Case Study 5 Mazda
Brand: Mazda Motors UK, automotive manufacturer. Campaign: 'Parking' (2003).
Description: At the time of this campaign, Mazda's viral marketing activity was driven by and integrated with their CRM activity, response being a core focus.
The campaign, featuring a video clip and buzz story that piggybacked off the contemporary rash of girl versus boy magazine articles, driving shows on TV, etc., struck a major chord with online users, sparking global debate on blogs and forums about male and female parking capabilities. (For example, 'All I can say is clever, very clever. Now let's see her get out.')25 The campaign created high-profile, wide-spreading conversation without resorting to overly controversial, dark, or shocking themes. Mazda is seen to be overtly having fun with its brand without alienating consumers, and getting across its brand messages without bashing consumers over the head. The campaign also clocked up a lot of free editorial exposure (including being voted Best Viral Campaign of 2003 in the UK's Campaign advertising trade magazine and its German counterpart), and the initially Web-only clip ended up being used as a TV ad in several territories.
The 'Parking' campaign was the second in a series of eight online viral marketing campaigns undertaken by Mazda Motors UK to date. Most of the campaigns have featured Web-exclusive viral agents (whereby the material is made specifically for online use only), and the 'Parking' campaign epitomizes the reasons why. To date, it has generated over 5.5 million calculable clip views and driven over 200 000 visits to the Mazda website - and those figures are increasing daily, even two years after the campaign's launch. It has also helped sell a product that is very similar to many others in its class.
This campaign is another example of using online viral marketing as part of a process, rather than a one-off event - it's a means to an end, delivering awareness and driving response. As Steve Jelliss, then-CRM Manager for Mazda Motors (UK), stated: 'Our ongoing series of online viral marketing campaigns have proven their value in providing high brand exposure to a wide-as-possible audience, and ultimately contributing to car sales.'26
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