[TrainTrax]

Chevrolet will begin advertising the Trax in early 2015. According to Chevrolet global marketing boss Tim Mahoney, almost all of these ads will take place in the digital space.

There will still be a few ads for the Trax on TV in urban markets. These areas are said to have more desire for a Trax than a Silverado. Aside from the tv commercials, the Trax will be advertised online in a series of short films that are made to appeal to a young audience.

It is a advertising strategy that we haven't seen too much before. Young people do spend far more time online than they do watching tv though. If that is the market that Chevy wants to go after, than this should work out.

Would you be more likely to be reached through television ads or online ads?

http://www.4wheelsnews.com/2015-chevrolet-trax-marketing-campaign-will-be-almost-exclusively-digital-a/

 

[James]

Awesome
Looking forward to seeing these ads.

 

[TrainTrax]

The digital space definitely gives some more interesting options for ads. Did you guys see the ad for the Civic/ Civic Type R. There are two versions one good and one evil and you can switch between them while watching the ad. Just interesting things like that that aren't possible on tv.

 

[James]

The digital space definitely gives some more interesting options for ads. Did you guys see the ad for the Civic/ Civic Type R. There are two versions one good and one evil and you can switch between them while watching the ad. Just interesting things like that that aren't possible on tv.

never seen the ad but from the sounds of it, it's something worth looking into.

 

[TrainTrax]

https://www.youtube.com/user/HondaVideo

Here is the video. Its pretty cool.

 

[chevyfan]

Nice.

 

[James]

https://www.youtube.com/user/HondaVideo

Here is the video. Its pretty cool.

if the base model civic actually comes like that, being hatch-like, then i could very well forget the idea of buying a trax. at the very least i'll consider it.

i liked this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kI8b3ski28A

 

[Kooper]

digital advertising is a strategy we've not seen before? You know what else young people do online? Run adblocker, so is GM counting on their target market to actively seek out their video series in order for GM to sell them a car. See thats supremely arrogant, if you want to sell me something, come to me...

 

[chevyfan]

It works to some extent. One of these methods is on platforms like YouTube. I noticed the Ad time that you have no choice but to sit through before the 'Skip' button pops up can range from a few sections to 30 seconds (and possibly more), but of course the longer time translates to more spending.

They just need to work targeting and creativity. But the way I see it, this should only be one of many marketing methods as a whole that they go through.

 

[TrainTrax]

The best ads do enough to draw you in that you actually want to watch the ad even once you have the option to skip it. Lexus did a really good job doing that with one of their youtube ads.

 

[Kooper]

^ Not if you run ad blocker. Now what, their core demo is wilfully ignoring them? Digital can NEVER be your be all end all, because users are fickle even more so then the channel changers. In the digital realm as an advertiser you don't get to barge into a consumers living room like you can with a TV or print ad in a magazine, even billboard on the side of the road invades your perception better than an ad blocked non invasion is capable of.

And thats the difference, digital advertising while yes supremely targeted, falls well short of traditional mediums because its far more dependant on the user coming to the ad instead of bringing the ad to the user...

 

[James]

Another thing i have noticed are pranksters seeming to be promoting products in their video's, which is a great way to go about things. Follow the trends and embed your product in that.

 

[TrainTrax]

Another thing i have noticed are pranksters seeming to be promoting products in their video's, which is a great way to go about things. Follow the trends and embed your product in that.

The two best ways to advertise today is to make your advertisement a high-quality piece of entertainment. This would be a viral video of some kind that people watch for entertainment value and share with others. Something like the Old Spice commercials.

The other way is integrating products into entertainment. Like GM vehicles in Transformers or what not.

If GM does a good job making their ads then people will watch for fun instead of enduring because they can't turn them off.

 

[Kooper]

The two best ways to advertise today is to make your advertisement a high-quality piece of entertainment. This would be a viral video of some kind that people watch for entertainment value and share with others. Something like the Old Spice commercials.

The other way is integrating products into entertainment. Like GM vehicles in Transformers or what not.

If GM does a good job making their ads then people will watch for fun instead of enduring because they can't turn them off.

Lets get this straight, people don't watch advertisements for fun, and the ones they do watch for 'fun' aren't really effective. Because fun does not = product features and benefits (which is what sells products, not greased up models fondling products shared perpetually on facebook)

Old Spice is a popular example to cite and one that rote with misunderstanding, sure the ads vent viral everyone and their mum was sharing them, but does that equal a conversion? See Satan has brand awareness in every household but that doesn't mean people are eager to deal with him.

The thing about the Old Spice Campaign is it didn't actually move any more product, oh sure you can google it and you'll find stuff say sales were up 107% HATER, but that completely misses the fact that P&G were running a Buy One Get One Free coupon campaign on Old Spice at the same time.

The bottom line: Mr. Mustafa and Wieden & Kennedy are clearly selling some body wash, but they may not be responsible for the bulk of Old Spice's sales gain this year.

Consider the four weeks ended June 13, possibly the best month ever for P&G body wash. Old Spice's sales were up 106% from the prior-year period, jumping 4.8 share points in a category that grew 17.7%. But sales of Gillette body wash, also backed by buy-one-get-one-free coupons and by TV ads (but not Mr. Mustafa), were up a lot more, 277% and 3.9 share points, though it's by far a smaller brand in the category.

Especially when you look at it versus competitor data (who didnt have the Old Spice Man), the incentive was buy one get one free, not a man in a towel, and thats the difference. One induces and tangible engagement with the brand (buy one get one, induces a buy) while the other induced a simulated interaction (sure we shared it but we didn't buy it)

 

[chevyfan]

Good points.
Tough to suggest how they should go about marketing and advertising it effectively.

 

[Kooper]

Good points.
Tough to suggest how they should go about marketing and advertising it effectively.

There's a reason they call it a 'Marketing Mix' because there is no be all end all solution to advertising, you need to be diverse, you need to be straightforward and most importantly you need to move product.

What GM needs is to increase traffic to dealerships and induce trial of the TRAX, not procure likes on facebook for a clever little video...

 

[chevyfan]

Exactly.
No clear cut by the book way to go about it, more so about working with where would be more effective in these rapidly changing times.

 

[TrainTrax]

Alright I am not going to get into a debate of the specifics of the Old Spice ad campaign (though I will say that I have Old Spice wash in the shower at home.)

We are talking about youtube or digital ads. If an ad is done properly and is effective it should be able to entertain you while also giving you information about a product. it could also peak your interest so that you go looking for more information or perhaps when you are at the store and see the brand on the shelf you remember the ad campaign.

With cars, its not like people go out to buy one on a regular basis. Ads are aiming to make a positive brand impression, a memory, so that when you do decide to buy a car, you think "hey, maybe I'll check out the Trax."

Lets get this straight, people don't watch advertisements for fun, and the ones they do watch for 'fun' aren't really effective. Because fun does not = product features and benefits (which is what sells products, not greased up models fondling products shared perpetually on facebook)

I find this statement very untrue. There are some ads that are fun to watch but aren't good advertisements, but to say that any ad that is fun to watch is not effective is just plain wrong. Ads can be fun to watch and entertaining while also informative.

 

[Kooper]

Alright I am not going to get into a debate of the specifics of the Old Spice ad campaign (though I will say that I have Old Spice wash in the shower at home.)

We are talking about youtube or digital ads. If an ad is done properly and is effective it should be able to entertain you while also giving you information about a product. it could also peak your interest so that you go looking for more information or perhaps when you are at the store and see the brand on the shelf you remember the ad campaign.

With cars, its not like people go out to buy one on a regular basis. Ads are aiming to make a positive brand impression, a memory, so that when you do decide to buy a car, you think "hey, maybe I'll check out the Trax."



I find this statement very untrue. There are some ads that are fun to watch but aren't good advertisements, but to say that any ad that is fun to watch is not effective is just plain wrong. Ads can be fun to watch and entertaining while also informative.

Then why bring up old spice in the first place? Regardless because LOL, you just said exactly what you said I said was wrong

If you're in the store and your only interaction was a commercial that has told you nothing about the brand, sure you'll remember the brand but why should you choose that brand over the brand you already know and love. Advertising is INFORMATION, Content is ENTERTAINMENT, advertising is what keeps the content on the air. Advertising is not art, and when it masquerades as such its overstepped its boundaries and become ineffective. History is littered with entertaining and witty campaigns that won tons of awards yet cratered sales or market share.

This is the point you're missing, a positive brand impression means nothing if the TRAX as a product does not square with your needs as a purchaser. Satan has TONS of brand recognition but no one wants to deal with him. If as a purchaser you don't know features and benefits of the TRAX, you've only seen half of an arty, edgy, perhaps ironic, overstylised, idealized youtube advertisement how do you know the trax squares with your needs?

And you're also completely ignoring the fact that by skipping mainstream channels you're leaving a huge chunk of potential buyers in the dark (ones with cash to boot). Its rote arrogance to position this vehicle ad wise in millennial exclusive channels, because you know who is going to love this vehicle, Grandma, or the empty nesters who have in fact heard about the HR-V or the CX-3 or the Renegade from mainstream channels while watching American Idol (or whatever the show is nowdays)

They’re aiming at an idealized demo and completely forgetting that money is what purchases cars, not hopes and dreams. But I suppose this is the logic you get from a company still without a Chief Marketing Officer...

 

[TrainTrax]

Then why bring up old spice in the first place? Regardless because LOL, you just said exactly what you said I said was wrong

If you're in the store and your only interaction was a commercial that has told you nothing about the brand, sure you'll remember the brand but why should you choose that brand over the brand you already know and love. Advertising is INFORMATION, Content is ENTERTAINMENT, advertising is what keeps the content on the air. Advertising is not art, and when it masquerades as such its overstepped its boundaries and become ineffective. History is littered with entertaining and witty campaigns that won tons of awards yet cratered sales or market share.

This is the point you're missing, a positive brand impression means nothing if the TRAX as a product does not square with your needs as a purchaser. Satan has TONS of brand recognition but no one wants to deal with him. If as a purchaser you don't know features and benefits of the TRAX, you've only seen half of an arty, edgy, perhaps ironic, overstylised, idealized youtube advertisement how do you know the trax squares with your needs?

And you're also completely ignoring the fact that by skipping mainstream channels you're leaving a huge chunk of potential buyers in the dark (ones with cash to boot). Its rote arrogance to position this vehicle ad wise in millennial exclusive channels, because you know who is going to love this vehicle, Grandma, or the empty nesters who have in fact heard about the HR-V or the CX-3 or the Renegade from mainstream channels while watching American Idol (or whatever the show is nowdays)

They’re aiming at an idealized demo and completely forgetting that money is what purchases cars, not hopes and dreams. But I suppose this is the logic you get from a company still without a Chief Marketing Officer...

I think that you are undervaluing what an emotional impression does to a person. It may not be enough to sell them the vehicle right off the bat, but it gets them interested enough to look more deeply at it. I don't see why this is hard for you to accept.

Advertisements today at the best are both content and an advertisement. By melding them both together people are being entertained and advertised to at the same time. There are many examples. Product integration, news stories that are sponsored by companies, or advertisements that are so beautiful that they are art. There is a documentary you should watch called Art & Copy. It goes over the connection between art and advertising. I think it would be quite enlightening for you.