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The 2011 Chevy Volt “Redefining Hybrid” COMPASS COMMUNICATIONS C C
The 2011 Chevy Volt“Redefining Hybrid”
COMPASS COMMUNICATIONS
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MissionCompass Communications understands that each and every client is unique. Whether you know your destination or your brand needs a new direction, we are devoted to guiding you down the path to success.
ResearchAlex Lugo
AccountBlair Brophy
CreativeHeather Laing
Justin Mertes-Mistretta
MediaCaitlin Furin
Public RelationsBrett Sommers
Table of ContentsSituation AnalysisPages 3-14
Campaign StrategyPages 15-24
Creative BriefPages 25-36
Media PlanPages 37-44
Public Relations StrategyPages 45-59
AppendixPages 60-63
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Situation Analysis
General Motors was founded on September 16, 1908. Louis Chevrolet and William Durant formed Chevrolet 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, the only 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 unprofitable niche market of automobiles.
In January 2007, the Chevy Volt concept car was introduced at the North American International Auto Show, becoming the first-ever series plug-in hybrid concept car shown by a major manufacturer.2 Some of the major differences when compared to the EV1 were the change to a five-person vehicle, top elec-tric speed increases and the key design parameter of a 40 mile all-electric range. The range itself was determined by a study showing that 78 percent of daily commuters travel 40 miles or less.
The production model itself was officially unveiled on September 16, 2008, celebrating GM’s 100th anniversary. 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 efficiency of the Volt’s full-charge range. In 2009, GM allowed journalists to test-drive the Volt powertrain in the body of a Chevy Cruze.
The first retail vehicle was delivered to a customer on December 15, 2010, and the Volt has been on the public market ever since.3
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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 difficult challenges. With closures of plants, employment reductions and less funds for development and research, automakers have struggled. The weakening econ-omy and a lack of consumer confidence 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 the automotive sector. As a result, Chrysler and GM both asked for bankruptcy protection in 2009. In August of 2010, GM filed paperwork to ask for less government ownership, for the automobile industry 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, efficiency, environmental benefits, 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 first hybrid-electric vehicle (HEV), the Honda Insight, was introduced in 1999, but sold less than 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, there were only five HEV models available, four of which were automobiles. As the Prius continued to gain popularity, other automakers rushed to produce competing models. By 2009, two-dozen HEV 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. Even so, conventional vehicle sales were affected more than HEV sales during the recession.
Of the hybrid-electric automobiles in the market in 2009, the Saturn Aura and Chevy Malibu were considered “mild” hybrids. The rest of the models were considered “full” hybrids, with internal combustion engine hybrid-electric powertrains. “Mild” hybrids offer some limited environmental advan-tages. Because they lack the hybrid-electric powertrains that “full” hybrids utilize, how-ever, they mainly save energy by turning off the engine when coasting or breaking.5
As economic conditions improve and auto-mobile consumers become more environ-mentally conscious and concerned about reducing fuel costs, light hybrid-electric vehicle demand in the United States is expected 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/.
2009 and 2014. In addition, consumers, “…may not necessarily need such a vehicle, but are responding to 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. The first internal combustion engine hybrid-electric power plant produced its first model in Japan in 1997. Since the 1990s, the industry has invested several billion dollars in research and improvements of these power plants. The first fuel cell-powered vehicles were introduced in 2003. The main factors inhibiting a greater 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 following is 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 confidence and will increase significantly 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 more fuel-efficient cars. This initiated a shift from large, sporty SUVs and trucks to smaller, greener cars.
• According to the Freedonia Report, “Government intervention as expressed in the political will to impose standards, and offer subsidies and tax credits, is the primary force behind making HEVs more attractive to consumers, and will be the main driver of demand in the coming years.”
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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 increasing availability. The Chevy Volt’s top competitors, in terms of sales, are the Toyota Prius, Honda Insight and Nissan Leaf. However, the Volt separates itself from these competitors by being the only hybrid-electric vehicle (HEV) with an electric plug-in that also allows for the use of gaso-line.8
Make and Model Type Fuel Efficiency (Comb. MPG)
Electric Range (miles)
Base M3RP
Toyota Prius IV Gas-Electric Hybrid 50 n/a 26,200Honda Insight EX Gas-Electric Hybrid 41 n/a 21,300Honda Civic Hybrid Gas-Electric Hybrid 42 n/a 25,000Chevrolet 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 Advertising for 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 Prius is 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 Green” movement. The Insight print ads focus heavily on vehicle features. The Insight is front wheel drive, 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.13 Advertising for the Leaf promotes it as the “world’s first affordable, zero-emission car. Similar to the Chevy Volt, the Nissan Leaf pushes for leasing, rather than buying. Nissan also matched GM’s eight-year, 100,000-mile warranty on their batteries. The goal of Nissan Leaf creative is to get 15% 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 and Nissan. But, when it comes to performance, the Chevy Volt is the leader by default, as it is the only electric-powered car that allows for gas to take you further. This notion is confirmed by Joel Ewanick, the vice president of U.S. marketing for General Motors. “The Chevrolet Volt will be the best vehicle in its class…because it’s in a class by itself,” Ewanick said in a statement at the Plug-In 2010 conference in San Jose, Calif. “No other automaker offers an electrically driven vehicle that can be your everyday driver to take you wherever, whenever.”12
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 information about the characteristics and attitudes of people buying the Volt in south-central Wisconsin. Buyers of the Volt have a college education and are very interested in technology. Purchasing the Volt for the envi-ronmental benefits is only part of the reason people choose the Volt for their hybrid vehicle. Buyers seek to 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 based on certain criteria (The number in parentheses represents the number of comments that pertained to that particular 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 some sample comments from the forums and websites:
“I also want to support GM and American manufacturing. I’m 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 or Honda, and I’m sorry, I’m 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 still have the ability to go on a last minute road trip/vacation/ travel soccer game and not worry about 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-efficient vehicles. While married couples are more likely to own a hybrid vehicle, families with children were not likely to own 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, are more likely to own hybrid vehicles. Those who attended graduate school are significantly more likely to own 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: paying more for environmentally friendly products, believing products that pollute should be banned, being con-cerned about the pollution caused by their cars and making a conscious effort to recycle.
Those who believe that the Internet changed the way they spend their free time and that Internet is the new way they socialize with people are more likely to own a hybrid.
Those who agree that they are likely to use a product if a 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 science TV shows are also significantly more likely to own hybrids.
Early adopters and techies are attracted to fuel-efficient vehicles. People who try to keep up with technology developments are more likely to own a hybrid. Our target audience was found to be the first of their friends to own a product, to love new gadgets and appliances, and to have friends 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 clubs are also among the groups that hybrid owners belong to.
Hybrid car owners mostly enjoy an active lifestyle and engage in: sports/exercise, dancing and going to nightclubs, going to beaches or lakes, gardening, dining out, cooking for fun, backpacking/hiking, camping, mountain climbing, sailing and swimming.
*See Media Usage Analysis and Creative Analysis for more details on behaviors of hybrid car owners.
Brand Analysis
Brand Competitors
The top brand competitors for Chevrolet are Toyota, Ford, and Honda, which were each rated higher in safety, quality, and environmentally friendly aspects than Chevy. Ford presents an additional challenge in that 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, Chevy’s brand has increased in strength and is considered one of the top automobile brands in the country. Chevy continues to offer state-of-the-art technology and driver-friendly vehicles that are now also fuel-efficient.14 However, de-spite the success of their new products, GM rivals are arguing that Chevrolet’s success is being lead by their products, not brand image. Although progress has been made, one executive from a GM rival com-pany stated that Chevy has “great products, but there’s nothing providing a foundation, a brand promise. They haven’t found their identity”. Compass Communications wants to build the Volt’s brand image and perception so that Chevy can fully compete in the market.15
Brand Perception
Chevrolet, a subset of the automaker General Motors, is branded in an incredibly distinct way: the models appeal to consumers’ sense of rugged “Americanism.” Chevrolet’s brand provides a reliable and affordable automobile that exudes the American work ethic, values and spirit.
Consumer Reports 2011 Car Brand Perception Survey showed that Chevy jumped from ninth place to fourth place from 2010 to 2011 in consumer’s 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.16 This perception has not changed with the introduction of the Chevy Volt. In 2011, 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 individuals and asked them to name the first three to five 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 day traditional media activities, such as reading the newspaper, listening to the radio and watching television 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 Men’s Health, Forbes and ESPN Magazine. They enjoy watching primetime sports, scientific programs and networks like the CW. They tune in to programs like the American Music Awards, the Grammys and the Video 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 five 30-second ad spots during the Super Bowl to build on the “Chevy Runs Deep” campaign, making a huge comeback since its last appearance in 2007. They worked with Rolling Stone magazine to reach a younger demographic, pairing Chevy cars with rock 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 the Chevrolet brand. A 60-second ad aired during the 2008 Summer Olympics, giving the large audience its first glimpse of the Volt. The Volt also appears in various print advertisements, on billboards 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 “My Volt” 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 and has clearly mastered the art of reaching people everywhere.
Media Usage Analysis
Creative AnalysisBy playing off of old techniques and evolving them to appeal to modern audiences, Chevrolet has been able to keep strong themes going throughout its brand development. Chevrolet’s main advertising theme has always been patriotism and American spirit. Through the years, 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:
• “Let’s Go America!” (1932)• “See the USA in Your Chevrolet” (1952)• “Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie and Chevrolet” (1974)• “An American Revolution” (2003)
Evoking a feeling of patriotism was meant to make consumers associate buying a Chevy with doing their part to support their country’s legacy.21
Chevy ads have also utilized pop culture to get their message across. In 2003, General Motors began their “They Don’t Write Songs About Volvos” campaign, in which they made a list of 200 songs that talked about their Chevrolet brand. The ads for this campaign displayed celebrities singing these songs while driving in Chevys, evoking fond memories associated with the brand and popular songs of the past.22
Chevrolet advertising has also targeted past campaigns specifically to men, one of their largest target markets. Their 1991 to 2004 “Like a Rock” campaign tied the brand with masculinity. In 2009, a TV commercial with NFL player Howie Long made fun of their competitors, Ford F150 owners and Dodge Ram owners, depicting them doing feminine tasks.23
Building off of consumers’ love of Americanism and unity, Chevrolet also used advertising to build up its reputation as a family brand.24 In 1957, Chevy’s “Birthday” TV spot displayed a family giving their mom a new car for her birthday gift. A 2009 TV spot showed a baby riding on an assembly line and being taken care of by the machines, highlighting the Chevy brand as a parent figure.
In 2011, Joel Ewanick, GM’s global chief marketing officer, said he wanted more consistency in Chevy’s campaign. While he said the campaign would improve, he said he was especially happy with “Spaceship Earth” commercial that utilized shots of forests and windmills to promote Chevy’s interest in reducing carbon emissions and renewable energy.25
In 2011, the “Chevy Runs Deep” campaign was tied into the popular musical TV series “Glee” after the Super Bowl. Cast members from “Glee” road in the Volt, Camaro, and Cruze compact and sang the “See the U.S.A. in Your Chevrolet” song from the 1950s and ‘60s. It took Chevrolet’s 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 people had good memories tied with Chevrolet.26
General Motors’ Hybrid-Electric Vehicle Campaign History
General Motors was the first to produce an all-electric car when it introduced the EV1 in 1996. For the debut, GM displayed a commercial from San Francisco’s ad agency, Pubilicis & Hal Riney, which showed 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. on August 8, the first day the spot aired. On August 7, there were 1,029 searches for the Volt, and this peaked at 10,429 searches on August 12.
Since its debut in 2010, Chevy Volt has followed along with General Motors’ advertising themes while 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 own Volt and take it for a virtual joy ride on the game.
The Volt’s recent commercials are informational about the car’s plug-in abilities in addition to its ability to use gasoline.
• One of the latest commercials depicts a Volt owner pulling into a gas station stopped by a 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 than Electric” 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 Volt’s gas and elec-tric capabilities and utilizes the same tagline.
• A third commercial describes how consumers live in America, a country dominated by spontaneous acts of freedom, which the Volt drivers can partake in due to the car’s elec-tric charge and gas back-up.
• A fourth commercial involves a parking attendant hopping in a Volt and asking a driver stuck at the entrance of a parking ramp about the Volt’s features.
SWOT Analysis
SWOT Analysis
Strengths• Appeals to consumer’s desire to help the environ-
ment, but without changing their routine; the current brand enforces this idea
• Consumers are able to charge Chevy Volt at home, making ownership a convenient option
• Compared to the other competitors in the price range, it is the most powerful hybrid, with instant torque
• The price of purchasing a Volt eventually equals the money saved from gas purchases
• Sleek interior and exterior design gives the vehicle a luxury 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, as adults, appreciate the value of a hybrid car. The increasing demand for a “green” lifestyle gives Chevy Volt hope for upcoming years. With consumer’s ability to charge the Volt at home, the product becomes more of a convenience. While many consumers have complained at the high price of the car, Chevy must find a way to satisfy consumer needs with a “greener” car, but also build their market with a more affordable product. Highlighting the Volt’s gas and electric capabilities helps to set the Volt apart from other 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-efficient vehicle, and satisfy the needs of its target market.
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Weaknesses• The price and brand of the Chevy Volt conflicts with
Chevrolet’s overall brand image• Charging stations are not readily available in the
public yet• Consumer base is less informed of the Volt’s capacity
to utilize both diesel-fueled engine and electric bat-tery
• Consumers thought that GM had lied about the Volt’s hybrid 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 rather save now than have a purchase payoff in the future
• Other less expensive competitors, such as Nissan, Toyota and Ford
• GM recently filed for bankruptcy, which may de-crease consumer trust in the brand
Opportunities• Higher gas prices cause consumers to want fuel
efficient, smaller cars than in the past; potential benefit for hybrid vehicles
• Overall trend of eco-friendly, green initiatives• Chevy volt doesn’t have any “real” competitors
because it is the only hybrid with both fuel and electric capabilities
• The gap between pricing of regular and hybrid vehicles is expected to decrease
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Campaign Strategy
Consumer Target Market
Compass Communications was able to define an accurate target audience for the Chevy Volt thanks to Ballweg Chevrolet Dealership and Simmons Data III. By using our Simmons data to initially segment the market, we were able to reinforce these findings with primary research, which included interviewing professionals at the Ballweg dealership and researching public opinion about the Volt and the Chevrolet brand through social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, and various blogs.
Generally, our primary and secondary target markets are educated, informed, highly involved, and serve as role models for their social groups. They differ slightly in age and income, and therefore, differ in the reasons 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 living together 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 commitment to each other.
Ethan, a management consultant for a local business in San Francisco, thinks of his current position not just as a temporary job, but as the beginning of his career. He is constantly striving to get ahead in his work and is rewarded by his annual salary. Andrea works as an account man-ager for a sales firm 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 enjoy kayaking, backpacking, rock climbing, and camping in the state and national parks, but also they are 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 pioneers in recent trends and movements. In their social circle, Ethan and Andrea are known for their interest in the latest innovative technology and their ability to be the first to own a cool, new product. Although their first concern is the novelty of a product, they also value purchases that show their concern for the environment, while making a conscious effort to recycle and reduce pollution.
The Ashers purchased a Chevy Volt because of the car’s unique ability to utilize both a battery and gas engine backup, which is something they considered to be innovative and energy-efficient.
Primary Target Market: The Ashers Secondary Target Market: The McCoys
Although the McCoy family is similar to the Ashers in many respects, William and Adri-enne McCoy’s income level is significantly higher than the Asher’s.
William, 52, and Adrienne, 49, were high school sweethearts. They waited to get mar-ried until just after college and promptly moved to a residential suburb near Chicago. Their two children, Brian and Julie, are grown and have families of their own.
William is a psychology professor at the University of Chicago. Although he started his career as a psychologist, he was so successful that he decided to teach at his Alma Mater and conduct research of his own. His wife, Adrienne, is one of the top real estate agents in the Chicago area. The McCoys have been incredibly successful financially, and even though they had the opportunity to retire at a young age, William and Adrienne love and appreciate their careers. They believe that money is the best measure of success.
The McCoys are also heavily involved in local associations and enjoy taking advantage of their busy social life. William enjoys participating in local government, while Adrienne volunteers for Friends of the Arts, a not-for-profit arts support group. Although they would prefer to spend their time with friends at their 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 for the 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, efficiency, flexibility, and has redefined 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 efficient 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 consumer target markets like the Ashers and McCoys, who are high-income, career-oriented individuals. In addition, the Chevy Volt is a newer product. Offering it as a company car may help promote the vehicle and allow individuals to experience the benefits of the Volt without personally investing or 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 only hybrid option available.
We would like to offer companies like Berry Plastics Corporation a number of Chevy Volts for company cars. As a large company that produces plastics, Berry Plastics has recently become concerned about showing potential customers that their products are durable and strong, yet environmentally conscious and energy efficient. This company has been known to give company cars to their employees. By giving this company a hybrid car, they can highlight the positive aspects about the company’s 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.
Tertiary Target Market: Berry Plastics
Campaign Objectives
Compass Communications’ ultimate business objective is to increase overall knowledge of the Chevy Volt, increase the level of brand awareness for Chevy, increase the Volt’s share of the hybrid market, and finally, 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 general knowledge of the Volt by ten percent and increase our target audience’s desire to purchase a Volt by 25 percent. 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 the Volt.
Competitive Advantage
Although it is compared to other hybrids, the Chevy Volt is truly the only car on the market that uses both electricity and gas, making it the only car of its kind. Because it is the first and only car in its category, we will differentiate our product by focusing on the novelty and uniqueness that the Volt embodies. We plan on focusing on the Volt’s innova-tive combination of electricity and gas to appeal to the early adopters in our target market, like the Ashers, who desire new and original products.
Furthermore, because of the Volt’s unique capabilities, we would like to focus on the flexibility that the vehicle offers. Consumers like the Ashers and McCoys will not need to worry about running out of charge, like in a fully electric car, or running out of gas, like in a diesel-fueled vehicle. Therefore, for consumers like the McCoys, who are attracted to the Volt due to the inherent status incentive, will be attracted to the Volt instead of other hybrid vehicles that do not offer this flexibility.
Chevrolet is also an American vehicle, unlike many other of the hybrid car options. Chevrolet is an incredibly trusted brand and has many brand loyal consumers. Like other Chevy vehicles, the Chevy Volt has instant torque and incredible technological capabilities. Unlike other hybrids, consumers may be more willing to follow Chevy into the new hybrid market, because even though the Volt is a hybrid, it is also a Chevy. Additionally, compared to other vehicles in the hybrid market, the Volt is sleeker and more visually appealing. For our consumers interested in serving as a role model for their social circles, these aspects 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 to change their routine to do so, Chevrolet has marketed the Volt as another step in a daily routine. The first set of commercials, “Breathe Socket” and “Unplug” focus on how plugging in the volt is similar to plugging in a cell phone, coffee maker, or other household appliances that are part of a routine. The second set of commercials has been purely informational, concentrating on the beneficial 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 sported the tagline “It’s more car than electric,” appealing to the consumers’ need to go green without changing their lifestyle or routines.
The current brand position of the Chevy Volt is solely that the vehicle is half electric and half gas. Currently, the Volt’s unique selling point is “Electric when you want it, gas when you need it” and that “somebody has to be first”. First, in our research we found that individuals often are confused by the transition from electric to gas motors and believed that GM lied, claiming the vehicle 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 first” implies that buying the Volt isn’t a great decision, rather it’s interpreted as it’s a necessary decision simply because some people need to be the first to buy a car.
However, the Volt’s marketing campaign has also emphasized the easiness of being environmen-tally friendly. The Volt is portrayed as another part of a consumer’s daily routine, emphasizing that 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-ficient 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, Chevy was 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 Data shows that Chevrolet Volt consumers are hard-working professionals who are early adopters and love to embrace new technologies. Because of this, we will seek to “redefine” consumer’s knowledge of the Chevy Volt, consumer feelings about the Volt and Chevrolet brand, and hybrid vehicles in general. This will position the Volt as the newest, latest technological advancement that 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.
Ultimately, Compass Communications aims to redefine what it means to be a hybrid, positioning the Volt as a new, innovative product that would intrigue the Ashers. We would also like to redefine what it means 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 Redefined
Though Chevrolet has always emphasized the importance of tradition and a strong connection to the Chevy brand, Compass Communications would like to “redefine” this by using the trust that brand loyal consumers feel. By encourag-ing consumers to trust in Chevrolet because of its strong and consistent legacy, they will feel more comfortable adopting the new technologies Chevy is supporting.
Thus, we propose a new tagline, “Trust in Tradition,” that will remain similar to past taglines such as “Like a Rock” and “Chevy Runs Deep.” These past taglines emphasize a strong emotional connection to the brand’s legacy, but “Trust in Tradition” will redefine this image by focusing on this emotional connection as a means of encouraging consumers to follow Chevy’s footsteps in introducing and adopting new one-of-a-kind technologies.
Redefining Chevy in this way will demonstrate that Chevy recognizes the changing values of the American people. Chevy understands individuals’ desire to stand out and be technologically advanced. Emphasizing trust and brand loyalty will emphasize that Chevy will supply consumers with products that fit these desires but still hold true to traditional Chevy values.
Compass Communications will redefine Chevy as a growing, innovative brand that appeals to the changing values of the consumer, while still re-maining a trusted, American company.
Hybrids Redefined
Compass Communications will seek to redefine the stereotype of hybrid cars as solely environmental purchases. “Cool factors” such as the look and design of the vehicle, as well as the uniqueness of the dual gas and electric capabilities, will be emphasized to highlight the reliability and flexibility that people will gain in addition to underlying environmental benefits. Buying a Chevy Volt will no longer be just a statement about a consumer’s environmental concerns; the purchase of a Volt will be innovative and admirable, appealing to both early adopters and those consumers who would like to benefit from status incentives.
In this way, consumers will feel they will be purchasing a type of vehicle that benefits their overall lifestyle while also helping the environment. Ultimately, Compass Communications is redefining the hybrid. The Chevy Volt is a hybrid, but it is unlike any others. The environmental benefits are simply an added incentive to the novel, sophisticated and admired purchase of a Volt.
Creative Concept
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Consumer Image Redefined
Compass Communications would like to redefine the image stereotypes of hybrid consumers. By highlighting unique ground-breaking technology such as the gas-electric duality, consumers who buy the Volt will see themselves as intelligent, educated, and sophisticated individuals who are capable of understanding the technology and want to be the first to have it. The Ashers, for instance, will be a new consumer of the Chevy Volt.
Showing the sleek style of the exterior and interior of the car will also help redefine the consum-er image by making potential purchasers of the Volt feel they will obtain a “stylish, high status” image rather than be seen as a “nerdy environmentalist.” The McCoys will be another consumer for the Chevy Volt.
Business-to-Business Targets Redefined
The Volt will also be targeted to companies that provide their employees with company vehicles for traveling. The Volt will be positioned as a means of redefining a company’s image by display-ing their concern for the environment along with concern and absolute care for their employees.
This will also help to redefine the Volt as a car for professional individuals, which apply to both our primary and secondary target markets.
Redefining these different aspects of the Chevrolet and Chevy Volt brand, the consumer market for the vehicle, and businesses who may take advantage of the benefits offered by the vehicle, the Volt will stand out from the rest of the hybrid vehicles in its market.
In order to set up for a Super Bowl spot, we would like to start the Volt campaign at the beginning of the year. Our other television advertisements will focus on networks that our target markets are interested 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 to reach 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
Creative Concept
Compass Communications developed the “Redefining Hybrid” campaign to emphasize the Volt’s 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 first to buy new products, Compass Communications feels that emphasizing the Volt’s one-of-a-kind gas-electric capabilities will appeal to our potential consumers.
Our secondary target audience includes older business professionals who feel financially secure and enjoy making purchases that will reflect their status. Again, the “Redefining Hybrid” campaign will reach this group of individuals by highlighting the Volt’s 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-lovers will 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 able to reach our audience on a more personal, relatable level. In order to make the campaign even more personable, we will use emotional marketing through use of strong visuals across our creative outlets to further grab our audience’s attention.
This campaign will also support Chevy’s current reliability and positioning, and take it one step further by emphasizing the Volt’s gas-electric duality as the new ultimate form of reliable backup for Chevy driv-ers.
Creative Objectives
The primary objective of Compass Communication’s creative campaign is to increase sales through em-phasizing the Volt’s gas-electric features. Our secondary objective is to increase buzz about the Chevy Volt 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 out from our initial big-city targets to create widespread reach and increase the majority of people who are knowledgeable about the Volt’s latest technological capabilities.
Positioning and Selling Premise
By branding the Chevy Volt as the most technologically-advanced hybrid, Compass Communications will position the Volt as the latest gadget that early adopters and status-lovers must have. To do this, we will 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 confident tone to reassure Volt con-sumers that Chevy truly believes the Volt’s new features will help enhance consumer lifestyles and re-define their perception of hybrid vehicles. The ads will speak to consumers on a personal level to invite them 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 “Redefine” theme throughout our creative campaign by utilizing “Redefining 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 Volt’s hybrid capabilities and how they are redefining and improving hybrid vehicles in light of other hybrid competitors. This slogan will create positive connections with the Volt and will ultimately relate back to the overall Chevy legacy, which we have also redefined to emphasize incorporating new technology while maintaining traditional values. To execute this slogan in our creative campaign, Compass Communications will reach out to consumers by redefining what it means to be a hybrid owner. We will use our ads to redefine what it means to be an environmentalist and a technology-lover by showing that both of these attitudes can coincide. Emphasizing the “cool factor” of the new gas-electric capabilities as the latest innovation, but also as the “cool” new way to be environmentally-conscious, will help reshape the hybrid vehicle image for Volt owners.
Thematic Linkage
To create consistency across the campaign, Compass Communications will use the “Redefining Hybrid” slogan in all media outlets. In addition, we will use the “Trust In Tradition” tagline to reinforce consumers that the Chevy brand is completely confident in its latest hybrid model. To further cement the connection between the traditional Chevy brand and the new Chevy Volt, the Chevrolet logo and the Volt logo will be used across all visual media outlets to ingrain in con-sumer’s minds that Chevy’s legacy of the past and the Volt’s technology of the future are solidly linked.
Timing
Compass Communications will begin its creative campaign with advertisements that focus on showing our consumers exactly how we will be redefining hybrid vehicles and hybrid vehicle owners. Showing how the Volt is the cool, new, innovative hybrid with redefined technological advancements that can then redefine the consumer’s image as a hybrid owner will explicitly con-nect our campaign with our slogan and cement it in consumer’s minds. Emphasizing the humor and relatable characteristics of our two male characters at the start of our campaign through our viral video and commercial media outlets will especially draw consumers in and connect them with 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 “cool factor” of owning a Volt and the technological aspects our consumers will be aware of. We will build off of past campaigns that emphasized “Electric when you want it. Gas when you need it” and act as a continual reminder to consumers about how the Volt’s hybrid-electric qualities are coupled with a gas backup.
www.VoltRedefined.com
i
Technology at your Fingertips
Chevy Volt. Redefining Hybrid.
Chevy Volt introduces you to the technology that lets you travel your way. With its half gas, half electric capabilities, you will never be left without a backup. Running an EPA-estimated 40 miles per charge, Chevy prides itself in offering you the latest in technological advancements.
www.VoltRedefined.com
All three of our print ads have the theme of “Redefining Hybrid,” while also touching on different selling points. 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 first print ad, “Technology at your Fingertips,” aims to inform consumers about the Volt’s new tech-nology, including the gas-electric capabilities. We strategically planned to run this as our first print ad, because many consumers may be unaware of the Volt’s features.
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i
Let gas be your backup
Chevy Volt introduces you to the technology that lets you travel your way. With its half gas, half electric capabilities, you will never be left without a backup. Running an EPA-estimated 40 miles per charge, Chevy prides itself in offering you the latest in technological advancements.
www.VoltRedefined.com
Chevy Volt. Redefining Hybrid.
Once we have established our new technology and features, we will launch the “Let Gas be your Backup” ad, which shows the Volt’s gas-electric features in action. The ad shows the Volt traveling down an open road. The tagline attempts to alleviate the fear of running out of electric charge on a long trip, thanks to the gasoline fuel tank in the Volt.
Leading the way
Chevy Volt is a game-changer with it’s half gas, half electric capabilities, rivaled by no other car in its class. The Volt doesn’t settle for anything less than gold.
Chevy Volt. Redefining Hybrid. www.VoltRedefined.com
Our third print ad, “Taking the Lead,” will run leading up to the 2012 Summer Olympics. This ad will convey the idea that the Volt is pulling ahead of the competition with its unparalleled features. The Chevy brand will also be associated with the Olympics to embody the overall brand image of American pride in our athletes.
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Drive-time radio will be used to reach those daily commuters and business professionals who may be considering purchasing a new car. Because radio ads are generally used at the start of a creative campaign, the message will be more informative rather than emotionally-driven. Compass Communications plans to use radio to detail the environmental and technological benefits of the Volt’s gas-electric attributes. As the campaign progresses and listener’s become more knowledgeable about the Volt, the radio spots will evolve with the television ads. Using questions 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: “It’s hard to keep up with rising gas prices these days.”
VO: “Ever thought about switching to a fuel-efficient 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 VoltRedefined.com and visit your local Chevy dealer today.”
VO: “Chevy Volt. Redefining hybrid.”
Because our target audience listens to internet-only radio stations and tunes into the American Music Awards, Grammys, and VMAs, we know they like music. Therefore, Compass Communications will also place radio advertisements on online 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 will complement these radio commercials with banner ads that direct listeners to the micro-site and social media sites.
Radio Outdoor
When gas meets electric.
Redefining Hybrid.
Creative outdoor ads will be used to add originality and uniqueness to the Chevy Volt campaign. It will be placed in busy cities in front of malls, office buildings, and transit sites, where our target professionals are likely to be found. One example will include large sleek pictures of the Chevy Volt painted across the sides of buildings. A cord traveling from the picture will be painted along roads and sidewalks, which leads to a painted image of a plug at the end of the cord. When our audi-ence sees this attention-grabbing image of a plug on the sidewalk, their natural curiosity will lead them to follow the cord. Their atten-tion will then be directed at the image of the Volt on a nearby building.
Outdoor advertising is effective, because it is the next closest thing to point-of-purchase advertising in the 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 “Redefining Hybrid” to convey the message that Chevy Volt is changing what it means to be a hybrid by being the first hybrid with gas and 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
VoltRedefined.com will act as the central hub for the “Redefining Hybrid” campaign. Our media outlets and promotions will direct people to this site. Although Chevy Volt already has its own web 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 Volt’s different features. In addition, all viral video and social media sites specific to our campaign will be linked to this page. To make the site more personable, a live chat feature will allow consumers to speak with local dealership representatives and view a link to a map with locations of charging stations.
HOME FEATURES PHOTOS DEALERSHIPS EVENTS SPONSORSHIPS
Banner Ads
Because our target audience often clicks on Internet banner ads, Compass Communications will make this a large part of our creative Internet campaign. Personalized banner ads will be used to reach our target audience on an individual level. Because our target audience reads online magazines 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 Volt’s sleek image.
Chevy Volt. Redefining Hybrid. www.VoltRedefined.com
Redefining Hybrid.
Internet
Chevy Volt. Redefining Hybrid.
Social Media
Our target audience believes that the Internet has changed the way they spend their free time and provides them with a new way to socialize with others. To incorporate this, Compass Communications will keep updated Facebook and Twitter accounts to interact with consumers and obtain feedback about the Volt. In addition, our social media sites will encourage consumers to share images or videos with other consumers, specifically 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 our campaign with viral videos that juxtapose two characters, a “dorky” environmentally-conscious man and his “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 the “uncool” neighbor goes to great heights to preserve the environment and his neighbor displays the ease of being environmental with the Volt’s gas-electric technology. Each video ends with the pair finding common ground in their concern for the environment. The “cool” neighbor’s use of the Volt as a means of being environmental without com-promising his suave image or status will continually drive home our theme that the Volt is redefining hybrid vehicles and what it means to be a hybrid owner. Ultimately, these videos
will act as mini-trailers to our first big TV spot to be launched at the Super Bowl. The viral videos are meant to draw viewer’s attention and make them want to look out for the Volt Super Bowl ad, just as movie trailers 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 locate the nearest charging stations and gas stations to ensure consumers are never left stranded. The application will also keep an estimated run-ning count of how much money Volt drivers have been saving while running on electric charge. Because our target audience feels “money is the greatest measure of success,” this aspect will appeal to those who love to be reminded about their smart financial choices.
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Television
Television is an essential part of any advertising campaign. Therefore, Compass Communications will produce four different TV spots that showcase the car’s 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 the sleek 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 appeal to our secondary status-loving target, like the McCoys, Compass Communications will focus most of the ads on the gas and electric capabilities that our early adopters will like. These ads will 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 Bowl and Summer Olympics, we will create TV spots that use the same characters, yet also include humor to ensure our audiences remember the Volt ad among the large number of competing advertisements at these events.
The storyboard below is a sample of a 30-second television commercial emphasizing the Volt’s “redefined” hybrid characteristics.
Video: Scene is set up to portray neighborhood homes side by side. The neighbor on the left comes out of his home in the early morning and is shown separating his recyclables into 6 different specifically-labeled bins.
Audio: Funny instrumental
Time: 5 seconds
Video: The same neighbor climbs onto his roof and starts assembling an elaborate solar panel apparatus, struggling to put it together.
Audio: Funny Instrumental
Time: 5 seconds
TelevisionVideo: The neighbor on the right comes out of his house, walks to his Volt in the driveway and looks up at his neighbor on the roof before climbing in.
Audio: VO: “What’cha doin’ up there Sheldon?” VO: (nerdy voice) “Due to the latest power out- age, I’m devising a back-up energy source. This way my car will always be charged in case we have another power outage like we did last night. Are you sure you have enough electric charge on that thing?” VO: “Yeah, I’ve got charge, but I can use gas to get me the rest of the way. Good luck with that roof. “
Video: Man drives away in his Volt while neighbor on roof has an “ah-ha” moment watching his neighbor leave. Scene fades to black.
Time: 5 seconds
Video: Scene fades back to the same two houses at night. The man’s car is gone from the driveway and his solar panel project has made no progress. The other neighbor drives back and parks his Chevy Volt. He gets out and eyes pan from his neighbor’s driveway to his neighbor’s roof. Scene fades to black again.
Audio: Funny Instrumental
Time: 5 seconds
Video: Scene fades back into morning. Neighbor with Volt comes out and gets into his car as other neighbor’s garage door opens to display a Volt. The two pull up to one another side by side, give each other a knowing look, and drive away.
Audio: Funny Instrumental
Time: 5 seconds
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Media Plan
Television: $56,454,265.25
Television will be the largest platform for advertising the Volt, with allocation focusing on seasonal changes, holidays and programs our target market is interested in. Simmons III data shows that our target market watches both national and local networks during primetime hours. Therefore, we will distribute the advertising budget relatively evenly between national, spot and spot cable television. Due to our pulsing 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, because our 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 enjoy also watching sports, we will place Volt advertisements in various sporting events throughout the year. According tour, our target markets 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 stopping power for both the Super Bowl and the 2012 Summer Olympics, because these programs will reach the greatest amount of viewers. In addition, we will also run two advertisements during the Major League Baseball playoffs, continuing to intertwine Chevrolet and historic American traditions.
Magazines: $14,218,643.75
Simmons III data shows that our target market is more inclined to read general interest and men’s magazines. Therefore, we will place advertisements in magazines such as Men’s Health, Forbes, ESPN Magazine and Consumer Reports. Our ads will be present in both print and online editions since our target market reads magazines online. Placement in these magazines will connect with our target market’s 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 same cities we will focus our outdoor advertisements. Drive times are a smart choice for Chevy Volt advertisements because they will reach our target market at times when they are commuting to work, 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 driving or spending time outdoors. We will focus on cities around the country with big commuter popula-tions. By the start of our campaign, the Chevy Volt will be available nationwide, making it easily accessible in our target cities.32 These cities will include San Diego, San Jose, Houston, Dallas, Denver, Phoenix, Seattle, Orlando, Washington D.C., New York, Detroit, Chicago and Minneapo-lis. Our advertisements will be placed throughout the spring and summer months to insure a high number of viewers.
Internet: $ 2,243,125.00
Internet: $ 2,243,125.00
Although the smallest portion of the budget is applied to Internet advertising, Compass Com-munications expects Internet activities to have a big impact on our target market. According our research, our target markets feel the Internet has changed their way of living. They are inclined to click on Internet banner ads and do a lot of daily activities online. In addition to making sure all the print ads for magazines appear in online editions, we will use key words and viral videos to generate buzz about the Chevy Volt during the beginning of and throughout the campaign. Key words for Internet searches will include “Chevrolet,” “Volt,” “hybrid car” “American hybrid” and “hybrid technology.” We will continue to advertise the Volt through banner ads and a five-month ad spot on Pandora during seasonal changes and holiday times. The banner ads will be interactive and lead to the Chevy Volt website. Placement will be on websites that pertain to 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 inform people about the Volt while establishing the base for our “Redefining Hybrid” campaign.
Motion Picture: $84,000
Compass Communications will place the Chevy Volt in the new James Bond movie “Skyfall,” which is expected to be released in October 2012. The James Bond franchise is popular among Americans and will complement Chevrolet’s previous presence in other action films like Trans-formers, as well as reach a large number of view-ers worldwide.
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Media Allotment Media Spending
Media Allotment Media Spending
Total Budget Total Spent Remainder
$80,000,000.00 $23,125,425.00 $56,874,575.00
IMPACT MEDIA SPENDING
MEDIA CATEGORIES COST PER UNIT UNITS X MONTH
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 Commercials throughout
NBA Playoffs $1,141,850 2 $2,283,700 2 Commercials throughout
Summer Olympics $1,141,850 4 $4,567,400 4 Commercials throughout
Video Music Awards $990,250 1 $990,250 1 Commercial
MLB Playoffs $1,141,850 2 $2,283,700 2 Commercials
American Music Awards
$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 from January-May
Internet Banner Ad $3,000 300 $900,000 Placed April-June/Oct.-Dec.
Viral Video $10,000 10 $100,000 10 videos from January-August
Internet Radio Ad $102,375 5 $511,875 1 ad for 5 months on Pandora
Outdoor $35,000 70 $2,450,000 14 cities from April-August
SUM TOTAL $23,125,425
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Media SpendingNON-IMPACT MEDIA SPENDING
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
Media Spending Media SpendingIMPACT 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 Music Awards
1 1
MLB Playoffs 2 2
American Music Awards
1 1
Keywords 6 5 5 5 4 25
Internet Banner Ad
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-IMPACT MEDIA
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 Radio Morning 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
Public Relations
Since 2010, the overall perception of the Chevrolet brand has remained relatively static but positive. In both the 2010 and 2011 Consumer Reports Best Car Brand Perception survey, Chevrolet has finished in fourth place, behind Toyota, Ford and Honda both years. The scores of each brand reflect consumers’ total 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 survey conducted in 2010 by BrandIndex surveyed 5,000 consumers daily on the opinions of more than 1,100 different brands, rating on a scale from minus 100 to 100. Zero means equal positive and negative perceptions, and generally the highest score is around 60. Among all automobile brands, Chevrolet ranked second with a score 22, behind Ford’s leading score of 40.34
J.D. Power and Associates has also conducted a survey, beginning in 2007, that examines how gratifying a new vehicle is to own and drive, based on owner evaluations. Premised by the fact that brands included luxury-brand vehicles, Chevrolet ranked 23 in 2007 before falling out of the ranking in 2010, when it ranked 18. 2011 saw a small decline to 23, but it is the first time Chevy has been ranked in consecutive polls.35
YouGov BrandIndex’s Buzz score, which asks respondents, “If you’ve heard anything about the brand in the last two weeks, through advertising, news or word of mouth, was it positive or negative?” ranks Chevrolet third among the highest Auto Buzz scores, behind Ford and Honda, for the first six months of 2011.36
In Consumer Reports’ 2010 annual reliability survey, many General Motors brands improved their rating from 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 the Chevrolet Volt, which was voted the car with the most satisfied customers by Consumer Reports. The hybrid-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 definitely buy it again, compared to 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 coverage regarding the Volt was positive and portrayed the Chevrolet Volt as the tradition of the future for Chevrolet and its consumers.
Recent coverage highlights topics from customer satisfaction, the excitement about the new product and what it means for the automobile industry to how the Volt will help clean up the environment.
Several stories also highlight Chevy’s goal to strive for the utmost consumer satisfaction. The safety concerns over the lithium-ion battery and consumer disdain over the price of the Volt will keep Chevrolet working to improve customer satisfaction as much as possible.
We will continue to monitor all available media coverage to note successes, trends and potential problems so that we may respond more quickly and more efficiently 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 company’s iPod, the shiny new device that changes behavior on a mass scale.” October 25, 2011Journal Star (Peoria, Illinois)
“These cars appeal to the cool, tech-savvy consumer segment.” October 21, 2011LA Times
“The Volt competes in a seg-ment – extended range elec-tric vehicles - that it alone occupies.” August 16, 2011, The Gazette (Montreal)
“I found myself charging the Volt after short jaunts not just because of the novelty, but the desire to keep Volt fully charged to minimize gas fill ups.” May 30, 2011Chicago Daily Herald
“People wonder, ‘Is it as safe as a regular gasoline-powered car?’ These results show that automakers are putting the same high level of safety engineering into these new electric cars (as are going) into their gas-only vehicles.”April 26, 2011USA Today
“An electric-only vehicle has range limitations. Volt’s technology appeals to buy-ers because they don’t need a different vehicle to fulfill all of their transportation requirements. Volt eliminates the need to own two separate cars.”March 13, 2011The Times (Munster, Indiana)
“These models reflect a larger trend we’ve seen in recent years: Sporty cars and fuel efficient cars with alternative drivetrains tend to generate more enthusiasm and loyalty than most other types of ve-hicles.” December 2, 2011 Cars & Motorbikes
Stakeholder Analysis
General Motors, Chevrolet: One of the largest concerns for General Motors and Chevrolet about the Chevy Volt is that demand for the new plug-in vehicle has been relatively low. The Volt is bringing customers to the dealerships, but the 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 the year are complete and less than half of that goal has been completed.39
Viewed as one of the greatest competitors to the Chevy Volt, Nissan has sold 7,199 Leafs in 2011, which is almost double the sales of the Volt. Positively, The Chevy Volt is a new avenue for GM and Chevy. The electrical hybrid vehicle could open the door to a new niche market as well as be a driver for a company that has faced severe economic instability in the recent past.
Also the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) is investigating a potential safety concern, the lithium-ion batteries in the vehicles. However, the fires that have resulted after crash tests have all been lab contained at this point. No vehicles on the road have reported the same issue.
Oil Companies: It is hard to see any benefits for oil companies if hybrid electric cars take off in the United States. If the popularity of such vehicles increases to a large degree, oil companies will lose profit due to customers not needing to purchase as much gas as before. It would seem likely, however, that oil compa-nies would be more supportive of the Volt than of pure electric vehicles because the Volt still uses diesel fuel.
Environmental Groups and Agencies: One re-port advocates that the effectiveness of hybrid electric cars cannot actually help improve the environment. The reports cites that emissions from manufacturing cars are at least 50% higher because batteries are made from materials such as lithium, copper and refined silicon, which require much more energy to be pro-cessed.40
“The combined savings of the first and second round of light-duty standards over the lifetime of 2012 to 2025 vehicles will save drivers $1.7 trillion in fuel cost, reduce oil dependency by 12 billion barrels of oil, and cut heat-trapping pollution that drives global warming by approximately 6 billion metric tons,” said the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Roland Hwang.41 Green Car Journal named the Chevy Volt the 2011 Green Car of the Year.
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Consumers: Consumers are finding 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 satisfied owners, 93 percent saying they would definitely buy the Volt again. Some consumers may be concerned by the investigation of the lithium-ion battery fires, but GM has offered loaner vehicles and announced plans to buy back vehicles to keep customers happy.
Automobile Dealerships: Dealerships share many of the same concerns as the GM and Chevrolet parent companies. Prices are deterring customers from buying the Volt and sales are not where GM would like them to be at this point. Volts may have the ability to draw people into the dealership and purchase a car, even if it is not the Chevy Volt. Though the Volt is drawing consumers, after seeing the price, many have purchased the fuel efficient Chevy Cruze instead.
Capital Markets: President Obama has said that he hopes to have 1 million hybrid electric vehicles on the road by 2015. Such a drastic change in the number of electric vehicles could dramatically alter the infrastructure of the oil industry, the car industry and maybe even the gas station or convenience store industry.
Government: The government is offering subsidies for qualifying buyers of the Volt to entice purchases. 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 qualified plug-in electric 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 new PEVs.42
Employees: The Chevy Volt production plants in the United States have had workers unionize and sign a new contract. Additionally, more employees have been hired by Chevrolet at plants producing the Volt in order to meet production demands and projections.
2011 Public Relations Efforts
The year 2011 was Chevrolet’s centennial year. Founded November 3, 1911, Chevrolet has consistently tried 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. It is also not a coincidence that Chevrolet used its centennial as the launching point for what it hopes to become a new tradition, the 2011 Chevy Volt.
During 2011, Chevrolet started a 100 day countdown to November 3, encouraging fans and consumers to think back and tell their favorite Chevy stories, vote for their favorite Chevrolet cars and trucks, and take the birthday party to their local communities with the help of Chevrolet and its dealers.
“It is fitting that we mark our Centennial by recognizing these connections and celebrating Chevrolet’s role 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 has had with Chevrolet for 100 years.
Three events key to the 2011 Chevrolet public relations strategy included the sponsorship of the Wood-ward Dream Cruise, Chevrolet’s partnership with the American Cancer Society® to help support Making Strides Against Breast Cancer and creation of its very own Pandora Chevrolet Station. All of them have the potential to elicit strong emotions.
The Woodward Dream Cruise was Chevrolet’s way to sponsor a community event. Held in August, the event draws 1.5 million fans and over 50,000 performance vehicles and is the largest one-day automotive event in the world.
Making Strides Against Breast Cancer was a series of walking events to help raise money to fight breast cancer. Employees, dealers, union partners and suppliers of Chevrolet all joined in an effort to “save lives by helping people stay well, help people get well, find cures and fight back against breast cancer.”
The final centennial event strategy was the creation of the Chevrolet Pandora channel. Just think how many songs have been written that included a Chevrolet reference; it’s a lot. Recognizing the importance of music in its history, as Compass Communications did in its primary research, Chevrolet and Pandora compiled a playlist 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 and safe vehicle for our consumers. Beyond that essential premise, we recognize our trend-setting consumers’ needs for a technology-driven vehicle with increased flexibility and fuel efficiency, all wrapped inside a stylish exterior, without sacrificing any of the advantages of a fully gas-powered vehicle. We not only want the Volt to represent those ideals, but also for the public relations strat-egy to reflect them as well, as specified by the following agenda:
1. Reassure stakeholders, consumers and the general public that Chevrolet and the Volt are committed to a safety and quality vehicle for each one of its customers. a. Chevrolet will continue moving forward with the established consumer support program 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 through the use of social media sites. a. Planned partnership with Apple to promote sales of the Chevrolet Volt. b. As part of our Redefined campaign, the Chevrolet Volt Facebook and Twitter pages will run several incentive based contests. 3. Increase awareness of the flexibility offered by the Chevrolet Volt through its placement in various highly visible performance platforms. a. Planned sponsorship with Best Buy’s Geek Squad b. Planned sponsorship with CBS and The Amazing Race c. Planned product placement in James Bond movie. 4. Emphasize the stylish, yet fuel efficient Chevrolet Volt through a generous philanthropic endeavor. a. Planned donation of Chevrolet Volt’s to driver’s education programs across the country.
Media/Press Relations StrategyThrough the beginning stages of the lithium-ion battery concerns, Chevrolet’s efforts to solve what could have been a major crisis have strengthened our belief in the proper way to handle media and press relations. Going forward, we pledge to meet any issue with full responsibility and 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 as needed. We will also establish a media/press contact number directly to our Public Relations team to handle any questions members of the media may have.
2012 Public Relations Strategy
Media/Press Relations Strategy
Responding to Public Opinion
In light of the concerns regarding the lithium-ion battery fires, Chevrolet will continue to support any consumer who has purchased a Volt by loaning another vehicle to the consumer during the inspection of their Volt or buy back any Volt from any consumer who is worried about a danger with the Volt’s battery. Chevrolet will also create a website for consumers that will provide any and all updates regarding the NHTSA investigation.
Partnerships
Social Media/Mobile Marketing
Chevrolet and the Volt plan to partner with technology giant Apple to establish and maintain the techno-logical attributes of the Volt. The plan is for Chevrolet to give away the consumer’s choice of an iPhone, iPad 2 or iPod Touch, complete with a two year data package for the device, with the purchase of a 2012 Chevrolet Volt. Chevrolet will also distribute $5 iTunes gift cards with every Volt test drive.
It is believed that the Apple partnership will have a positive impact on our target consumers because the Volt and Apple products share a similarity of being one-of-a-kind pieces of technology and attract a simi-lar consumer base. According to Compass Communications primary research, those who love to buy new gadgets and appliances, like Apple products, are 63% more likely to own a hybrid.
Social Media
Facebook and Twitter also play a critical role in influencing the Volt target market. According to our Sim-mons III data, those who believe the Internet is the new way they socialize with people are more likely to own a hybrid. We plan on strengthening consumers’ relationships with Chevrolet and their social circles by creating fun, incentive-based social media activities.
In the spirit of our Redefining campaign, one particular Facebook contest will include consumers post-ing on the Chevrolet Volt wall, what they are redefining at that time. Weekly winners will be awarded for the best answers with gas cards, so despite an already efficient gas/electric system, they will be able to go even further without spending to fill their tank.
For Twitter, Chevrolet will award randomly selected users who upload creative twitpics with their Volt, under the hash tag #ChevroletVolt, the opportunity to win an upgraded charging station at their home, free of charge.
Mobile Marketing
Chevrolet plans to develop a smart phone application that allows the user to find the nearest charging stations for their Volt. The application would also include a counter for the number of different charging stations the individual visited. Cumulative through 2012, the individual who visited the most charging stations across the country would be the winner of $50,000.
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Sponsorship and Product Placement
Chevrolet is excited to plan sponsorships with three highly visible platforms that will raise awareness to the level of flexibility that the Volt has.
As part of CBS’s Amazing Race, we plan to implement the Volt into at least one stage of the race, advertising that the electric charge will last, for each team to use. The extreme nature of the race will emphasize that you can do anything and go anywhere with this vehicle, without worrying about running out of charge.
Finally, placement of the Chevy Volt in the upcoming James Bond movie would be a great placement for the Volt. Serving as some type of getaway car, the Volt would display its top-end performance. The presence alongside such a well-known character as Bond would also impact our target audience, which agrees that if a character in a television show or movie uses a product, they’re 27% more likely to own a hybrid. An appearance at the Hollywood movie premier would also generate positive buzz for the Volt.
Best Buy is a national retailer that employs the services of the Geek Squad to repair or service any piece of electronic equipment. The plan would be to sponsor the Geek Squads’ service vehicles by replacing them with Chevy Volts. Not only creating a more efficient travel, but having the Volt gain attention on the road.
Sponsorship and Product Placement Philanthropy and Publicity Events
The Chevrolet Volt’s philanthropic endeavor both aids the community as well as influences young early adopters. Chevrolet plans to donate Chevrolet Volt’s to driver’s education programs around the country. The impact of the Volt would not only stress the importance for environmentally friendly driving, but it would also attract the next generation of car buyers and early adopters.
Chevrolet would also like to plan a remake of the same walk across America challenge that others have used to bring awareness to social causes in the past. The event would spark both local and national attention, and create a very positive perception of Chevrolet and the Volt.
Beginning in Los Angeles, California, a convoy of 20 Chevrolet Volts would make their way across the country to New York City -- without using any gas. It would be a grueling, but compassionate trip. Each day the Volt convoy would travel about 70 miles.
The convoy would take off with a full charge of electricity and would drive toward New York, making scheduled stops that would allow for the Volts to be plugged in for eight hours and charged to capacity. During the charging process the 40 volunteers would find some way to provide aid to someone or something in the community.
Each day of travel and community service would be broken down as follows:
Wake up and drive 35 miles = About 1 hourPlug in, charge and better the community = Eight hoursUnplug and drive 35 miles = About 1 hourPlug in, charge and better the community = Eight hoursSleep = Six hours
Each day would proceed in that fashion, until the convoy made it all the way from LA to New York City.
Local and national news stories would be created throughout the entire trip about all the amazing stories from helping people to the stories of the volunteers and beyond. But the subject is really irrelevant because it would always get brought back to the fact that this convoy of community ser-vants were traveling across the country in Chevy Volts.
The trip could easily last up to 50 days, and with two stops per day, over 100 different communi-ties served and no fuel emissions released.
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Media Contacts
Network/Cable Television
ABC News 147 Columbus Ave., New York, NY 10023 Phone: 212-456-7777 CBS News 524 W. 57 St., New York, NY 10019 Phone: 212-975-4321 Fax: 212-975-1893
CNN One CNN Center, Box 105366, Atlanta, GA 30303-5366 Phone: 404-827-1500 Fax: 404-827-1784 (Public Relations)
Fox News Channel 1211 Ave. of the Americas, New York, NY 10036 Phone: (212) 301-3000
MSNBC/NBC30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10112 Phone: (212) 664-3720 Fax: (212) 664-4426 (NBC News)
PBS 2100 Crystal Drive, Arlington VA 22202-3785 Phone: 703-739-5000, Phone: 703-739-5290 (Ombudsman) Fax: 703-739-5777
National Radio Programs
National Public Radio 635 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20001-3753 Phone: 202-513-2000 Fax: 202-513-3329
Newspapers
The Los Angeles Times202 West First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012 Phone: 213-237-5000 Fax: 213-237-4712 The New York Times
620 8th Ave., New York, NY 10018 Phone: 212-556-1234
USA Today7950 Jones Branch Dr., McLean, VA 22108 Phone: 703-854-3400 Fax: 703-854-2078
The Wall Street Journal 1211 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036 Phone: 212-416-2000 Fax: 212-416-2658
The Washington Post1150 15th St., NW, Washington, DC 20071 Phone: 202-334-6000 Fax: 202-334-5075
Magazines
Car And Driver MagazineNathan Christopher - Executive Director of Public RelationsPhone: 212-649-2582
EV WorldJ. William Moore Publisher, Editor-in-Chief(402) 339-9877 EVWorld.Com, Inc.P.O. Box 461132Papillion, Nebraska 68046
Motor Trend Magazine831 S. Douglas StreetEl Segundo, CA 90245
Newsweek7 Hanover Square, New York, NY, 10004 Phone: 212-445-4000
TimeTime & Life Bldg., Rockefeller Center, 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020-1393 Phone: 212-522-1212 Fax: 212-522-0003
Press Release #1
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Contact: Brett [email protected]
715-340-0607
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Chevrolet Pairs with Apple to Offer Choice of iPhone, iPad 2 or iPod Touch with Purchase of 2012 Volt.
DETROIT, MICH., December 26, 2011 – Chevrolet is proud to announce a one-year partnership with electronics giant, Apple, Inc. Chevrolet will be rewarding customers for either test driving or purchas-ing a new 2012 Chevy Volt.
A test drive will earn the customer a $5 iTunes gift cards, and the purchase of a 2012 Volt will earn the customer’s choice of either an iPhone, iPad 2 or iPod Touch, complete with a two-year data package.
“While the electronics industry and automotive industry are very different in terms of the use of prod-ucts, Apple and the Chevrolet Volt can both be looked at as, technologically-advanced gadgets, if you will,” GM CEO Daniel F. Akerson said. “Both companies are trying to bring their customers a top-of-the-line product that has no duplicate.”
The Chevrolet Volt is the only car in its class, capable of first running on a pure electric charge for an average of 35 miles before automatically switching to its backup gas engine, extending the car’s overall range well above 300 miles.
Each authorized Chevrolet dealer will carry this promotion through the end of December, 2012. The Chevrolet Volt was recently named the car with the most satisfied customers, according to a sur-vey by Consumer Reports. Ninety-three percent of Volt owners responded they would most definitely purchase the Volt again.
The Volt edged out the V8 – Dodge Challenger and the Porsche 911 to take home the award.
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Press Release #1
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Contact: Brett [email protected]
715-340-0607
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Chevrolet Volt Chosen to Play the Role of Getaway Car in New James Bond Film, make a Red Carpet Appearance at the Hollywood Premier
DETROIT, MICH., March, 27, 2012 – Chevrolet announced this morning that the 2012 Volt has been selected to play the role of one of Agent 007’s getaway cars in next fall’s latest James Bond chapter, “Skyfall.”
The Volt will also be present for the red carpet Hollywood premier screening of the film. The scheduled release is unknown at this time.
“Everyone at GM and Chevrolet are extremely excited to be given this opportunity to have our newest and most revolutionary car be the getaway car in the new James Bond movie,” GM CEO Daniel F. Akerson said. “The best part is that the stunt drivers for the film will really get to show everyone else the real type of power our hybrid has.”
This is just the latest movie to feature a new line of Chevrolet vehicle. Back in 2007, Chevrolet used “Transformers” to give its new Camaro a shot on the big screen for all to see.
“Skyfall” looks to give that same opportunity to the Chevrolet Volt, a chance for all of America to see the Chevy Volt in action.
The Volt, capable of running for 35 miles on pure electricity before switching over to its reserve gas tank, has people wondering just how much power a hybrid vehicle can have.
“If the Volt has enough speed and power to get James Bond out of a pinch, it has enough for the average consumer too,” Akerson said.
The Volt boasts a 149-horsepower engine, plus the ability to travel well over 300 miles on one tank of gas once it runs out of electricity.
“If Bond were driving any other Hybrid vehicle, he would either run out of electricity or simply get overtaken by what or whoever he was running from. The Volt has it all,” Bond stunt driver Stanton Barrett said.
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Press Release #3Press Release #2
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Contact: Brett [email protected]
715-340-0607
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Chevrolet to Donate 100 Chevy Volts to Driver’s Education Programs Across the Country
DETROIT, MICH., June 1, 2012 – General Motors and Chevrolet announced today that it will be donating the first of multiple batches of Chevrolet Volts to driver’s education programs around the country.
The very first 100 will be split evenly among the 50 states, two per, to provide new, quality and environmentally friendly vehicles to driving schools that may be having a difficult time provid-ing a quality vehicle for instruction.
“We thought of it as a better way to introduce the next generation of car buyers to the type of vehicles many people hope will be filling up the highways in the next couple of years,” GM CEO Daniel F. Akerson said. “It also allows us to do a very small yet helpful part in protecting the environment in each of these 100 communities.”
A specific list of driving schools has been determined, but GM and Chevrolet wish to surprise the 100 lucky recipients rather than just releasing the list to the public.
The Chevrolet Volt should also help with fuel costs at the select driving schools. Due to after school programs, much of the Volt’s use will be for a couple hours at a time, allowing for a mini-mal amount of fuel to be spent before being recharged for the next instructional.
The Volt is a one of a kind vehicle that has the ability to run on pure electricity for about 35 miles before switching to a backup gas engine that allows at least 300 additional miles to the trip range.
Chevrolet also announced that it will be six months to a year before they donate another batch of Volts to more driver’s education programs.
“We will wait and see what the reception is by this first group of programs before deciding how many and when to donate another set of Volts,” Akerson said. “That being said, we are very pleased to be making a difference and project nothing but positives to come from our dona-tions.”
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Press Release #3
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Contact: Brett [email protected]
715-340-0607
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Chevrolet Announces Chevy Volts Will be the Primary Vehicles for Best Buy’s Geek Squad
DETROIT, MICH., July 9, 2012 – Beginning August 1, the 2012 Chevrolet Volt will become the primary vehicle for entertainment and electronics retailer Best Buy’s infamous tech support team, the Geek Squad. GM and Chevrolet were able to negotiate a deal that will have Volts zooming all over the country to provide technical support.
The Volt may even change the Geek Squad’s nerdy image to that of calm, collected intellect. Maybe not, but the Volt certainly is a piece of technology in itself, a perfect vehicle for individu-als who work with different pieces of technology all day.
“Our partnership with Best Buy and the Geek Squad will give us a road presence. People will see those geek squad cars and know that it’s a Chevy Volt,” GM CEO Daniel F. Akerson said.The Chevy Volts will also provide a more efficient means of travel for Geek Squad employees. On house calls, the Geek Squad in most cases will be able to arrive at their destination without using an ounce of gas, thanks to the 35 mile range the Volt gets from running off pure electricity.
Upon returning to the store, the Volt will be able to be plugged right back in and start recharging again for its next run.
“Not only will the Volts allow us to save a small amount of money on gas, but more importantly it gives us the impression you should get from a geek,” Best Buy CEO Brian J. Dunn said. “The Volt shows that we are up to date with the latest technology like we should be.”
In a recent study by Consumer Reports, the Chevy Volt was voted to have the most satisfied owners above all other makes and models. Ninety-three percent of Volt owners responded to a survey that they would definitely buy the Chevy Volt again.
“The Geek Squad is not the average owner, but if it works well for people during their everyday lives, there is no reason it can’t work for the squad,” Dunn said.
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Press Release #4
Appendix
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Ballweg Dealership Questions: Middleton, WI (608-824-3000)
1. Are there any tactics you use to sell the Volt versus other vehicles? 2. What are the main reasons you feel people choose the Volt over other cars? 3. What needs of the consumer do you associate with the Volt? Why do you direct people to the Volt? 4. What characteristics do Volt buyers typically have? Age? Family/single? 5. When a customer decides they want a hybrid, what do you highlight about the Volt that sets it apart from its competitors? 6. What are the deciding factors that lead you to recommend one car over another? 7. What has been common feedback on the Volt and other hybrids? 8. How many people have come in for maintenance on the Volt? 9. Would you personally buy a Volt? Why or why not? 10. What do you think are the best things about the Volt? The worst? 11. What features of the Volt do customers interested in the car seem to be most familiar with? Least familiar with?
