Automotive News - October 13, 2008 - (Page 36) OCTOBER 13, 2008 • 43 Mazda ad chief: New tune for ‘zoom-zoom’ dvertising executive Rob Strasberg is best known as the brains behind the U.S. ad launch of the Mini brand and the “Safety” and “Unpimp Your Auto” campaigns for Volkswagen of America. This year, Strasberg became chief creative officer of the suburban Detroit agency Doner Advertising, which handles the ad account for Mazda North American Operations. Strasberg is no stranger to Mazda vehicles: While he worked on the Land Rover account for the Crispin Porter + Bogusky ad agency, he drove a Miata for five years. The new ad campaign for the redesigned Mazda6 is the first work from Doner under Strasberg’s leadership. Strasberg, 39, spoke with Los Angeles Bureau Chief Mark Rechtin about his new job and his work for Mazda. A STRATEGY 2009: ROB STRASBERG What’s the last stuff you loaded on your iPod? I have two kids under 3, so it was Raffi. But I get a download of 20 to 25 songs every few weeks from the music guy at Doner so I can be relevant. Why come to Doner and Mazda? Doner has amazing brands, nationally recognized brands. But one of the main reasons was that I wanted to work on Mazda. “Zoom-zoom” is one of the most defined brands — a singular focus defined to the consumer. Every chief marketing officer looks for fresh, exciting work. All work can get better, and I wanted to help effect change. I saw huge possibilities. When you see what is possible for the brand creatively, there is no reason that Mazda can’t be to cars what Nike is to sports. You have to have big dreams. It’s not about doing a print ad. It’s about having an effect on culture. You’re based in Michigan. How often are you in California to meet with Mazda? I’m out here every three weeks. It’s an easy flight. But we videoconference every day. Where do you see Mazda headed? I’ve looked a lot at where “zoomzoom’s” evolution is today. The Mazda6 is a launchpad, not only for design but for marketing. It’s a turning point. That means it is time for the marketing to evolve. Mazda had done an amazing job of building an understanding of what zoom-zoom is. But it has been around since 2000, and like anything else, it’s good to have fresh perspective on what it means to the consumer. The Mazda6 is a new level of sophistication for Mazda. We’ve had a young audience, but we are expanding that audience. We needed to elevate Mazda’s sophistication but never leave behind the enthusiast. What is Mazda’s untapped brand strength? If Nike is passion for sports, then Mazda is passion for driving. It’s as simple as that. We’re giving people a reframing of what zoom-zoom means to them, adding excitement to their lives. We’re showing them that driving doesn’t have to be an A-to-B experience. Does the Mazda brand play better in certain media? No, it shouldn’t. It’s a definitive point that separates us from other manufacturers. Zoom-zoom is not just about being fun to drive. DOUG CANNELL/ISTOCKPHOTO dent creative thinking to be daring enough to put it out there in the world. It was a big brand statement. With the Mazda6, we have six airbags, blind-spot alert and other technical advances that I was amazed to see when I came here. The Passat would die to have blind-spot alert, and it costs eight grand more. Are celebrities effective in car campaigns? You used Peter Stormare in “Unpimp Your Auto” — hardly an A-list celebrity, but a recognizable actor. That was right for the GTI. As for celebrity, I don’t think 5 percent of people knew who Peter Stormare was. I would never use a celebrity just to get attention. Mazda’s customer loyalty is among the industry’s worst. What can the marketing side do to improve that? Actually, I think VW was worse. That’s all VW could talk about — how much they were losing. The answer for Mazda is the Mazda6. You drive it, you feel it, you get the sense it’s a new level for Mazda. Mazda loyalty has gone from 18 to 33 percent in the last few years. But that’s still way below players like Toyota, Ford and Chevy. I think we can double it again. The Mazda6 feels like a $30,000-plus car. It drives like a BMW or a Lexus, but for 10 grand less. The Mazda3 has established the truth that Mazda delivers. There are some discerning people who thought Mazda couldn’t deliver for them, and the Mazda6 is going to change that. This is our flag in the ground. What is the main thing Mazda needs to change to be a better-known brand? You need both ideas and product. You can have the greatest ideas, but if the product is not up to par, then it falls flat. Imagine Apple without great products. It’s always surprising and engaging. Steve Jobs has a defined idea in his head of where Apple needs to be. Whether it’s right or wrong, it might be hard to accomplish, but everyone knows the direction. c MELISSA TREMBLAY PHOTOGRAPHY When we come up with an idea to make a car more fuel-efficient, that’s zoom-zoom. When it’s making the side mirror a fraction more aerodynamic, that’s zoom-zoom. When you do a power slide into a parking slot, that’s zoom-zoom. I have taken a peek behind the curtain for what’s coming in the next few years. Mazda is delivering on all levels. How does your approach to Mazda’s advertising and marketing differ from that for Mini and VW? I don’t see it as different. The important thing is the relationship and getting everyone in sync. We get to understand what the problem is for my client, what keeps him up at night. As I approached Mazda, it was to find out what is core to them. I needed to know why Mazda is so success- ful, why it is an answer to people’s question. Is Mazda too small to benefit from brand marketing? Must all its marketing be product-driven? We are showing our product in an incredibly branded way. Using the heartbeat or fist pound (as a soundtrack to ads) is zoom-zoom from beginning to end. We hope it’s in your head when you go to bed tonight. But brands need to evolve. Maybe not everyone knows Mazda is zoomzoom, but not everyone knows BMW is the ultimate driving machine, either. What lessons did you learn from the Mini launch? Can any of them apply to Mazda? With Mini, we went at it with every touch point a consumer has. We didn’t have the budget for a TV launch, so we needed to look at how surprising or interesting or permeating Mini can be. Now we’re starting to implement that with Mazda. We’re looking at the buying process, how dealers meet people online, how you meet people outdoors, how you meet people with dogs. We have a lot of irons in the fire. Some industry watchers were surprised that VW embarked on a safety campaign. What did you discover as a result of those ads? At the time, it was an aspect of German engineering we wanted to exploit, while noting that you could get it for an affordable price. Is there a chance we could do it for Mazda? Maybe. With VW, sales went up. But there were two things going on. The ads told a great safety story, but it also showed VW had the indepen- http://www.CREDCOservices.com/RedFlag http://www.CREDCOservices.com/RedFlag
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