Nissan USA Marketing Campaign: A SMART Analysis

Nissan USA is continuously trying to improve in a market space that is full of competitors. The automobile sector in the US is one that is highly competitive including old market players such as BMW, KIA, VW, Toyota, Audi, Mercedes Benz, Ford, and so on. The market is also getting new entrants including Tesla, SABA, and Rimac. As a result, Nissan USA is trying all marketing angles to capture variant markets using different targeting strategies and groups. The Nissan Presents: Thrill Driver ad on YouTube is among the most successful advertising campaigns using social media and viral marketing to reach a variety of markets globally.

Situation

Nissan USA is communicating to its target markets due to a need to beat the competition. Marketing includes a variety of aspects, one of which is advertising. Unlike marketing, which is the whole strategy to communicating with people about a brand, advertising is typically a paid kind of message that is intended to generate sales for Nissan USA. Developing opportunities for reaching out and communicating with clients is made possible through marketing communication for businesses. It is possible to promote products and services while also increasing brand recognition by keeping a communication line open at all times. Every point of contact the company has with its consumers helps to solidify the connection with them, which may result in increased total income creation and business stability in the future. This explains why Nissan USA uses familiar faces in order to persuade buyers in their decision to consume.

In order for Nissan USA to market its products, marketing communication techniques must be employed. Product, service, and idea transfer from producers to end users is aided by marketing communication. Nissan USA understands the value of communicating its products to consumers. It intends to beat the competition by succinctly providing a description of its product, thus increasing sales and revenues. It also intends to sell its brand as among the best in the world. Here, marketing will assist Nissan USA in the establishment and maintenance of relationships with existing customers, prospects, and other important stakeholders. From the ad, Nissan USA hopes that the marketing strategy is interlinked with communication since it ensures that everyone is on the same page. Being receptive to the clients’ concerns helps in building long-term solutions to their issues (Mihart, 2012), an aspect that Nissan USA highlights in the ad using the new automobile that has a futuristic appearance yet subtle and meets the needs of the modern car buyer.

Message

The advertisement uses the product as the central and core character. The ad wants to communicate a message of versatility. The product is quick, goofy, futuristic, elegant, well-designed, sporty, and noticeable. The message that the ad passes across is that of a product that is not shy but one that is brave and paving the way for the future car. In short, Nissan USA is trying to market its Nissan brand as one that is ahead of the competition curve. The ad passes a notable message that a thrilling drive has the power to change everything. By putting the all-new Nissan Z 2023 and the all-electric Nissan Arya 2023 in the market, Nissan USA hoped that the big stage will showcase its mission and vision for the future. The new Nissan has a bit of modesty and thrill in equal measure depending o the driver’s mood.

Audience

Nissan USA targets the modern age consumers. Specifically, it targets Gen Z target market that is characterized by thrill. The psychological targeting is simply based on passion and a thrill to drive the next fastest and coolest looking vehicle. The product, Nissan Z 2023, targets the enthusiastic sports car lovers looking for a thrill and a dynamic performer. The product has the Gen Z in mind, looking forward to a future connecting the car to the modern consumer. It intends to create a bond between driver and car, something that Gen Z consumers would appreciate in a product.

Response

The ad wants its audience to appreciate the product, recognize the state-of-the-art design and build, and create a connection with the vehicle similar to the sports cars of the 60s-80s. Nissan USA wants the driver to be fully connected to the vehicle, not just physically through modern connectivity tools, but also mentally through a thrilling and exhilarating drive. The ad show that the Nissan USA team engineered a vehicle that delivers predictable as well as responsive handling that is unique for every driver. The overall expected response is buying the vehicle in large numbers as an icon of the future.

Tool

Video marketing is the best way for Nissan USA to get its message out to its target markets. In the automotive sector, video content reigns supreme. A lot of automobile consumers believe that seeing is believing, therefore they have to be able to comprehend the whole aesthetic appeal of an automobile before they can see themselves driving it (Liu et al., 2019). The current Nissan USA ad best fits this description. The actors and influencers used to drive the campaign come out as regular people driving the car with modesty and are able to adapt to its capabilities, versatility, and dynamics within a short period of time. The video marketing strategy helps a consumer to picture themselves driving one of the products marketed.

References

Liu, G. F., Gao, P. C., Li, C. Y., & Zhang, Z. P. (2019). Research on the influence of social media short video marketing on consumer brand attitude. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, 336, 784-789.

Mihart, C. (2012). Impact of integrated marketing communication on consumer behaviour: Effects on consumer decision-making process. International Journal of Marketing Studies, 4(2), 121.

Nissan USA. (February, 3, 2022). Nissan Presents: Thrill Driver. [YouTube]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bu56KAaIcac&t=60s