Dive Brief:
- For the launch of its 2017 Impreza vehicle, automaker Subaru is running a campaign with three video spots and a user-generated content website called MeetAnOwner.com, which features stories from actual Subaru owners, influencers and other brand ambassadors, per a company press release.
- The MeetAnOwner.com website will leverage user-generated content as well as social media platforms including Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter (with the hashtag #MeetAnOwner), Facebook and YouTube in a broad digital rollout.
- "The all-new Impreza advertising campaign focuses on the intimate experiences that unite us all," said Alan Bethke, senior vice president of marketing, Subaru of America, Inc., in a statement.
Dive Insight:
Subaru making the MeetAnOwner website such an integral part of the campaign is notable because the car model was created specifically for millennials, with "their on-the-go, ever-changing lifestyles top of mind," per the release.
Millennials and other young demographic groups are shown to be more averse to traditional brand marketing than their older peers. User-generated content — paired with robust social tie-ins — might be a way to engage beyond video advertisements and is shown to be more successful than brand-generated content on platforms like Facebook.
Previous research has also found that authenticity is a key element when marketing to millennials, and that millennials respond to messaging from peers and influencers over communication that appears to be solely coming from a brand.
The content-driven website accordingly offers first-person testimonials from Subaru owners as well as messaging from social media influencers and brand ambassadors. Subaru is one car brand that has been actively embracing digital channels and creating campaigns with focal points beyond linear TV spots in an industry that's often lagged in these key areas.