Nissan shifts Altima ad dollars to Web
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NASHVILLE -- Nissan will double the share of ad dollars earmarked for digital media in the launch of the redesigned Altima sedan this summer.
Digital media, including Facebook ads and YouTube videos, will receive 24 percent of the new Altima's ad budget, compared with 12 percent of the funds that supported the 2007 Altima launch, says Vinay Shahani, director for Nissan marketing communications and media.
He says it is the largest digital media expenditure in Nissan's history. He declined to specify how much Nissan intends to spend on the car launch or its Internet presence.
"The media landscape has changed so much since the last Altima launch," Shahani says. "We have tools today that weren't really as important just a few years ago."
Nissan launched Altima advertising last week with a multipart campaign that focuses on new technological features in the car, including what Nissan planners have been touting as "zero-gravity seats." The seats were designed using ergonomics data developed by the U.S. space program to minimize fatigue for astronauts seated for long periods.
The campaign also reveals that Nissan has changed the "Innovation for all" advertising tag line of the past two years. The ads now close with the words "Innovation that excites," first rolled out by Nissan's European subsidiary two months ago. The new tag line is part of a strategic effort to draw consumers' attention directly from new product innovations to Nissan as a brand.
The U.S. company is making the subtle change in wording to keep its various global ad campaigns on the same page, Shahani says.
He adds: "We want to be more consistent in our global communications, with an eye toward using similar brand campaigns in various markets in the future."
You can reach Lindsay Chappell at lchappell@crain.com.
