Nissan Aims for `Fewer, Bigger, Better' Marketing Opportunities

NAPA, CA – As it prepares to launch three new models between now and next year, Nissan is recalibrating its marketing in the U.S., aiming for what Nissan North America Vice President Fred Diaz says are, “fewer, bigger, better” opportunities.

“(That phrase) has become our mantra,” Diaz, vice president-sales and marketing, tells media here during a Murano backgrounder.

The new CUV, which went on sale Friday at U.S. Nissan dealers, is the first of three new products the brand will launch in the next 12 months.

Helping get the word out on the Murano and the other two products, a new generation of the Maxima sedan and a long-awaited second-generation Titan fullsize pickup, will be tie-ups Nissan has with major sporting events and sports leagues, as well as a new sponsorship of NBC's live reality series “The Voice.”

“We had the opportunity over the course of the summer to buy ‛The Voice’ and to buy this media property for the next three years, and we locked it up,” Diaz says. “As soon as I heard the opportunity was available, we were going to do whatever it took to get that property, and we did.”

“The Voice” automotive sponsor had been Kia, which bailed on the series in the face of declining ratings. However, Diaz notes it still is the No.1-rated live reality show on broadcast TV.

“The Voice” association is a rare venture outside the world of sports for Nissan in the U.S.

Many automakers are concentrating their marketing efforts on sports, as it is one of the few remaining entertainment genres watched live, meaning viewers can’t skip through commercials as they do when watching recorded programs.

Nissan is redoubling on an existing association with college football’s Heisman Trophy Trust, and is exploring worldwide sponsorship deals with the NFL and NBA.

“You saw that there were (NFL) games played in Europe this year, and the NBA is growing like crazy in China. As they look to grow worldwide, we’re considering the possibility of growing with them,” Diaz tells WardsAuto in an interview.

Regarding the NFL, Nissan last week announced a return to the Super Bowl after an 18-year hiatus.

Diaz says he’s not sure why the annual sporting event, watched in February by a record 111.8 million people, was on Nissan's no-ad list for so long.

“All I know is I looked at it and said, ‘It’s a shame we’re not there. We need to be there,’” he says, calling the NFL championship game “the biggest stage in the entire world.”

If the high cost of advertising during the Super Bowl, this year reported to be $4.5 million for a 30-second spot, had been a deterrent for Nissan before, Diaz says it isn’t now.

“With risk comes reward,” he says.

Nissan is keeping secret details of the commercial, as well as when it will air during the Feb. 1 game in Phoenix. Diaz does say he is very pleased with the position Nissan has secured.

Prior to the Super Bowl blitz, Nissan will begin the ad campaign for the third-generation Murano CUV.

While teaser spots already are on digital platforms, the full campaign doesn’t start until New Year's Eve. It features the Dean Martin song, “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head,” says Jeremy Tucker, NNA’s new vice president-U.S. marketing, who joined the automaker in September from Disney.

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