Category: Best Use of Social Media
Advertiser: NISSAN MOTOR
Product/Service: CARS
Director: Megan Greenwood (Borkowski)
Director: Suresh Raj (Borkowski)
Agency Head: Mark Borkowski (Borkowski)
Account Director: Natasha Gould (Borkowski)
Senior Account Manager: Lina Cabai (Borkowski)
Account Manager: Jodie Gee (Borkowski)
Product Placement Manager: Juliet Fairbairn (Borkowski)
Account Executive: Stephanie Aukstikalnis (Borkowski)
Junior Account Executive: Juliette Alexander (Borkowski)
Account Assistant: Sophie Baker (Borkowski)
Media Director: Joanne McNally (Borkowski)
Director of Communications: Gabi Whitfield (Nissan Motor)
Press Communications Manager: Gloria Maydew (Nissan Motor)
Category Manager: Mark Kinnard (Nissan Motor)
Product Manager: Dylan Kenneway (Nissan Motor)
Media placement: PR - Across all media channels including online and digital fees - 01 September 2009
Summary of the Campaign
For the first time, Nissan shunned their traditional ATL-led approach to NPD and wanted to launch the Cube purely through social media and digital channels, due to the niche, influencer appeal of the product. This anti-advertising, anti-sale strategy was a first for both the brand and the automotive industry. We adopted an influencer marketing campaign to connect with the right, young, urban mindset and establish its design credibility amongst the right places and right people. Through bespoke content, we engaged the top 100 design influencers who became the first Cube ambassadors to start the conversation, spreading word of mouth amongst their respective communities and so creating a powerful ripple effect. The Cube influencer community grew by 1,500% in five months and print coverage worth AVE £1.5million was achieved. The campaign has resulted in Nissan Motor being talked about not only by its own industry, but also by the marketing industry. They were invited to speak at Haymarket’s annual conference about the effective use of social media and also prompted a Marketing Week cover feature about the successful, emerging trend of influencer marketing.
The Goal
1. Spark an underground Cube conversation online amongst the relevant social network communities.
2. Build a Cube community of UK fans.
3. Connect the Cube with cool, urban mindsets, getting the car talked about in the right circles (22-25 year-olds urban & fashionable).
4. Position the Cube as a design icon and encourage reappraisal of brand.
5. Create an influencer marketing campaign to establish the car amongst the right places and right people.
6. Deliver consumer lifestyle coverage.
Results
- ROI of 4:1
- Social community and conversation grew by 1,500%.
- Campaign attracted 453 Twitter followers, 515 Facebook fans and 769 independent social media mentions.
- Print coverage AVE £1.5mil, 327 pieces of coverage across digital and offline.
- Combined footfall of 77,000 at Cube Store and Cube in a Cube installation.
- Top 100 influencers all engaged with the Cube.
- Cost per acquisition of £5 per customer (based on footfall at events).
- 56% of coverage generated focus on key message of design.
- Pecha Kucha event sold out in five days, achieved 4,672 YouTube views and 29 online news pieces. It supported Nissan’s first ever collaboration with London Design Festival and was so successful that they have committed to second year.
Execution
Pre-Launch:
1. Hosted East Meets West Pecha Kucha event at Nissan’s design HQ, attracting 180 of the capital’s design influencers.
2. Launched social media communities to drive engagement and conversation. Recognising its 'Marmite' status, we fuelled debate through a 'Love it or Hate it' online campaign.
3. Built and launched the Cube Store – pop-up and multimedia design installation previewing the Cube and hosting six weeks of influencer events. VIP launch party featured urban underground entertainment, attracting London’s trendy set.
Launch:
1. Cube in a Cube - interactive ice & lighting installation on South Bank. A Cube frozen in a 2x4m 18 ton block of ice featured the world’s first ice tattoo by Henry Hate, Amy Winehouse’s tattooist.
2. Intensive product placement programme featuring fleets of Cubes out three times a week at underground events giving influencers first-hand experience. This secured high-profile ambassadors and partnerships e.g. Brit Awards, NME Awards and London Fashion Week.
The Situation
The Cube is a top-selling design icon in Japan, with a cult following, but with zero awareness in the UK. The job was to instil the cult appeal amongst a very specific, niche mindset of influencers who would spread the appeal through aspiration and word of mouth. For the first time, Nissan spoke to a new younger audience through new channels and new content. They stopped behaving like a traditional automotive brand and acted more like a youth, technology brand that engaged new consumers through their preferred channel - digital.
The Strategy
Develop buzz, conversation and demand through an underground seeding campaign pre-launch.
Establish credibility and set tone of product early on via:
-Engaging Top 100 design influencers.
-Influencer marketing using social & digital media.
-Product placement and concierge service to fuel and sustain interest.
-Coverage across influential blogs, sites and forums.
Extend conversation and community to broader audience at launch.
Secure coverage across full spectrum of design press initially, extending to mainstream national and regional titles.
The Promo / PR Ad titled CUBE NOISE was done for product: Nissan Cube (brand: Nissan) in no country. It was released in the Jul 2012.
