Isuzu’s shifts search for growth outside traditional customer base
Looking outside their traditional target market and current customer base has been key to Isuzu’s continued growth said the company’s head of marketing and consumer experience.
Speaking at Mumbrella’s Automotive Marketing Summit, Isuzu Australia’s Michael McLean, said: “How do you continue to grow? For us it was very much so about looking outside of our traditional customer base.”
“It was based around an insight,” said McLean.
The campaign was also centred around the emotional aspect of tradies owning a small business, he said.
“What we found was that tradies had a certain amount of pride in the business and they felt that if they had a vehicle that represented the professional way they conduct their business, then that would reflect on them and help them conduct their business to generate more business.”
When advertising the message and brand campaign McLean noted despite popular opinion email is not dead.
“People say ’email is dead, it’s all about social’. Shit email is dead, quality email is just worth its weight in gold and converts so well”.
Looking into social media and the response from consumers is a step automotive brands should take when assessing the success of a campaign, despite people being “bat shit crazy,” McLean told the audience.
McLean said Facebook comments are “just so interesting”
“Once you get to a certain level of seniority you’re not managing the Facebook page anymore, so you tend not to look, but go in and look because it’s just so interesting,” the Isuzu marketer encouraged.
Giving advice to other automotive brands and marketers wanting to expand their audience pool, McLean said “do your homework”.
“If you do your market research you build up your case. A bit part is convincing your stakeholders internally because there are a lot of mistakes that can be made by reaching outside your traditional base and having your evidence lined up is paramount.”
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