In these economically challenged times for the auto industry, even those brands perceived as “doing well” are looking to refresh, remind and build brand. Such is the case with Honda, as Karl Greenburg points out in Media Post.The brand has reluanched its successful camapign which used to look at more futuristic endearvors, and will now use its racing platform and its engineers looking not just at success but how they built success through failure. The brand will use digital to push longer vignettes that may appeal to a younger buyer, while looking to engage the casual fan through traditional advertsing tieing in their auto racing platforms that will be coming in the spring. At a time when NASCAR is finding ways to deal with their own issues with regard to fan attendance, American car makers cutting back on spending and the like, perhaps this is an opportunity for forward-thinking brands like Honda to push the open wheel agenda to the casual auto racing fan and gain some market share. If nothing else, the campaign is easily identifiable to all of us going through times of self-doubt, and shows how both the savvy brand and those tasked with delivering brand results…the engineers…overcome failure. Nice mix of all aspects to keep a strong brand fresh.
Some other good reads…ANOTHER GREAT SITE TO CHECK OUT…former Brandweek editor Barry Janoff has launche.NY Sports Journalism.com, a site worth bookmrking for all interested…Austin American Statesman takes a look at the rise of book publishing, which is seeing a rebirth when packaged with good strategic marketing…Media Post also has a good look at the best car Super Bowl ads…with Lisa Baird being named the new CMO of the USOC yesterday, the story on the bodies’ marketing challenges in Monday's New York Times becomes all the more interesting…and the Washington Post's Tom Boswell has a good look at how the Washington Capitals are making hockey fun again in D.C…
