Mazda Case, Advertisment And Promotion

Analyze the role of integrated marketing communications in the marketing of automobiles such as the Mazda Protege and MAZDA6. How is each IMC element used to market automobiles? The role of integrated marketing communications in the marketing of automobiles such as the Mazda Protege and MAZDA6 had a major impact of Mazda as a company. For each car (model), they made an exhaustive market research, they studied what were the best channels to deliver a message and what was the market looking for.

Establishing market objectives that Mazda wanted was to increase their sales by repositioning the Protege model and the brand as a whole, giving it a new younger look. Mazda targeted people around 20-30, who wanted something hip, fun and new but at the same time reliable and affordable. When they launch the Mazda6 the campaign targeted a different market because it was a new model. They wanted people that were different from the other car models that they had in the market, a person that was looking for luxury and comfort.

The Integrated Marketing Communications plan for the protege tried to position it as a car for the youth, playful and hip, something different for the market, the other brands were not considering the needs of young women. Mazda tried to market the Mazda6 as a refined, sporty car, for a more mature audience who were looking for luxury. The marketing mix was strategy, which promoted the car in all the channels the target market most likely visit.

Evaluation of the campaign: after proving the campaign of the protege they made some adjustments to the IMC plan, developing a stronger campaign and finding in the way the motto of the whole brand, Zoom-Zoom. 2. Evaluate Mazda’s decision to drop the “Get in. Be Moved’ tagline for the Protege and adopt the ‘Zoom-Zoom” theme for its advertising. Mazda’s decision to drop the “Get In. Be Moved’ tagline for the Protege and adopt the “Zoom-Zoom” theme for its advertising was a great idea. It made it easier to identify with the brand.

Customers could not identify with the “Get In. Be Moved” when Mazda rolled out with the “Zoom-Zoom” them. They could not use both ads because it was sending two different messages to their customers. When Mazda first came out with the “Zoom-Zoom” ad it was just for one car model. We think it was a great idea that they made it unison across the line for all their car brands. Once someone here the “Zoom-Zoom” they could identify with the brand. 3. Evaluate the strategy Mazda is using to advertise the new MAZDA6 sports sedan. Do you agree with the decision to use a more mature and less playful approach for the MAZDA6

MAZDA6 was thought as one of the most important launches in Mazda’s history. It competes the mid-size segment of automobile market where most cars sell for around $25,000. MAZDA6’s target customer in this segment is a mid-30s car enthusiast, although not to the extreme, who lives an active lifestyle. The advertising strategy used by Mazda Company should focus on those target customers. From the positive side, the advertising strategy for the MAZDA6 is that it departed from the approach used for the Protege, as it involved what the company describes as a “more mature” effort.

The strategy used by Mazda for the MAZDA6 utilized a heavily integrated communications program. Print advertising accounted for 12 percent of the overall budget with ads being run in “enthusiast” magazines as well as in lifestyle magazines and newspapers. However, from the negative side, the advertising strategy for the MAZDA6 is that the advertising failed to highlight the difference between MAZDA6 and the sedans under other brand such as Honda. Customers may have knowledge about the MAZDA6 are less mature than the Protege.

From their advertising, it will let customers feel unsure about both the Protege and MAZDA6, if the “Zoom-Zoom” line showed up in the campaigns. Also, the advertising has broadly printed. The advertising is not precise enough on MAZDA6’s target customers, if the advertising was used on ESPN. The target customer of ESPN may conflict with the decision to use a more mature and less playful approach for the MAZDA6. In all, the strategy Mazda is using to advertise the new MAZDA6 sports sedan was unable to fully satisfy with its mission. I do not agree with the decision to use a more mature and less playful approach for the MAZDA6.

First of all, the new MAZDA6 is sports sedan. Both MAZDA6 and Protege are highly similar to each other in performance. Meanwhile, compared with MAZDA6’s competitors, the decision to use a more mature and less playful approach for the MAZDA6 is almost the same to others. The MAZDA6 is difficult to be recognized by customers. Also, the MAZDA6’s target customers are the mid-30s. This mid-30s generally consists of mature and playful.

If the decision is about using a more mature and less playful approach for the MAZDA6, its target customers may be mid-40s instead of mid-30s. Therefore, I do not agree with the current decision to use a more mature and less playful approach for the MAZDA6. 4. What recommendations would you make to Mazda regarding its integrated marketing communications strategy as the company moves forward? If I had to give some recommendations at Mazda’s people about the marketing communication strategy they need to follow, I could given to them the below suggestions: Mazda needs to be focused individual to everyone target group that they want to be addressed.

Every car is not for everyone, so they need to use different ways to attract different group of people. Mazda need to separate the marketing plans, depending the average wage of the consumers, the age, the sex, the lifestyle, and the country that they want to sell a model or the season. Mazda needs to be part of the people’s life. The only way to achieve that is to try hard to promote its product as much they can with no stop for long time. Mazda’s people need to use the TV commercial and the ads to play in the screen hours that the consumers are home and can watch them.

They need to use social media via Internet and “share” their products online. In our days the majority of the people, it doesn’t matter the age use the Internet and they affected from that. Also, they can use blogs online to express new ideas about their models or to ask about people opinion. Furthermore, Mazda can inform the old customers or people who haven’t tried yet the experience of this brand with newsletters at their homes, about news from the car market and specific for the Mazda Company.

To continue with, Mazda can try to “invite” people who used in the past Mazda or new customers for seminars and talk to them about new models and new technology. Also, they can give them the chance for test drive in new cars with no any cost. The secret of the successful marketing communication strategy is the motivation and the trust that you can transfer to the consumers inside your promotion and your advertisement. That is not easy and takes time and need a lot of patient from Mazda to achieve this goal.