Honda hired ZEFR, a technology and data company, to sift through YouTube with its influencer management system.
The Mexican sisters, Karla and Paola Celis, both have loyal fans on YouTube who follow their lifestyle-focused videos. Karla Celis is closing in on 1 million YouTube subscribers, while Paola -- who happens to be a CR-V owner -- has more than 127,000 subscribers.
The sisters, who have bubbly personalities, tested the 2015 CR-V for a day in San Diego with their families in two videos that show off the crossover's spaciousness and comfort. The videos will amplify Honda's "Space for Dreams" campaign that began this year, Jorge said.
For the CR-V, Honda wants to capture young families with active lifestyles. Plus, Jorge said, the interior space gives children the space to dream -- the campaign's inspirational theme. Honda posted the first "Space for Dreams" video, which shows a young girl who aspires to become an astronaut, on YouTube in February.
Research shows that Honda's emphasis on the CR-V's interior should hit home with Latino buyers. A 2014 report about minority car buyers found that seating capacity and interior storage were among the top five purchase reasons for Latino Americans, according to consultancy Strategic Vision.
"Latinos as a group are becoming more financially strong, and they are becoming more interested in buying new vehicles," said analyst Jesse Toprak, founder of the Toprak Consulting Group. "You see that the share of Latino buyers, especially in certain pockets of the country like L.A., is extremely significant for automakers. That's why we're seeing a lot of efforts from the automakers' perspective to target directly and specifically to Latino markets with customized marketing efforts."
The Celis sisters will post their videos on their YouTube channels. Honda will promote the videos on social media as well, including its Honda Latino Twitter account and Honda YouTube channel, which has a playlist for Latino content.
Jorge says the authenticity of the sisters was a strong selling point. The latest outreach effort, Jorge says, is a continuation of the brand's long relationship with Latino consumers.
"Part of us doing this new, fresh campaign and trying something new by going to YouTube influencers is just our way to continuously look for innovative ways to connect and deepen that engagement," Jorge said.
The CR-V is the top-selling compact crossover in the United States. Sales last year were 335,019, up 10 percent from 2013. The sticker starts at $24,150, including shipping.