Engagement strategy aims to take long-term interest rates higher (guiding principles of car manufacturer Honda’s marketing strategy for the use of television advertising)

Article Type: Abstracts From: Strategic Direction, Volume 27, Issue 8

Barnett M.Marketing Week, February 2011, Vol. 34 No. 6, Start page: 22, No of pages: 2

Describes the guiding principles of car manufacturer Honda’s marketing strategy for its latest Jazz model, in which the television advertisement, which is similar in style to a Pixar animated film, prompts viewers to download a free iPhone application (“app”), which uses audio recognition software to make the characters in the advertisement “jump” from the TV to the handset. Reveals that, rather than driving sales of the Jazz, Honda wants to get people talking and thinking about the brand, creating positive sentiments that can be tapped into at any time. Concludes that it is a marketing philosophy that will not only drive Honda’s advertising strategy, but is likely to form part of a wider engagement focus for the brand. Argues that creating a long-term engagement strategy should help the car maker when things go wrong with a product, and Honda believes that it can reaffirm the bond with the customer if repairs are carried out fast, faults are fixed first time and the customer’s expectations are exceeded.Article type: ViewpointISSN: 0141-9285Reference: 40AG245

Keywords: Advertising effectiveness, Automotive industry,Brand management, Internet marketing, Marketing strategy, Strategic marketing