appealing to both early adopters and thoseconsumers who would like to benet from status incentives.

In this way, consumers will feel they will be purchasing a type of vehicle that benets their overall lifestyle whilealso helping the environment. Ultimately, Compass Communications is redening the hybrid. The Chevy Voltis a hybrid, but it is unlike any others. The environmental benets are simply an added incentive to the novel,sophisticated and admired purchase of a Volt.

Creative Concept


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Consumer Image Redened

Compass Communications would like to redene the image stereotypes of hybrid consumers.By highlighting unique ground-breaking technology such as the gas-electric duality, consumerswho buy the Volt will see themselves as intelligent, educated, and sophisticated individuals whoare capable of understanding the technology and want to be the rst to have it. The Ashers, forinstance, will be a new consumer of the Chevy Volt.

Showing the sleek style of the exterior and interior of the car will also help redene the consum-er image by making potential purchasers of the Volt feel they will obtain a stylish, high statusimage rather than be seen as a nerdy environmentalist. The McCoys will be another consumerfor the Chevy Volt.

Business-to-Business Targets Redened

The Volt will also be targeted to companies that provide their employees with company vehiclesfor traveling. The Volt will be positioned as a means of redening a companys image by display-ing their concern for the environment along with concern and absolute care for their employees.

This will also help to redene the Volt as a car for professional individuals, which apply to bothour primary and secondary target markets.

Redening these different aspects of the Chevrolet and Chevy Volt brand, the consumer marketfor the vehicle, and businesses who may take advantage of the benets offered by the vehicle,the Volt will stand out from the rest of the hybrid vehicles in its market.


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In order to set up for a Super Bowl spot, we would like to start the Volt campaign at the beginningof the year. Our other television advertisements will focus on networks that our target markets areinterested in, placing commercials in primetime spots.

We will center our outdoor ads in the large metro areas, like San Diego, San Jose, Houston, Dallas,Denver, Phoenix, Seattle, Orlando, Washington D.C., New York, Detroit, Chicago and Minneapolis,while keeping in mind that some cities rely heavily on public transportation.

We will emphasize interactive media and new social media, like Facebook, Twitter and blogs to

inform the public and build hype about the Volt. We plan on buying big TV spots for its ability toreach a large audience and allow for creativity and stopping power. Furthermore, we will also ad-vertise in magazines to include rational and emotional appeals.

Campaign Scope


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Creative Brief


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Creative Concept

Compass Communications developed the Redening Hybrid campaign to emphasize the Volts sleek,innovative style and technological attributes that set it apart from other competitors. Because our pri-mary target audience, the Ashers, are young, environmentally-conscious early adopters who love to be

the rst to buy new products, Compass Communications feels that emphasizing the Volts one-of-a-kindgas-electric capabilities will appeal to our potential consumers.

Our secondary target audience includes older business professionals who feel nancially secure andenjoy making purchases that will reect their status. Again, the Redening Hybrid campaign will reachthis group of individuals by highlighting the Volts technological advancements and the cool status-boosting image purchasers will obtain if they choose the Chevy Volt.

Overall, our campaign focuses on highlighting aspects of the Volt that early adopters and status-loverswill feel compelled to want in order to keep their position as the tech-savvy leaders among their so-cial groups. By using characters and scenarios that our target consumers can relate to, we will be ableto reach our audience on a more personal, relatable level. In order to make the campaign even morepersonable, we will use emotional marketing through use of strong visuals across our creative outlets tofurther grab our audiences attention.

This campaign will also support Chevys current reliability and positioning, and take it one step furtherby emphasizing the Volts gas-electric duality as the new ultimate form of reliable backup for Chevy driv-ers.

Creative Objectives

The primary objective of Compass Communications creative campaign is to increase sales through em-phasizing the Volts gas-electric features. Our secondary objective is to increase buzz about the ChevyVolt with our integrated creative and social media strategies. By both informing and engaging poten-tial consumers, we plan to create a solid brand foundation that will eventually allow us to branch outfrom our initial big-city targets to create widespread reach and increase the majority of people who areknowledgeable about the Volts latest technological capabilities.

Positioning and Selling Premise

By branding the Chevy Volt as the most technologically-advanced hybrid, Compass Communicationswill position the Volt as the latest gadget that early adopters and status-lovers must have. To do this, wewill emphasize its unique selling proposition: that it has gas and electric capabilities while all other hy-brid vehicles run strictly on electric charge.

Tone

The creative campaign will have an informative, yet powerful and condent tone to reassure Volt con-sumers that Chevy truly believes the Volts new features will help enhance consumer lifestyles and re-dene their perception of hybrid vehicles. The ads will speak to consumers on a personal level to invitethem to continue trusting in the Chevy legacy and the current technologies Chevy is promoting. A hu-morous tone will be used throughout video executions of the campaign to grab consumers attention.

Creative Overview


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Slogan

Compass Communications will link the Redene theme throughout our creative campaignby utilizing Redening Hybrid as the slogan across all media outlets. This will be a memo-rable slogan to our early-adopter targets because it leaves them thinking about the Volts hybridcapabilities and how they are redening and improving hybrid vehicles in light of other hybridcompetitors. This slogan will create positive connections with the Volt and will ultimately relateback to the overall Chevy legacy, which we have also redened to emphasize incorporating newtechnology while maintaining traditional values.

To execute this slogan in our creative campaign, Compass Communications will reach out toconsumers by redening what it means to be a hybrid owner. We will use our ads to redenewhat it means to be an environmentalist and a technology-lover by showing that both of theseattitudes can coincide. Emphasizing the cool factor of the new gas-electric capabilities as thelatest innovation, but also as the cool new way to be environmentally-conscious, will helpreshape the hybrid vehicle image for Volt owners.

Thematic Linkage

To create consistency across the campaign, Compass Communications will use the RedeningHybrid slogan in all media outlets. In addition, we will use the Trust In Tradition tagline toreinforce consumers that the Chevy brand is completely condent in its latest hybrid model. Tofurther cement the connection between the traditional Chevy brand and the new Chevy Volt, theChevrolet logo and the Volt logo will be used across all visual media outlets to ingrain in con-sumers minds that Chevys legacy of the past and the Volts technology of the future are solidlylinked.

Timing

Compass Communications will begin its creative campaign with advertisements that focus onshowing our consumers exactly how we will be redening hybrid vehicles and hybrid vehicleowners. Showing how the Volt is the cool, new, innovative hybrid with redened technologicaladvancements that can then redene the consumers image as a hybrid owner will explicitly con-nect our campaign with our slogan and cement it in consumers minds. Emphasizing the humorand relatable characteristics of our two male characters at the start of our campaign through ourviral video and commercial media outlets will especially draw consumers in and connect themwith the campaign.

After our audience is familiar with the Chevy Volt characters and the technological aspects of

the Volt, ads will become less informative and focus on re-iterating the overall idea of the coolfactor of owning a Volt and the technological aspects our consumers will be aware of. We willbuild off of past campaigns that emphasized Electric when you want it. Gas when you need itand act as a continual reminder to consumers about how the Volts hybrid-electric qualities arecoupled with a gas backup.


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Print

www.VoltRedened.com

Technologyat your Fingertips

Chevy Volt. RedefningHybrid.

Chevy Volt introduces you to the technology that lets you travel your way. With its hal gas, hal electric capabilities,you will never be le without a backup. Running an EPA-estimated 40 miles per charge, Chevy prides itsel in oferingyou the latest in technological advancements.

www.VoltRedened.com

All three of our print ads have the theme of Redening Hybrid, while also touching on different sellingpoints. Each ad will have QR codes in the bottom-left of the ad, which will prompt the viewer to down-load our mobile application.

Our rst print ad, Technology at your Fingertips, aims to inform consumers about the Volts new tech-nology, including the gas-electric capabilities. We strategically planned to run this as our rst print ad,because many consumers may be unaware of the Volts features.


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Let gas beyourbackup

Chevy Volt introduces you to the technology that lets you travel your way. With its hal gas, hal electric capabilities,you will never be le without a backup. Running an EPA-estimated 40 miles per charge, Chevy prides itsel in oferingyou the latest in technological advancements.

www.VoltRedened.com

Chevy Volt. RedefningHybrid.

Once we have established our new technology and features, we will launch the Let Gas beyour Backup ad, which shows the Volts gas-electric features in action. The ad shows the Volttraveling down an open road. The tagline attempts to alleviate the fear of running out of electriccharge on a long trip, thanks to the gasoline fuel tank in the Volt.


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Leadingthe way

Chevy Volt is a game-changer with its hal gas, hal electric capabilities, rivaled by no other car in its class. Te Voltdoesnt settle or anything less than gold.

Chevy Volt. RedefningHybrid.www.VoltRedened.com

Our third print ad, Taking the Lead, will run leading up to the 2012 Summer Olympics. This ad willconvey the idea that the Volt is pulling ahead of the competition with its unparalleled features. TheChevy brand will also be associated with the Olympics to embody the overall brand image of Americanpride in our athletes.


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Drive-time radio will be used to reach those daily commuters and business professionals whomay be considering purchasing a new car. Because radio ads are generally used at the start of acreative campaign, the message will be more informative rather than emotionally-driven.Compass Communications plans to use radio to detail the environmental and technologicalbenets of the Volts gas-electric attributes. As the campaign progresses and listeners become

more knowledgeable about the Volt, the radio spots will evolve with the television ads. Usingquestions in the advertisements and moments of silence to allow listeners to think and compre-hend the message will be used as attention-grabbing elements.

Radio

VO: Hi there. Where are you headed today?

VO: Got enough gas in your tank to get you there?

VO: Its hard to keep up with rising gas prices these days.

VO: Ever thought about switching to a fuel-efcient hybrid vehicle?

VO: How about a Chevy Volt, the only gas-electric car on the market?

VO: The Volt gets you where you need to go, with an EPA estimated 40 miles per elec-tric charge, but also runs on gas for those spontaneous road trips that you love to take.

VO: For more information, check out VoltRedened.com and visit your local Chevydealer today.

VO: Chevy Volt. Redening hybrid.

Because our target audience listens tointernet-only radio stations and tunes intothe American Music Awards, Grammys,and VMAs, we know they like music.Therefore, Compass Communications willalso place radio advertisements ononline radio stations such as Pandora.These stations do not allow listeners to

pause or skip commercials, therefore,they will have to listen to the ad. We willcomplement these radio commercialswith banner ads that direct listeners to themicro-site and social media sites.


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Outdoor

When gas meets electric.

RedefningHybrid.

Creative outdoor ads will be used to addoriginality and uniqueness to the Chevy Voltcampaign. It will be placed in busy cities infront of malls, ofce buildings, and transitsites, where our target professionals are likelyto be found. One example will include largesleek pictures of the Chevy Volt painted acrossthe sides of buildings. A cord traveling from

the picture will be painted along roads andsidewalks, which leads to a painted image ofa plug at the end of the cord. When our audi-ence sees this attention-grabbing image of aplug on the sidewalk, their natural curiositywill lead them to follow the cord. Their atten-tion will then be directed at the image of theVolt on a nearby building.

Outdoor advertising is effective, because it is the next closest thing to point-of-purchase advertising inthe sense that our target audience may be viewing our billboard, for example, on the way to a car deal-ership. Our billboard ad will say, When gas meets electric followed by Redening Hybrid to conveythe message that Chevy Volt is changing what it means to be a hybrid by being the rst hybrid with gasand electric capabilities. We drove this idea home by showing an electrical plug and gas pump, instead

of showing a Volt car.


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Internet

Micro-site

VoltRedened.com will act as the central hub for the Redening Hybrid campaign. Our mediaoutlets and promotions will direct people to this site. Although Chevy Volt already has its ownweb page, this site will link off the original website and will focus on the technological aspects

of the Volt by featuring a scroll-over image of the Volts different features. In addition, all viralvideo and social media sites specic to our campaign will be linked to this page. To make thesite more personable, a live chat feature will allow consumers to speak with local dealershiprepresentatives and view a link to a map with locations of charging stations.

HOME FEAURES PHOOS DEALERSHIPS EVENS SPONSORSHIPS

Banner Ads

Because our target audience often clicks on Internet banner ads, Compass Communications willmake this a large part of our creative Internet campaign. Personalized banner ads will be usedto reach our target audience on an individual level. Because our target audience reads onlinemagazines and newspapers and likes to look at sports-related content online, we will place our

banner ads on these types of websites. The ads will feature bold images of the Volt to grab view-ers attention and drive potential consumers to the micro-site. They will be simple, yet eye-catch-ing, highlighting the Volts sleek image.

Chevy Volt. RedefningHybwww.VoltRedened.com

Redefning Hybrid.


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Social Media

Our target audience believes that the Internet has changed the waythey spend their free time and provides them with a new way tosocialize with others. To incorporate this, Compass Communicationswill keep updated Facebook and Twitter accounts to interact withconsumers and obtain feedback about the Volt. In addition, oursocial media sites will encourage consumers to share images orvideos with other consumers, specically highlighting where they have gone in their Chevy Volt.

Viral Video

Because our target consumers are avid Internet users, Compass Communications plans to jump-start ourcampaign with viral videos that juxtapose two characters, a dorky environmentally-conscious man andhis cool, yet equally environmentally-conscious neighbor. These will serve to generate buzz about

the Volt and will be circulated throughout the micro-site,social media accounts, and YouTube. Every two weeks,our campaign will upload a new webisode showing the

latest comical developments in the neighbors lives as theuncool neighbor goes to great heights to preserve theenvironment and his neighbor displays the ease of beingenvironmental with the Volts gas-electric technology. Eachvideo ends with the pair nding common ground in theirconcern for the environment. The cool neighbors use ofthe Volt as a means of being environmental without com-promising his suave image or status will continually drivehome our theme that the Volt is redening hybrid vehiclesand what it means to bea hybrid owner.Ultimately, these videos

will act as mini-trailers to our rst big TV spot to be launched at theSuper Bowl. The viral videos are meant to draw viewers attention andmake them want to look out for the Volt Super Bowl ad, just as movietrailers get people excited for an upcoming premiere.

Smartphone Application

Compass Communications will incorporate the smartphone applica-tion Charging Forward into its creative campaign to appeal to early

adopters who use the latest technologies. The application will locatethe nearest charging stations and gas stations to ensure consumers arenever left stranded. The application will also keep an estimated run-ning count of how much money Volt drivers have been saving whilerunning on electric charge. Because our target audience feels moneyis the greatest measure of success, this aspect will appeal to thosewho love to be reminded about their smart nancial choices.


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Television

Television is an essential part of any advertising campaign. Therefore, Compass Communicationswill produce four different TV spots that showcase the cars gas and electric capabilities and em-phasize unique features that would set consumers apart from their peers.

Overall, television will help generate buzz about the Chevy Volt and direct potential purchasers

to both our micro-site and eventually, local dealerships.

Because it is a very engaging, visual medium, television ads will allow consumers to see thesleek design of the interior and exterior of the Volt and imagine themselves driving it, thus reach-ing our audience on a more personal level. Through emphasizing cool factors that will appealto our secondary status-loving target, like the McCoys, Compass Communications will focusmost of the ads on the gas and electric capabilities that our early adopters will like. These adswill utilize the same characters throughout to add an element of continuity to the campaign.

Because our target is also interested in sports and said they plan to watch both the Super Bowland Summer Olympics, we will create TV spots that use the same characters, yet also includehumor to ensure our audiences remember the Volt ad among the large number of competingadvertisements at these events.

The storyboard below is a sample of a 30-second television commercial emphasizing the Voltsredened hybrid characteristics.

Video: Scene is set up to portray neighborhood homesside by side. Te neighbor on the le comes out o hishome in the early morning and is shown separating hisrecyclables into 6 diferent specically-labeled bins.

Audio: Funny instrumental

ime: 5 seconds

Video: Te same neighbor climbs onto his roo andstarts assembling an elaborate solar panel apparatus,

struggling to put it together.

Audio: Funny Instrumental

ime: 5 seconds


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Video: Te neighbor on the right comes out o his house,walks to his Volt in the driveway and looks up at hisneighbor on the roo beore climbing in.

Audio: VO: Whatcha doin up there Sheldon?VO: (nerdy voice) Due to the latest power out-

age, Im devising a back-up energy source.Tis way my car will always be charged incase we have another power outage like wedid last night. Are you sure you have enoughelectric charge on that thing?

VO: Yeah, Ive got charge, but I can use gas toget me the rest o the way. Good luck withthat roo.

Video: Man drives away in his Volt while neighbor onroo has an ah-ha moment watching his neighbor leave.

Scene ades to black.

ime: 5 seconds

Video: Scene ades back to the same two houses at night.Te mans car is gone rom the driveway and his solarpanel project has made no progress. Te other neighbordrives back and parks his Chevy Volt. He gets out and

eyes pan rom his neighbors driveway to his neighborsroo. Scene ades to black again.


ime: 5 seconds

Video: Scene ades back into morning. Neighbor withVolt comes out and gets into his car as other neighbors

garage door opens to display a Volt. Te two pull up toone another side by side, give each other a knowing look,and drive away.


ime: 5 seconds


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Media Plan


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Television: $56,454,265.25

Television will be the largest platform for advertising the Volt, with allocation focusing on seasonalchanges, holidays and programs our target market is interested in. Simmons III data shows that our targetmarket watches both national and local networks during primetime hours. Therefore, we will distributethe advertising budget relatively evenly between national, spot and spot cable television. Due to ourpulsing strategy, we will focus on national advertisements during the high points and on spot advertising

during the low points. This strategy of distribution gives the Volt a strong, constant presence in the me-dia. Based on the Choices III data, we will focus on networks such as ESPN, FOX, and the CW, becauseour target market is more likely to watch channels that have similar content to these networks.

Sporting Events

Knowing that our target markets are physically active and enjoyalso watching sports, we will place Volt advertisements in varioussporting events throughout the year. According tour, our targetmarkets plan to tune into events such as the NBA playoffs, the

Masters, the Summer Olympics and the Super Bowl.

Our biggest focus will be on creating ads with a lot of stoppingpower for both the Super Bowl and the 2012 Summer Olympics,because these programs will reach the greatest amount ofviewers. In addition, we will also run two advertisements during

the Major League Baseball playoffs, continuing to intertwine Chevrolet and historic American traditions.

Magazines: $14,218,643.75Simmons III data shows that our target market is more inclinedto read general interest and mens magazines. Therefore, wewill place advertisements in magazines such as Mens Health,Forbes, ESPN Magazine and Consumer Reports. Our ads willbe present in both print and online editions since our targetmarket reads magazines online. Placement in these magazineswill connect with our target markets interest in sports and

business. Allocation will continue to be concentrated on sea-sons and holidays.


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Radio: $4,549,966.00

Radio is an economically conducive outlet to reach our target audience. We will focus advertise-ments on National Radio morning drive times and Spot Radio evening drive times in the samecities we will focus our outdoor advertisements. Drive times are a smart choice for Chevy Voltadvertisements because they will reach our target market at times when they are commuting towork, cause our consumers to think about getting gas for their cars, and the possibility of owning

a hybrid vehicle.

Outdoor: $2,450,000.00

Outdoor advertising is another inexpensive way to reach our target market while they are drivingor spending time outdoors. We will focus on cities around the country with big commuter populations. By the start of our campaign, the Chevy Volt will be available nationwide, making it easily

accessible in our target cities.

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These cities will include San Diego, San Jose, Houston, Dallas,Denver, Phoenix, Seattle, Orlando, Washington D.C., New York, Detroit, Chicago and Minneapolis. Our advertisements will be placed throughout the spring and summer months to insure a highnumber of viewers.


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Internet: $ 2,243,125.00

Although the smallest portion of the budget isapplied to Internet advertising, Compass Com-munications expects Internet activities to have abig impact on our target market. According ourresearch, our target markets feel the Internet has

changed their way of living. They are inclined toclick on Internet banner ads and do a lot of dailyactivities online. In addition to making sure all theprint ads for magazines appear in online editions,we will use key words and viral videos togenerate buzz about the Chevy Volt during thebeginning of and throughout the campaign. Keywords for Internet searches will includeChevrolet, Volt, hybrid car Americanhybrid and hybrid technology. We willcontinue to advertise the Volt through banner ads

and a ve-month ad spot on Pandora duringseasonal changes and holiday times. The bannerads will be interactive and lead to the Chevy Volt website. Placement will be on websites that pertainto our target market interests, including ESPN.com, NewYorkTimes.com, Forbes.com and London2012.com. Through our Internet advertising, Compass Communications aims to build excitement and informpeople about the Volt while establishing the base for our Redening Hybrid campaign.

Motion Picture: $84,000

Compass Communications will place the ChevyVolt in the new James Bond movie Skyfall,which is expected to be released in October2012. The James Bond franchise is popular among

Americans and will complement Chevroletsprevious presence in other action lms like Trans-formers, as well as reach a large number of view-ers worldwide.


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Media Allotment


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Media Spending

Total Budget Total Spent Remainder

$80,000,000.00 $23,125,425.00 $56,874,575.00

IMPACT MEDIASPENDING

MEDIA CATEGORIES COST PER UNIT UNITS XMONTH

TOTAL NOTES

Super Bowl $2,968,800 1 $2,968,800 1 Super Bowl Ad-vertisement

Grammys $990,250 2 $1,980,500 2 Commercials

Masters $1,141,850 2 $2,283,700 2 Commercialsthroughout

NBA Playoffs $1,141,850 2 $2,283,700 2 Commercialsthroughout

Summer Olympics $1,141,850 4 $4,567,400 4 Commercialsthroughout

Video Music Awards $990,250 1 $990,250 1 Commercial

MLB Playoffs $1,141,850 2 $2,283,700 2 Commercials

American MusicAwards

$990,250 1 $990,250 1 Commercial

Motion Picture $84,000 1 $84,000 Placement in 2012

James Bond movie

Keywords $29,250 25 $731,250 5 words fromJanuary-May

Internet Banner Ad $3,000 300 $900,000 Placed April-June/ Oct.-Dec.

Viral Video $10,000 10 $100,000 10 videos fromJanuary-August

Internet Radio Ad $102,375 5 $511,875 1 ad for 5 monthson Pandora

Outdoor $35,000 70 $2,450,000 14 cities fromApril-August

SUM TOTAL $23,125,425


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Media Spending

NON-IMPACT MEDIASPENDING

MEDIA CATEGORIES CPP TOTAL % ALLOCATION $ ALLOCATION GRPS

National Television-Sports

$38,337 10% $5,687,457.50 148

National Television-Primetime

$33,103 20% $11,374,915.00 344

Spot Television-Prime-time

$32,066 22% $12,512,406.50 390

Spot Cable Television-Prime

$12,324 15% $8,531,186.25 692

National Radio Morn-ing Drive

$2,913 4% $2,274,983.00 781

Spot Radio Evening

Drive

$4,240 4% $2,274,983.00 537

National Magazine(Men)

$28,618 10% $5,687,457.50 199

National Magazine(General)

$64,733 15% $8,531,186.25 132

SUM TOTAL 100% $56,874,575.00 3223


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Media Spending

IMPACT MEDIA

MEDIA CAT-EGORIES

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC Total

Super Bowl 1 1

Grammys 2 2

Masters 2 2

NBA Playoffs 1 1 2

Summer Olympics 1 1 2

Video MusicAwards

1 1

MLB Playoffs 2 2

American MusicAwards

1 1

Keywords6 5 5 5 4 25

Internet BannerAd

60 60 60 60 60 60 300

Viral Video 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 10

Internet Radio Ad 1 1 1 1 1 5

Outdoor 14 14 14 14 14 70

NON-IMPACTMEDIA

MEDIA CAT-EGORIES

GRPS JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC Total

National Televi-sion-Sports

148 25 24 24 25 25 25 148

National Televi-sion-Primetime

344 18 18 23 33 43 23 18 18 43 30 34 43 344

Spot Television-Primetime

390 13 15 21 21 47 42 33 17 52 47 37 47 390

Spot Cable Televi-sion Primetime

692 54 65 100 125 53 70 125 100 692

National RadioMorning Drive

781 62 63 67 67 73 67 67 64 64 60 60 67 781

Spot Radio Eve-ning Drive

537 40 30 60 60 40 24 23 40 60 60 45 55 537

National Magazine(Men)

199 30 30 25 20 14 20 25 35 199

National Magazine(General)

132 9 18 18 16 14 8 14 15 20 132

SUM TOTAL 3223 3223


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Public Relations


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Since 2010, the overall perception of the Chevrolet brand has remained relatively static but positive. Inboth the 2010 and 2011 Consumer Reports Best Car Brand Perception survey, Chevrolet has nished infourth place, behind Toyota, Ford and Honda both years. The scores of each brand reect consumerstotal perception level of a car brand across seven categories; safety, quality, value, performance, design/style, technology/innovation and friendly/green.33

Another consumer perception-based surveyconducted in 2010 by BrandIndex surveyed5,000 consumers daily on the opinions ofmore than 1,100 different brands, rating ona scale from minus 100 to 100. Zero meansequal positive and negative perceptions, andgenerally the highest score is around 60.Among all automobile brands, Chevroletranked second with a score 22, behind Fordsleading score of 40.34

J.D. Power and Associates has alsoconducted a survey, beginning in 2007, thatexamines how gratifying a new vehicle is toown and drive, based on owner evaluations.Premised by the fact that brands includedluxury-brand vehicles, Chevrolet ranked 23in 2007 before falling out of the ranking in2010, when it ranked 18. 2011 saw a smalldecline to 23, but it is the rst time Chevy

has been ranked in consecutive polls.35

YouGov BrandIndexs Buzz score, which asks respondents, If youve heard anything about the brandin the last two weeks, through advertising, news or word of mouth, was it positive or negative? ranksChevrolet third among the highest Auto Buzz scores, behind Ford and Honda, for the rst six months of2011.36

In Consumer Reports 2010 annual reliability survey, many General Motors brands improved their ratingfrom the previous year, most notably Chevrolet. According to the survey, 83 percent of Chevrolet ve-hicles had scores of average or better, up 50 percent from 2009.37

In addition to the positive perception surrounding the Chevrolet brand, even more encouraging is theChevrolet Volt, which was voted the car with the most satised customers by Consumer Reports. Thehybrid-electric model edged out several other top-performing cars such as the V8-powered Dodge Chal-lenger and the Porsche 911 to take the title, awarded on December 1, 2011.

A total of 93 percent of respondents who own the Volt said they would denitely buy it again, comparedto 91 percent who owned its two closest competitors.38

Public Opinion Analysis


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Media Tracking

Media outlets across the country and North America reeled off a constant stream of news cover-age regarding the Chevrolet Volt throughout the course of 2011. The majority of press coverageregarding the Volt was positive and portrayed the Chevrolet Volt as the tradition of the future forChevrolet and its consumers.

Recent coverage highlights topics from customer satisfaction, the excitement about the newproduct and what it means for the automobile industry to how the Volt will help clean up theenvironment.

Several stories also highlight Chevys goal to strive for the utmost consumer satisfaction. Thesafety concerns over the lithium-ion battery and consumer disdain over the price of the Volt willkeep Chevrolet working to improve customer satisfaction as much as possible.

We will continue to monitor all available media coverage to note successes, trends and potentialproblems so that we may respond more quickly and more efciently to improve our public rela-tions strategy for the betterment of the Chevrolet Volt and the happiness of our loyal consumer

base.

Volt could be the companysiPod, the shiny new devicethat changes behavior on amass scale.October 25, 2011

Journal Star (Peoria, Illinois)

These cars appeal to thecool, tech-savvy consumersegment.October 21, 2011LA Times

The Volt competes in a seg-ment extended range elec-tric vehicles - that it aloneoccupies.August 16, 2011,

The Gazette (Montreal)

I found myself charging the

Volt after short jaunts not justbecause of the novelty, butthe desire to keep Volt fullycharged to minimize gas llups.May 30, 2011Chicago Daily Herald

People wonder, Is it as safas a regular gasoline-powercar? These results show thaautomakers are putting thesame high level of safetyengineering into these newelectric cars (as are going)into their gas-only vehicles.April 26, 2011USA Today

An electric-only vehiclehas range limitations. Voltstechnology appeals to buy-ers because they dont needa different vehicle to fulllall of their transportationrequirements. Volt eliminatesthe need to own two separatecars.March 13, 2011The Times (Munster, Indiana)

These models reect a largertrend weve seen in recentyears: Sporty cars and fuelefcient cars with alternativedrivetrains tend to generatemore enthusiasm and loyaltythan most other types of ve-hicles.December 2, 2011Cars & Motorbikes


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Stakeholder Analysis

General Motors, Chevrolet: One of the largest concernsfor General Motors and Chevrolet about the Chevy Volt isthat demand for the new plug-in vehicle has been relativelylow. The Volt is bringing customers to the dealerships, butthe price is turning many away. GM has repeatedly claimed

that its sales target goal for 2011 is 10,000 units.Unfortunately for the car manufacturer, nine months of theyear are complete and less than half of that goal has beencompleted.39

Viewed as one of the greatest competitors to the Chevy Volt,Nissan has sold 7,199 Leafs in 2011, which is almost doublethe sales of the Volt. Positively, The Chevy Volt is a newavenue for GM and Chevy. The electrical hybrid vehicle could open the door to a new niche market aswell as be a driver for a company that has faced severe economic instability in the recent past.

Also the National Highway Trafc Safety Association (NHTSA) is investigating a potential safety concern,the lithium-ion batteries in the vehicles. However, the res that have resulted after crash tests have allbeen lab contained at this point. No vehicles on the road have reported the same issue.

Oil Companies: It is hard to see any benets for oilcompanies if hybrid electric cars take off in the UnitedStates. If the popularity of such vehicles increases toa large degree, oil companies will lose prot due tocustomers not needing to purchase as much gas asbefore. It would seem likely, however, that oil compa-

nies would be more supportive of the Volt than of pureelectric vehicles because the Volt still uses diesel fuel.

Environmental Groups and Agencies: One re-port advocates that the effectiveness of hybrid electriccars cannot actually help improve the environment.The reports cites that emissions from manufacturingcars are at least 50% higher because batteries are madefrom materials such as lithium, copper and renedsilicon, which require much more energy to be pro-cessed.40

The combined savings of the rst and second round of light-duty standards over the lifetime of 2012 to2025 vehicles will save drivers $1.7 trillion in fuel cost, reduce oil dependency by 12 billion barrels ofoil, and cut heat-trapping pollution that drives global warming by approximately 6 billion metric tons,said the Natural Resources Defense Councils Roland Hwang.41 Green Car Journal named the Chevy Voltthe 2011 Green Car of the Year.


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Consumers: Consumers are nding the price of the Volt, $40, 000, too expensive. However,the introduction of the new vehicle has created new jobs at production plants. Chevy Volt own-ers recently voted the Volt as the car with the most satised owners, 93 percent saying theywould denitely buy the Volt again. Some consumers may be concerned by the investigation ofthe lithium-ion battery res, but GM has offered loaner vehicles and announced plans to buyback vehicles to keep customers happy.

Automobile Dealerships: Dealerships share many of the same concerns as the GM andChevrolet parent companies. Prices are deterring customers from buying the Volt and sales arenot where GM would like them to be at this point. Volts may have the ability to draw people intothe dealership and purchase a car, even if it is not the Chevy Volt. Though the Volt is drawingconsumers, after seeing the price, many have purchased the fuel efcient Chevy Cruze instead.

Capital Markets: President Obama has said that he hopes to have 1 million hybrid electricvehicles on the road by 2015. Such a drastic change in the number of electric vehicles coulddramatically alter the infrastructure of the oil industry, the car industry and maybe even the gasstation or convenience store industry.

Government: The government is offering subsidies for qualifying buyers of the Volt to enticepurchases. First the Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008, and later the American

Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES) granted tax credits for new qualied plug-inelectric drive motor vehicles. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)also authorized federal tax credits for converted plug-ins, though the credit is lower than for newPEVs.42

Employees: The Chevy Volt production plants in the United States have had workers unionizeand sign a new contract. Additionally, more employees have been hired by Chevrolet at plantsproducing the Volt in order to meet production demands and projections.


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2011 Public Relations Efforts

The year 2011 was Chevrolets centennial year. Founded November 3, 1911, Chevrolet has consistentlytried to be an innovator in the automobile manufacturing industry. So, it is no coincidence that Chevro-let used 2011 as an opportunity to use their tradition and history to foster a positive public response. Itis also not a coincidence that Chevrolet used its centennial as the launching point for what it hopes tobecome a new tradition, the 2011 Chevy Volt.

During 2011, Chevrolet started a 100 day countdown to November 3, encouraging fans and consumersto think back and tell their favorite Chevy stories, vote for their favorite Chevrolet cars and trucks, andtake the birthday party to their local communities with the help of Chevrolet and its dealers.

It is tting that we mark our Centennial by recognizing these connections and celebrating Chevroletsrole in peoples lives, Chris Perry, VP, global Chevrolet marketing and strategy said. The PR event cor-relates greatly with the Chevy Runs Deep slogan, appealing to the personal relationship America hashad with Chevrolet for 100 years.

Three events key to the 2011 Chevrolet public relations strategy included the sponsorship of the Wood-ward Dream Cruise, Chevrolets partnership with the American Cancer Society to help support MakingStrides Against Breast Cancer and creation of its very own Pandora Chevrolet Station. All of them havethe potential to elicit strong emotions.

The Woodward Dream Cruise was Chevrolets way tosponsor a community event. Held in August, the eventdraws 1.5 million fans and over 50,000 performancevehicles and is the largest one-day automotive event inthe world.

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer was a series ofwalking events to help raise money to ght breastcancer. Employees, dealers, union partners andsuppliers of Chevrolet all joined in an effort tosave lives by helping people stay well, help people getwell, nd cures and ght back against breast cancer.

The nal centennial event strategy was the creation ofthe Chevrolet Pandora channel. Just think how manysongs have been written that included a Chevroletreference; its a lot. Recognizing the importance of

music in its history, as Compass Communications did inits primary research, Chevrolet and Pandora compiled aplaylist of the top 100 songs that mention the brand.

Several songs include American Pie by Don McLean, Crocodile Rock by Elton John, Little Red Cor-vette by Prince, and Tim McGraw by Taylor Swift.43


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2012 Public Relations Strategy

The foremost goal of Chevrolet and the 2012 Volt is to make sure we provide a quality-built andsafe vehicle for our consumers. Beyond that essential premise, we recognize our trend-settingconsumers needs for a technology-driven vehicle with increased exibility and fuel efciency, alwrapped inside a stylish exterior, without sacricing any of the advantages of a fully gas-poweredvehicle. We not only want the Volt to represent those ideals, but also for the public relations strat

egy to reect them as well, as specied by the following agenda:

1. Reassure stakeholders, consumers and the general public that Chevrolet and the Volt arcommitted to a safety and quality vehicle for each one of its customers.

a. Chevrolet will continue moving forward with the established consumer supportprogram in regards to the lithium-ion battery concerns.

2. Accentuate the technological appeal of the Chevrolet Volt via a partnership with Apple,as well as solidifying our relationship with consumers and potential customers throughthe use of social media sites.

a. Planned partnership with Apple to promote sales of the Chevrolet Volt.b. As part of our Redened campaign, the Chevrolet Volt Facebook and Twitter pag

will run several incentive based contests.3. Increase awareness of the exibility offered by the Chevrolet Volt through its placement

in various highly visible performance platforms.a. Planned sponsorship with Best Buys Geek Squadb. Planned sponsorship with CBS and The Amazing Racec. Planned product placement in James Bond movie.

4. Emphasize the stylish, yet fuel efcient Chevrolet Volt through a generous philanthropicendeavor.

a. Planned donation of Chevrolet Volts to drivers education programs across thecountry.

Media/Press Relations Strategy

Through the beginning stages of the lithium-ion battery concerns, Chevrolets efforts to solvewhat could have been a major crisis have strengthened our belief in the proper way to handlemedia and press relations. Going forward, we pledge to meet any issue with full responsibilityand honesty as we search for the best solution to the given situation.

Chevrolet will hold a minimum of four quarterly press conferences to release the latest industry

data and how it relates to Chevrolet and the Volt, and send out press releases to the media asneeded. We will also establish a media/press contact number directly to our Public Relationsteam to handle any questions members of the media may have.


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Responding to Public Opinion

In light of the concerns regarding the lithium-ion battery res, Chevrolet will continue to support anyconsumer who has purchased a Volt by loaning another vehicle to the consumer during the inspection otheir Volt or buy back any Volt from any consumer who is worried about a danger with the Volts battery.Chevrolet will also create a website for consumers that will provide any and all updates regarding theNHTSA investigation.

Partnerships

Social Media/Mobile Marketing

Chevrolet and

Chevy Volt Marketing Campaign Book

Documents

Transcript of Chevy Volt Marketing Campaign Book