2. Chevrolet is throwing another hat into the small
car ring. The upper-level advertising students of
the University of Texas at Arlington have been
challenged to orchestrate a marketing strategy to
get Generation Y, specifically the UTA community,
behind the wheel of this vehicle; to get ourselves
behind the wheel of the Chevrolet Sonic.
Challenge accepted.
To execute this plan, we will implement a strategy
designed to market to the student body – from
within the student body.
We learned from our research that the problem
with our target market is perception. They perceive
Chevrolet as a brand that is lacking, inferior to its
competitors. What’s more, the Chevrolet Sonic is
almost non-existent in the minds of the ones we
expect to buy the vehicle.
However, after we’ve completed our campaign at
UTA, the Sonic will be at the forefront of the minds
of each student. Concordantly, Chevrolet will be
ushered into acceptance alongside the Sonic. With
constant exposure, the target market will realize
that the ever-elusive perfect fit is the Sonic.
We will highlight the features the consumers of our
target group have grown to look for in the
marketplace, emphasize the Sonic’s fuel efficiency
and other practicalities.
What we have created is the Big MAV on Campus, a
school-year-long integrated marketing
communications campaign that will take UTA’s
Mavericks by the reins and steer them right into
the driver’s seat of the all-new 2012 Chevrolet
Sonic. The Sonic is fun. It is aggressive. It has the
attitude of its intended driver. We will transform a
Chevrolet Sonic from the automobile it is into one
of us. It will become… the Big MAV on Campus.
3. Projections
• 2012 projected small car sales: 665,000
vehicles
• Chevrolet Sonic market share goal: 10% of
small car market
• Chevrolet small cars sales goal: approximately
$964,000,000
Consumer Expectations
• Fuel economy because of high gas prices
• Value because of economic downturn
• Connectivity because they are millennial
• Safety features because they are now standard
in small cars and to challenge the 'unsafe'
perception of small cars
4. Strengths
• Competitive fuel economy
• Competitive price
• Good connectivity features
• Good safety features
• Best student discount program
Weaknesses
• Most features similar to what's already
offered
• Brand/product awareness
Opportunities
• Lowered competition from Honda and
Toyota because of the March 2011
earthquake. This gives Chevrolet a solid
chance at capturing a decent chunk of
market share.
• Chevrolet is not considered
environmentally friendly
• Nissan Versa sales decreased by 15.9
percent
Threats
• Chevrolet is perceived to be inferior in
quality.
• Chevrolet is not considered
environmentally friendly
• Chevrolet engineering is not considered
the best
• Honda sales increased by 11.3 percent
5. Competitive Analysis
Positioning
The Chevrolet Sonic needs to be positioned as the safe, fun and connected alternative,
which provides high-gas mileage at a reasonable price. Tactics need to address the
interactive aspect of advertising, which is essential for millennials. The Sonic has an
advantage over the competition because of its high fuel efficiency and great student
discount program. The main focus of the campaign should be to differentiate the Sonic
from the competition by relating to the target audience and creating brand loyalty. Ways
to do that will be addressed in the tactics section.
6. Demographics
• Ages 18-26
• Sons and daughters of the Baby Boomer
generation
• 68-71 million in the United States
• Largest consumer group in the history of
U.S. and will be the most lucrative in the
future
• Spend between $170 and $190 billion per
year
• 3.5 million Gen Y drivers get their licenses
each year
• Very diverse, consisting of 1/3 minorities
(predominantly African Americans and
Hispanics)
Psychographics
• Growing immune to most sales pitches,
relying instead on peer evaluations and
positive word of mouth
• Very high awareness level of advertising
• Do not want to drive cars they see their
parents driving - unlike Baby Boomers
• Very tech savvy, family centric,
achievement oriented, team oriented and
attention craving
• Addicted to motion, change and constant
activity
• Excellent at multitasking, especially with
technology
• Always seeking out new challenges and
experiences
7. Chevrolet Sonic Attributes Attractive to Gen Y
• Great gas mileage (40 mpg highway)
• Ability to customize and tune the car to
preference (Wraps, sports packages,
ground kits, etc.)
• Inexpensive base price point ($14,495)
• Tech connectivity (iPod connection,
Bluetooth, XM Satellite Radio,
MyChevrolet Remote Link)
• OnStar service including GPS, hands free
calling, roadside assistance, remote door
unlock, Google Maps and MapQuest
navigation
8. UT Arlington Student Survey
• 510 people surveyed
• 79% of respondents were 18-26 years old
• 61.7% female; 38.3% male
Survey Results
• 73.6% of the respondents didn’t know who
made Sonic
• Honda, Toyota and Nissan all ranked higher
than Chevrolet in overall opinion, quality and
engineering, value and cost of operation and
environmental friendliness
• 91.3% of respondents were unaware of
Chevrolet’s college discount program
• Among body styles, the four-door Econosize
was ranked below Midsize Sedan,
SUV/Crossover and two-door Sport Coupe.
9.
10. Chevrolet did not score very well in our sample market
survey. This means we have a great opportunity that we
need to seize. What better way to sway the misinformed
masses who believe Chevrolet produces an inferior
product than giving a population of more than 30,000
the opportunity to interact with that product for an
entire school year?
Utilizing the information gathered from our primary
research and SWOT analyses, we have arrived at a
strategy with great potential. We will create a campaign
in which students will continuously see, hear about and
get to interact with the Chevrolet Sonic, thus putting it at
the forefront of their minds and changing their opinions.
We will execute this campaign through interactive and
informational promo booths at large campus events
throughout the school year leading up to a large end-of-
year Chevrolet event, interactive activities, poster and
newspaper advertising, heavy use of social media and tie
it all together with the chance for a student to win a
Chevrolet Sonic. These tactics will lead to a campus-wide
awareness of the Sonic and should highlight its
connectivity features, design, fuel efficiency and its fun,
aggressive personality, thus changing Chevrolet’s and the
Sonic’s image in the target market’s minds.
Communication Goals
• Achieve at least 5,000 Twitter followers
• Achieve at least 5,000 Facebook “likes”
• Acquire at least 1,000 e-mail addresses for e-
newsletter and future direct marketing
• Have at least 65% awareness of the campaign
and the Chevrolet Sonic on campus
• Have a total event attendance of at least 2,000
people at the end-of-year Sonic event
11. Big MAV on Campus Campaign
This campaign is an integrated marketing communications plan that will span the course of the fall and
spring semesters at The University of Texas at Arlington campus to build a general awareness of the
Chevrolet Sonic and improve the overall image of Chevrolet among the target market: ages 18-26.
It will include:
• Chevrolet Sonic “Big MAV” promo car, named after the university’s mascot, the mavericks.
• Promo booths with fun, interactive games and activities at popular campus events throughout the school
year
• A large end-of-year bash, dubbed the Sonic Boom, which will include music, games, interactive activities
and a Chevrolet Sonic giveaway
• A strong social media presence on Facebook and Twitter
• Campus newspaper advertising
• Event poster advertising
• Student Organizations’ shirt sponsorships
• Campus event sponsorship
• Free shirt giveaways at promo booths
The goal of these tactics is to put the Chevrolet Sonic in the forefront of the target market’s minds and to
articulate its attributes to them through the use of the Big MAV on Campus promo events all leading up to
the Sonic Boom event.
12. Chevrolet Sonic “Big MAV” Car
• Will have a UT Arlington-themed spirit wrap
• Will be personified through social media
• Will be used for campus-wide interactive activities
• Will make appearances at numerous campus events
• Will become a “campus celebrity” throughout the course of the school year
• Will be given away at the Sonic Boom
• Students will have the opportunity to interact with the car at every event that we are at
A large incentive, such as winning a car, will get the target
market to attend and interact with us at our campaign events.
13. Interactive/Non-Traditional Marketing
• Will be used heavily in this campaign; target market
responsiveness to this form of marketing is very high.
• Twitter will be used to post clues as to the locations of
the hidden keys in the scavenger hunts. This will
attract students to Big MAV’s social media profiles.
• Social Media profiles can also be used to post other
Chevrolet-related news and facts and to interact with
his fans and followers.
• A photo booth inside of Big MAV at campus events
will allow students to pile in for a picture that will be
uploaded to the Big MAV on Campus Facebook profile.
Students can then tag themselves in the picture at our
computer on-site, thus displaying the picture, our fan
page and the Chevrolet Sonic to that person’s entire
friend base.
• Event and campus organization shirt sponsorships will
get thousands of people wearing shirts with our logo,
helping to build awareness of the campaign and the
Chevrolet Sonic.
Our research shows that the target audience is
heavily involved with social media and responds
positively to interactive activities.
14. Key Scavenger Hunts
• A Chevrolet Sonic key will be hidden at seven
different events throughout the school year;
three keys will be hidden at the Sonic Boom
• Each of these scavenger hunts requires
students to search for a key, which will be
hidden somewhere on-site at each event
• Hints as to the locations of the keys will be
given out via @BigMavOnCampus twitter
during the events
• The first person to find the key wins it
• All key winners (10 total) will then be able to
try starting the ignition of the Chevrolet Sonic
“Big MAV” car at the Sonic Boom event; the
person with the key that starts it wins the Big
MAV car
• The incentive of finding a key at the campus
events will create buzz around the campus
about the campaign and the Chevrolet Sonic; it
should also drastically increase event
attendance
The key scavenger hunts will be a fun interactive
activity with a huge participation incentive that the
target market should respond very well to.
15. Traditional and Direct Marketing
• Posters will be posted on campus announcing
which events Big MAV and the Chevrolet Sonic
Promo booth will be at, as well as posters
advertising our campaign and the Sonic Boom
event.
• We will advertise our appearances and campaign
in the campus newspaper, The Shorthorn.
Estimated readership is 70% of the university’s
33,000+ students.
• Handouts containing information about our
campaign will be given out at our promo booth.
• E-newsletter will be sent out to subscribers who
sign up to receive it at our promo booth.
These tactics are a low-cost way of reaching a
large portion of the campus community, creating
buzz around our campaign and being ever-
present in the mind of our target market.
16. Campus Events Promo Booth
• Promo booths will be set up at seven different campus
events throughout the year
• We will work closely with campus organizations
hosting the events to obtain booth space at events
• The booths and any other activities for the campaign
will be worked by Chevrolet interns to cut costs
• Key scavenger hunts will occur at each event; hints will
be given out via Big MAV’s Twitter account during the
event
• Chevrolet Sonic “Big Mav” car will always be present
at events
• The Chevrolet Sonic will be used as a photo booth by
using a dash-mounted camera; photos will be
uploaded to Facebook on-site where participants can
tag themselves
• Free “Big MAV on Campus” shirt giveaways; shirts will
be given to students who choose to provide their e-
mail address for an e-newsletter and future direct
marketing efforts or if they “like” or follow our social
media profile
• Event appearances will be advertised via social
networking, posters on campus and campus
newspaper advertising
• Other event-related games and activities will occur at
the booth, involving event attendees
• Marketing materials, such as hand-outs, describing
our campaign and attributes of the Chevrolet Sonic
will be distributed
The promo booth will provide campus event
attendees with an opportunity to interact with the
Chevrolet Sonic and participate in fun activities.
17. The Chevrolet Sonic promo booth and Key Scavenger Hunt
activity will be at the following scheduled campus events.
Promo Booth Schedule – Fall
Activities Fair Day
• First large event of the school year
• Dozens of student organizations set up booths in
the middle of the campus to pass out marketing
materials to thousands of student attendees.
• Information about the campaign will be
distributed.
Oozeball
• A day-long mud volleyball tournament
• This campus tradition attracts approximately 350-
400 students
• Oozeball t-shirts, given to all participants, will be
sponsored by the Chevrolet Sonic Big MAV on
Campus campaign; logo will be clearly visible on
shirts
Fall Concert
• This annual UT Arlington event consistently sells
out every year with big name acts such as
Rihanna, Maroon 5, B.O.B. and Lupe Fiasco;
Approximate attendance is 2,700.
• An air guitar contest for bragging rights will be
held at the promo booth, creating some great
photo opportunities for students
Annual Sigma Chi Fight Night
• Fight Night is an annual amateur boxing
tournament, featuring UT Arlington students, that
benefits the local Boys and Girls Club hosted by
the Alpha Chi fraternity.
• Attendance is approximately 2,000.
• The Chevrolet Sonic promo booth will host a
strength contest using an old school punching
machine for bragging rights.
18. Sponsorships
• We will sponsor the University’s annual Fall
Concert by paying for the venue and all
production costs, in return it will be renamed the
Chevrolet Fall Concert and our logo will be on all
marketing materials as well as signage at the
event; average attendance is approximately 2,700
• We will also sponsor the annual Sigma Chi Fight
Night event by paying for the event t-shirts and
any other event costs in return our logo will be on
the t-shirts and all marketing materials; average
attendance is approximately 2,000
By sponsoring large events like these, the Sonic
and Chevrolet’s image among the target market
will improve and create buzz about our
campaign.
19. The Chevrolet Sonic promo booth and Key Scavenger Hunt
activity will be at the following scheduled campus events.
Promo Booth Schedule - Spring
College Park Center Opening/Basketball Game
• This Spring will host the opening of the university’s
brand new $78 million College Park Center, which
seats approximately 7,000 people, where the school’s
basketball team will host its games.
• The Chevrolet Sonic promo booth will host a pre-
game tailgate party in the parking lot; free food will
be given out
Volleyball Game
• Attendance at volleyball games can be anywhere
from 500-1,000
• We will host a game that is sure to amuse and
provide a comedic opportunity; contestants will have
to race to air up a volleyball for bragging rights.
Homecoming Game
• Because our school lacks a football team, we
celebrate our homecoming games with our
basketball team. The homecoming game is typically
the game with the highest attendance of the season.
• Big MAV will participate in the golf cart parade, a
homecoming tradition, prior to the game.
• A DDR game will be set up at the booth connected to
a large LCD TV that will be resting in the Sonic’s
spacious hatchback storage area, demonstrating its
spaciousness and versatility.
20. Sonic Boom
• This event will be a large end-of-year bash for the
students.
• We will reserve the Library Mall on-campus for
this event.
• DJ/MC will provide music as well as host games
and giveaways.
• We will grill and serve hotdogs, veggie burgers
and hand out water bottles to students.
• Big MAV will be available for photo booth
pictures.
• Sonic Boom t-shirt giveaways
• Final key scavenger hunt will occur for the final
three keys; hints still given out on Twitter.
• All key holders will then get to try starting Big
MAV to see who gets to take him home. Free food and the Sonic giveaway as well as the music and
cars set up in the middle of campus should attract a large
number of students.
22. IMC / Media Schedule
As you can see from this plan, we have strategically created a continuous integrated marketing
communications plan to effectively engrain the Chevrolet Sonic into the forefront of the target
market’s mind.
23. By using low-cost, high impact methods of marketing that would
create buzz around our campaign, we were able to focus our
budget on creating a long-term continuous plan that would net
the highest number of impressions possible through interaction
with the target market.
24. Effectiveness of tactics can be measured by:
•Attendance at events and participation in the
games and activities at the promo booth
•Number of page “likes” on Facebook
•Number of followers on Twitter
•The number of e-newsletter subscribers
•A follow-up survey at the beginning of Fall, the
next school year, gauging the success of our
campaign in instilling an awareness and the
positive attributes of the Chevrolet Sonic
•Sales numbers for the Chevrolet Sonic in
Arlington, TX and the surrounding area after the
campaign
•Number of website hits to the Chevrolet Sonic
website from the Arlington, TX area after the
campaign
