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Nissan LEAF

Ace* Advertising

I. SITUATION ANALYSIS

• CURRENT USER

Since Renault-Nissan is introducing “Leaf” for the first time in Singapore, there are no current users for the product in market.

• PRODUCT EVALUATION

The Nissan LEAF (Leading, Environmentally friendly, Affordable, Family car) is a fully electric, zero emission, 5-door hatch back car that was introduced in 1999 by Nissan.

It was first launched in Japan and United States in December 2010 further in Europe and since then it sold more than 27000 units worldwide.

Nissan plans to launch LEAF by September 2012 with an on road price of close to SGD 90,000 after a substantial deduction in COE (Certificate of Entitlement) and other taxes based on TIDE Plus scheme by Singapore Energy Market Authority and Land Transport Authority.

• COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS

Though the Nissan LEAF has many market competitors in Singapore, its main rivals are the Mitsubishi I-MiEV from the electric vehicles segment and the Toyota Prius C from Hybrid segment.

The following is the competitive analysis between these two major brands and Nissan LEAF:

|Name/ Specifications |Nissan LEAF |Mitsubishi i-MiEV |Toyota Prius C |
|Engine |80 kW, 280 Nm Torque |47 kW, 180Nm Torque |HSD Electric motor~40 kW, 90NmTorque |
| | | |Hybrid output ~90 kW |
|Type |5-seater hatch back |4-seater hatch back |5-seater hatch back |
|Range |100 Miles |80 Miles | NA |
|Features |Family car |Compact Car |Family Car |
| |Zero Emission, |Zero Emission |CO2 Emission |
| |45 mpg with fully EV |35 mpg with fully EV |Hybrid with long driving range |
| |Interior is made of fully recycled |8-year / 100000 miles limited |45 mpg with Gasoline and EV combined |
| |materials |warranty |drive |
| |Equipped with Passenger Warning system | |Battery and Hybrid-related components |
| |Li-ion Battery warranty is for | |for hybrid vehicles are covered for |
| |8-year/100,000 miles | |8-year/100,000 miles |
|Price |90,000 SGD |~ 75,000 SGD |125,000 SGD |

II. CREATIVE BRIEF (ROI)

• ISSUES

What are the key issues facing the brand?

There is a lack of brand awareness of the Nissan LEAF in the automobile industry of Singapore.

As electric vehicles are still a minority in the industry, there are concerns that it will not be adopted on a national scale and end up to be just a trending concept.

There is an overall misconception that electric vehicles cost more than gas-powered vehicles.

There are insufficient charging stations located in the country and concerns that the battery life of the car will not be able to last until the next charge.

There is lack of automobile workshops and mechanic with the expertise to service the LEAF in the case of any problems.

• OBJECTIVES

What is the client’s marketing objective?

To obtain a sales figure of at least 500 units of the Nissan LEAF in Singapore by December 2012.

What are the advertising objectives?

To increase brand awareness of the Nissan LEAF to 70% within the targeted audience and demographic by December 2012.

To educate the target audience and demographic about the unique differences between the Nissan LEAF and other gas-powered automobiles by September 2012.

To educate the target audience and demographic about the unique differences between the Nissan LEAF and other electric vehicles in the market by September 2012.

How will these advertising objectives be measured?

The number of consumers who purchase the Nissan LEAF and the number of potential buyers who visit the various sales outlets will be recorded and reviewed.

Various post campaign surveys will be conducted to test brand recognition and awareness of the differences between the Nissan LEAF and the other electric vehicles in the market.

• TARGET

To whom will the advertising be addressed?

The primary target audience is young families and the secondary targets are young working adults, both of which are looking either to purchase a new car or to replace their current car to something that is more suited to their needs.

The focus will be on young families that comprises of married couples with at least one child and a combined household income of at least $150,000 annually. It is likely that both parents own a driver’s license and are attracted to cost-effective automobiles. These families view cars as a tool to aid in everyday needs such as sending and picking up the child from school, commuting to and from work, running errands and means of transportation for family activities.

What would this target be like as a person? What feelings, attitudes and beliefs does this target hold about our brand?

The target audience is working parents who have to juggle a busy work life as well as family at the same time. They typically have a live-in domestic helper to aid in domestic chores and to care for their child.

They see each other before and after work during the weekdays and spend most of their weekends together, devoting it to quality time with family and friends.

They usually watch television during meals and the primetime belt. They normally discuss the day’s happenings at night while preparing for bedtime.

The target audience knows Nissan as an established car manufacturer that produces practical and dependable cars. They do not have any established feelings or attitudes towards the Nissan LEAF at this point as the car has yet to be officially launched and there is low awareness.

They believe that they will be able to accumulate greater savings with an electric car as they no longer need to spend on gas.

What is the Personal Media Network of a typical target audience member? In what type of activities does the target typically engage?

Ben and Rachel begin at 7a.m. Ben walks Ashley, age 7 and Aaron, age 10, to the school bus and then reads The Straits Times while Rachel showers and get ready for work. He reads the main section, which focuses on Asian and international news, and the ‘Home’ section for local news and sports, then he goes to the bathroom to get ready for work. Julie turns on the television in the living room to Channel News Asia and flips through the papers while waiting for Ben at the dining table. They both have breakfast at 7.45a.m., and leave the house at 8a.m. for work.

They both listen to Class 95 FM in the car; Ben occasionally switches to Power 98FM after dropping Rachel off at her workplace. Rachel usually starts her day in the office with her first cup of coffee while reading the entertainment news online through xinmsn and Yahoo Singapore. She then proceeds to check her personal email before starting her day at work. Ben reads The Business Times, which he brought from home, and checks through his personal email accounts before he begins work.

Both Ben and Rachel are connected to the social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter through their work computers. They also interact with their friends through the instant messenging program, Windows Live Messenger.

Rachel either reads 8 Days, Simply Her or Young Parents while waiting for Ben to pick her up from work. They reach home just before 7p.m. and then proceed to have dinner together as a family. During dinner, the television is turned on to the local channel, Channel 8. At 8p.m. the children goes to read or do their homework, while Ben and Rachel continues watching television. If the children finish their work early, they will use the computer or join their parents in the living room.

The children go to bed at 10p.m., Ben and Rachel also retire to their bedroom where they will talk about the day’s happenings and then catch up on some light reading before going to sleep. Ben usually prefers to read Men’s Health and Top Gear Singapore, while Rachel prefers fiction books.

• ACTION

What action do we want our target to take as a result of exposure to the advertising?

We want our target audience to develop an interest in the Nissan LEAF, visit our various sales outlets and purchase it.

What action will this action replace?

This action will replace the targeted audience and demographic to purchase other gas-powered cars and other electric vehicles in Singapore

• REWARD AND SUPPORT

What competitive advantages or equities does the brand have that are or would be valued by the target?

The headlights in Nissan LEAF consume 50% less electricity than halogen lamps.

60% of the interior is made up of recycled materials, mostly from plastic water bottles, which can also be transformed back into bottles or other electro-cars.

The lithium-ion battery in Nissan LEAF has a 100,000 mile warranty.

Fast charging of only 30mins can get the Nissan LEAF 80% charged.

It can go up to 95 miles per hour.

Operating cost of only USD$0.03/mile, which is much cheaper compared to the USD$0.12/mile cost of most gasoline cars.

Nissan LEAF can text the drivers about its charging status.

As a result of the advertising, the target will conclude:

If I purchase the Nissan LEAF

Instead of purchasing other gas-powered cars or electric vehicles

I will be more eco-friendly and save on gas money

Because it is an electric vehicle that is not gas-powered and 60% of its interior is made from recycled material

• PERSONALITY

What is your brand’s current personality?

Nissan is known for being innovative, dependable, welcoming, unique and practical.

What does it need to be?

Nissan should remain innovative and unique, while still being dependable and practical. It should also be known as caring and environmental-conscious.

• MEDIA

When, where and under what circumstances will the target be most open to hearing about and desiring to obtain the specific reward and support?

As a large percentage of the target audience and demographic is most engaged with print media especially newspapers, this will be a viable medium to capture the attention towards the product through advertisements. They would want to know the product features, affordability, and cost of ownership since they are the working middle class and their concern is to accumulate greater savings.

Considering the targets Personal Media Network, Client Objective, and Budget and Competitive considerations, what combination of media vehicles do you suggest for the campaign?

Newspaper advertisements in The Strait Times, The New Paper and Business Times, adjacent to the business section.

Advertisements and feature write ups in magazines like 8 Days, Young Parents, Top Gear Singapore and Autocar.

Also broadcasting advertisements and feature stories through radio stations like Class 95FM, Power 98FM, Y.E.S. 933FM, 987FM and free-to-air television channels like Channel 5, Channel 8 and Channel News Asia.

• KEY INSIGHT

The key insight focus of this campaign is on the unique, innovative and dependable features of the Nissan LEAF, how cost-effective it is and its eco-friendly nature.

There should also be a focus on how to make people aware of the unique advantages of the Nissan LEAF.

III. BIG IDEA (CONCEPT)

The slogan that will be featured in all the advertisements across all platforms is: Live with LEAF.

This advertisement slogan is catering to the consumer’s daily life and how the Nissan LEAF can enrich it. The slogan has the product name (LEAF) incorporated inside and also encourages them to be more environmentally friendly, as the colour green which is usually associated with the word leaf also means to care for the environment.

The slogan uses a rational advertising appeal with a commanding headline to focus on the practicality of using the Nissan LEAF and the tagline further highlights the advantages the consumers can enjoy if they purchase it. The copy also appeals of one of the eight inborn needs which is to advance in life as it hints that gas-powered vehicles are a things of the past and electric vehicles is the way to commute in future.

IV. CREATIVE EXECUTIONS

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Sample of postcard

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Sample of print advertisement

V. MEDIA PLAN

• OBJECTIVES

To increase brand awareness of the Nissan LEAF to 70% within the targeted audience and demographic by December 2012.

To educate young parents and young working adults about the unique differences between the Nissan LEAF and other gas-powered automobiles by September 2012.

To educate young parents and young working adults about the unique differences between the Nissan LEAF and other electric vehicles in the market by September 2012.

• STRATEGIES

Magazines, MediaCorp radio stations, free-to-air television channels, newspapers and outdoor print and video advertisements

• TACTICS

A media blitz will be employed for the pre-launch campaign, which lasts for 2 months, until September 2012, to grab the public’s attention and raise awareness for the Nissan LEAF. Thereafter, we will have a continuous media schedule till December 2012 with advertisements on magazines, newspapers, television, radio and new media platforms to constantly remind potential car buyers about Nissan LEAF.

Blitz Media Schedule

Magazines: 8 Days, I-weekly, torque, HOT stuff, Men's Health, Top Gear Singapore

Full colour, full-page (far forward right hand read opposite editorial) for every issue until September

Radio Stations: Class 95FM, 987FM, Y.E.S. 93.3FM, Love 97.2FM, Lush99.5FM

30 seconds spot to be played hourly, every day during the drive times until September

FTA Television Channels: Channel 5, Channel 8, Channel News Asia

6 30 seconds spot to be played every day during the golden prime time timebelt until September

Newspaper: The Straits Times, The Sunday Times, Today, Weekend Today, Business Times, Berita Harian, Tamil Murasu, Lianhe Zaobao

Full colour, half page for every alternate issue until September.

Outdoor Print Advertisements: advertisement boards at bus stops and train stations, post cards

Outdoor Video Advertisements: LED TV screen at Suntec City and outside Raffles City MRT Station.

Continuous Media Schedule

Magazines: torque, HOT stuff, Top Gear Singapore

Full colour, full-page (far forward right hand read opposite editorial) for every issue until December

Radio Stations: Class 95FM, 987FM, Y.E.S. 93.3FM, Lush99.5FM

10 30 seconds spot to be played daily during the drive times until December

FTA Television Channels: Channel News Asia

10 30 seconds spots to be played every day during the golden prime time timebelt until December

Newspaper: The Sunday Times, Weekend Today, Business Times, Lianhe Zaobao

Full colour, half page for every alternate issue until December.

Outdoor Print Advertisements: advertisement boards at bus stops and train stations, post cards, posters at various NISSAN show rooms