The Nissan Versa low cost and deal focused perception hindered its ability to attract more qualified buyers. As the lead strategist I worked closely with our audience team to uncover tribes that exhibited more aspirational motivations. By partnering closely with our executive creative director we were able to conjure up an ‘organizing idea’ that was flexible enough to guide messaging and pointed enough to direct media buying efforts.

This anthemic campaign and seamlessly integrated comms planning as a mechanism to capture attention at various stages in the purchase funnel.

Case Study: 2019 Versa

OBJECTIVE

Increase awareness of the Versa nameplate
Lift the opinion of the Versa nameplate by adding an emotional appeal
Drive consideration of Versa by touting standard safety features

Intensely practical features like roominess, build quality and pricing monopolize the messaging themes for the segment

- 2018 creative audit

Raw insights

Longtime owners claim Versa as their ‘trusty steed’ credited with propelling them towards their goals

Perpetual learners looking to get a leg up in the gig economy

Audience is tuned to the pulse of pop culture and has budding music tastes

In the face of uncertainty frugality is a newfound outlet to maximize the lifestyle they actually want

They want the download on the latest news for their neighborhood

More likely to have have jobs with irregular hours and selfless demands

Versa Audience

Our driver’s world is a tightrope stacked with of family obligations, job demands and graduation pressures. They aren’t overspending on the essentials, they crave reliability. Thats why 1 in 3 versa drivers traded in a used vehicle. They’re hellbent on a lifestyle rich with plus-ups that take shape as planned vacations, concert experiences, or education aspirations.
Pursuit of function for frugality’s sake gives them runway to amp up experiences that they dream of doing bigger.

Screen Shot 2020-06-22 at 6.53.13 PM.png — Niche Audiences

By partnering with the data science team I was able to build realistic personas that delved deep into media consumption, interests, passions, and motivations.
This helped inform some of our media partnership and social messaging development

STRATEGY:

FEEL FREE TO GET LIFE DONE

Versa is top of mind for those that want to streamline their life. Versa gives you freedom to explore your hobbies, liberty to take trips with your kids, trust in a new vehicle and instills confidence in your future.

“It’s going to be a wonderful car to get me through nursing school. I’m a college student so having good gas mileage is a necessity for me”

*— Jane Doe (interview)*

CREATIVE IDEA

FUEL YOUR GO

There’s an unending quest to wring the most out of every day. This audience wants to be always on and ready at the crack of dawn to tackle every day. You need a car that’s always on, always ready to lead the way.

You need a car that Fuels your Go. Its not just about work or your grind — There's honing your craft, road trips, family cookouts, karaoke with friends.

Good Morning, Goodnight

Our television spot highlights the incredibly busy lives. It showcases Versa’s tech in the context of a world that never stops.

Resonate & Demonstrate

Featured Metaphors

I worked with our creative directors to find a simple yet clear way to demonstrate unfamiliar tech. We crafted simple analogies to illustrate the benefits of Versa’s new features .

Multicultural Messaging

I partnered with our multicultural team to craft aspirational messaging strategies for both African American and Hispanic audiences.

Comms Plan

Snapchat Geo Filters

To reach and celebrate our hustlin’ audience we partnered with Snapchat to build out filters that shifted over the course of the day to celebrate our audience’s hardworking attitude.

The filters also called out specific passions and activities depending where you were located (coffee shop, gym, etc).

Go Wherever

We used Google’s Director Mix dynamic video builder to craft 40+ message versions.

By cross analyzing our audience’s interests with key Google topics honed in on developing tailored messaging for workout rituals, cooking at home, budget fashion and gadget reviews. The data helped guide not just he copy but also the production sets.