COMPASS COMMUNICATIONS

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The 2011 Chevy Volt Redefining Hybrid

Mission
Compass Communications understands that each and every client is unique. Whether you know your destination or your brand needs a new direction, we are devoted to guiding you down the path to success.

Research
Alex Lugo Blair Brophy

Account Creative

Heather Laing Justin Mertes-Mistretta Caitlin Furin

Media

Public Relations C C

Brett Sommers

Table of Contents Situation Analysis

Pages 3-14

Campaign Strategy
Pages 15-24 Pages 25-36 Pages 37-44 Pages 45-59 Pages 60-63

Creative Brief Media Plan Public Relations Strategy Appendix

Situation Analysis

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History
General Motors was founded on September 16, 1908. Louis Chevrolet and William Durant formed Chevrolet Motor Company three years later on November 3, 1911. In 1918, GM acquired Chevrolet.1 In 1996, GM made the initial plunge into the production of the electric car and created the GM EV1, the only predecessor of the Chevy Volt. Produced from 1996 to 1999, the EV1 received positive reactions from leasing customers, but GM came to the conclusion that electric cars were part of an unprofitable niche market of automobiles. In January 2007, the Chevy Volt concept car was introduced at the North American International Auto Show, becoming the first-ever series plug-in hybrid concept car shown by a major manufacturer.2 Some of the major differences when compared to the EV1 were the change to a five-person vehicle, top electric speed increases and the key design parameter of a 40 mile all-electric range. The range itself was determined by a study showing that 78 percent of daily commuters travel 40 miles or less. The production model itself was officially unveiled on September 16, 2008, celebrating GMs 100th anniversary. The production model was quite different from the original concept car, which GM cited necessary for aerodynamic changes that needed to be made in order to maximize the efficiency of the Volts full-charge range. In 2009, GM allowed journalists to test-drive the Volt powertrain in the body of a Chevy Cruze. The first retail vehicle was delivered to a customer on December 15, 2010, and the Volt has been on the public market ever since.3

Industry Trends
Motor Vehicle Industry Overview
As the price of crude oil continues to increase, the Big Three automakers (GM, Ford and Chrysler) have faced similar and difficult challenges. With closures of plants, employment reductions and less funds for development and research, automakers have struggled. The weakening economy and a lack of consumer confidence in the industry are factors that also led to their decline.4 Nearly 276,000 jobs in the industry were lost, making up 36 percent of employment in the automotive sector. As a result, Chrysler and GM both asked for bankruptcy protection in 2009. In August of 2010, GM filed paperwork to ask for less government ownership, for the automobile industry appeared to be stabilizing, though at a slower rate than that between 1999 and 2007. According to the Freedonia Report, continued growth in automobile sales is expected to be consistent, in part due to an expanding driving-age segment of the population. Overall, efficiency, environmental benefits, and performance will be the main factors driving demand. Ultimately, according to the IBIS Report, all automakers will focus on production of environmentally friendly vehicles through 2016 in order to become more competitive.

Hybrid-Electric Vehicles Industry

The first hybrid-electric vehicle (HEV), the Honda Insight, was introduced in 1999, but sold less than 20 vehicles in that year. The Toyota Prius was introduced the following year and quickly became the most popular HEV, selling over 800,000 units between 2000 and 2009. In 2004, there were only five HEV models available, four of which were automobiles. As the Prius continued to gain popularity, other automakers rushed to produce competing models. By 2009, two-dozen HEV models, both automobiles and SUVS, were available. After the introduction of these new models, industry sales increased steadily until 2008, when an overall 11% decrease in the automobile industry occurred due to an economic recession. Even so, conventional vehicle sales were affected more than HEV sales during the recession. Of the hybrid-electric automobiles in the market in 2009, the Saturn Aura and Chevy Malibu were considered mild hybrids. The rest of the models were considered full hybrids, with internal combustion engine hybrid-electric powertrains. Mild hybrids offer some limited environmental advantages. Because they lack the hybrid-electric powertrains that full hybrids utilize, however, they mainly save energy by turning off the engine when coasting or breaking.5 As economic conditions improve and automobile consumers become more environmentally conscious and concerned about reducing fuel costs, light hybrid-electric vehicle demand in the United States is expected to rise 30.5% each year between

Graph retrieved from: OneSource. (2010, September). Freedonia Focus on Hybrid Electric Vehicles; http://www.globalbb. onesource.com/.

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2009 and 2014. In addition, consumers, may not necessarily need such a vehicle, but are responding to pressure from society and the government to be more environmentally friendly.6

Technology and Product Developments

Competition is being driven by demand for a decrease in fossil fuel use and pollution elimination. The first internal combustion engine hybrid-electric power plant produced its first model in Japan in 1997. Since the 1990s, the industry has invested several billion dollars in research and improvements of these power plants. The first fuel cell-powered vehicles were introduced in 2003. The main factors inhibiting a greater utilization of fuel cells include high costs in comparison to gas-powered engines and batteries, size and weight restrictions, and safety concerns with pure hydrogen use.7

Graph retrieved from: OneSource. (2010, September). Freedonia Focus on Hybrid Electric Vehicles; http://www.globalbb.onesource.com/.

Regulations and External Drivers

Many external drivers contribute to success of sales in the car and automobile industry. The following is a list of potential external drivers, how they have contributed to the industry, and how experts expect their impact to change. The consumer sentiment index is slowly increasing due to a rise in consumer confidence and will increase significantly after the recession when disposable income is on the rise and credit is available. This is a potential opportunity for the industry. An increase in the price of world crude oil between 2004-2008 led consumers to demand more fuel-efficient cars. This initiated a shift from large, sporty SUVs and trucks to smaller, greener cars. According to the Freedonia Report, Government intervention as expressed in the political will to impose standards, and offer subsidies and tax credits, is the primary force behind making HEVs more attractive to consumers, and will be the main driver of demand in the coming years.

Competitive Analysis
Hybrid sales are increasing, which is directly correlated with rising gas prices and increasing availability. The Chevy Volts top competitors, in terms of sales, are the Toyota Prius, Honda Insight and Nissan Leaf. However, the Volt separates itself from these competitors by being the only hybrid-electric vehicle (HEV) with an electric plug-in that also allows for the use of gasoline.8 Make and Model Toyota Prius IV Honda Insight EX Honda Civic Hybrid Chevrolet Volt Type Gas-Electric Hybrid Gas-Electric Hybrid Gas-Electric Hybrid Extending Hybrid Fuel Efficiency (Comb. MPG) 50 41 42 230 Electric Range (miles) n/a n/a n/a n/a Base M3RP 26,200 21,300 25,000 32,500

Toyota Prius
The Toyota Prius is the leading hybrid, representing 58 percent of total hybrid sales.13 Advertising for the Prius looks to pair the environmental synergy with primetime television spots and out-ofhome displays in midtown Manhattan, New York. All Toyota HEV vehicles, including the Prius, offer Hybrid Synergy Drive that drives the wheels with electric motors and gas engines. The Prius is powered by a 1.8 inline four-cylinder engine and an electric AC synchronous motor that generates 134 net horsepower. A plug-in model of the Prius is set to hit the U.S. market in 2012.9

Honda Insight
In 2011, The Honda Insight saw its sales increase by 52.2 percent from October to November. While the Insight is more affordable than the Prius, it has far less power (98 net horsepower). Similar to the Prius, the Insight plans on launching a plug-in hybrid by 2012. The Insight markets itself as the hybrid for everybody and has creative ads that resonate with the Go Green movement. The Insight print ads focus heavily on vehicle features. The Insight is front wheel drive, powered by an I-VTEC engine and an integrated Motor Assist system.10 11

Nissan Leaf
In 2011, the Nissan Leaf saw its sales decrease by 20.8 percent from October to November.13 Advertising for the Leaf promotes it as the worlds first affordable, zero-emission car. Similar to the Chevy Volt, the Nissan Leaf pushes for leasing, rather than buying. Nissan also matched GMs eight-year, 100,000-mile warranty on their batteries. The goal of Nissan Leaf creative is to get 15% of the target audience to test drive the vehicle. In terms of market and sales, the Chevy Volt is in close competition with Toyota, Honda and Nissan. But, when it comes to performance, the Chevy Volt is the leader by default, as it is the only electric-powered car that allows for gas to take you further. This notion is confirmed by Joel Ewanick, the vice president of U.S. marketing for General Motors. The Chevrolet Volt will be the best vehicle in its classbecause its in a class by itself, Ewanick said in a statement at the Plug-In 2010 conference in San Jose, Calif. No other automaker offers an electrically driven vehicle that can be your everyday driver to take you wherever, whenever.12

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Consumer Analysis
Primary Research
To better understand our consumers and target audience, Compass Communications planned to coordinate an effort to understand the current Chevy Volt brand through social media and a dealership visit. Our representatives visited a Chevy dealership in Middleton with a few questions in mind (See Appendix for list). Volt representative Daniel Freeman at Ballweg gave Compass Communications key information about the characteristics and attitudes of people buying the Volt in south-central Wisconsin. Buyers of the Volt have a college education and are very interested in technology. Purchasing the Volt for the environmental benefits is only part of the reason people choose the Volt for their hybrid vehicle. Buyers seek to learn all they can about the Volt, assuring that the vehicle is exactly right for them. Additionally, our representatives conducted research of social media sites and automobile forums. Compass Communications devised a coding system in which our representatives looked for comments based on certain criteria (The number in parentheses represents the number of comments that pertained to that particular category): Look (16), Environmental factor (10), Technology (23), Difference from competitors (17), Cost (19), Safety (22), Charging Stations (9), Overall brand image (8), Other (9). Here are some sample comments from the forums and websites: I also want to support GM and American manufacturing. Im not really a big GM freak, so I would feel the same way if Ford or Chrysler were doing this, but not so much so if Toyota or Honda, and Im sorry, Im never buying a Chinese car until they force me to. -DaV8or on gm-volt.com I love the ability of being able to not burn any fossil fuels at all for many of my trips, yet still have the ability to go on a last minute road trip/vacation/ travel soccer game and not worry about running out of battery range. Jim Jonah, Chevy Volt Owner, VoltAge Thanks to the Hampton Inn in Bartlett TN for letting us charge the #chevyvolt overnight! *See Brand Analysis for our primary research on brand image perception.

Simmons III Data Demographics

Adults between the ages of 35-39 and 55-59 are more likely to buy hybrid or fuel-efficient vehicles. While married couples are more likely to own a hybrid vehicle, families with children were not likely to own a hybrid. Upper-class individuals are more likely to buy a hybrid car. In general, people earning more than $100,000 annually are drastically more likely to own a hybrid. College graduates and full-time employees, especially in sales, administrative, and teaching careers, are more likely to own hybrid vehicles. Those who attended graduate school are significantly more likely to own a hybrid vehicle. This is also true of people who are employed full-time.

Attitudes
Individuals who own hybrids are more likely to be environmentally friendly. These attitudes include: paying more for environmentally friendly products, believing products that pollute should be banned, being concerned about the pollution caused by their cars and making a conscious effort to recycle. Those who believe that the Internet changed the way they spend their free time and that Internet is the new way they socialize with people are more likely to own a hybrid. Those who agree that they are likely to use a product if a character in a television show or movie uses it are more likely to own a hybrid. In addition, our target audience was found to believe money is the best measure of success, consider work as a career rather than just a job, and want to stand out in a crowd.

Behaviors
Readers of Outdoor Life magazine are more likely to own hybrid cars. People who watch science TV shows are also significantly more likely to own hybrids. Early adopters and techies are attracted to fuel-efficient vehicles. People who try to keep up with technology developments are more likely to own a hybrid. Our target audience was found to be the first of their friends to own a product, to love new gadgets and appliances, and to have friends who ask their advice about electronic equipment. With respect to community involvement, hybrid car owners are more likely to belong to environmentalist and human rights organizations. Local government, art associations and country clubs are also among the groups that hybrid owners belong to. Hybrid car owners mostly enjoy an active lifestyle and engage in: sports/exercise, dancing and going to nightclubs, going to beaches or lakes, gardening, dining out, cooking for fun, backpacking/hiking, camping, mountain climbing, sailing and swimming. *See Media Usage Analysis and Creative Analysis for more details on behaviors of hybrid car owners.

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Brand Analysis
Brand Competitors
The top brand competitors for Chevrolet are Toyota, Ford, and Honda, which were each rated higher in safety, quality, and environmentally friendly aspects than Chevy. Ford presents an additional challenge in that their brand image is situated securely in American history and legacy, like Chevy.13 Surveys from CarInfo.com suggests that although the competition is tough, Chevys brand has increased in strength and is considered one of the top automobile brands in the country. Chevy continues to offer state-of-the-art technology and driver-friendly vehicles that are now also fuel-efficient.14 However, despite the success of their new products, GM rivals are arguing that Chevrolets success is being lead by their products, not brand image. Although progress has been made, one executive from a GM rival company stated that Chevy has great products, but theres nothing providing a foundation, a brand promise. They havent found their identity. Compass Communications wants to build the Volts brand image and perception so that Chevy can fully compete in the market.15

Brand Perception
Chevrolet, a subset of the automaker General Motors, is branded in an incredibly distinct way: the models appeal to consumers sense of rugged Americanism. Chevrolets brand provides a reliable and affordable automobile that exudes the American work ethic, values and spirit. Consumer Reports 2011 Car Brand Perception Survey showed that Chevy jumped from ninth place to fourth place from 2010 to 2011 in consumers evaluation of the overall brand. Unlike other brands, Chevy excelled in multiple areas, including quality, value, performance, design/style, and environmentally-friendly/green aspects.16 This perception has not changed with the introduction of the Chevy Volt. In 2011, the Chevy Volt has won multiple awards, including Car and Driver Best Ten Cars, Motor Trend Car of the Year, Green Car of the Year by Green Car Journal, Automobile of the Year by Automobile Magazine, North American Car of the Year, the World Green Car, and additional others.17 To get a more comprehensive idea of brand perception, Compass Communications surveyed individuals and asked them to name the first three to five words that they associated with Chevy. This word cloud, produced by www.wordle.com, demonstrates the multiple answers we received. The top responses included American, America, trucks, tough, reliable, dependable, and masculine. 18

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Media Usage Analysis

Early adopters and those with higher incomes are increasingly using the Internet to do every day traditional media activities, such as reading the newspaper, listening to the radio and watching television programs. According to Simmons III data, those who are high-tech and early adopters frequently click on Internet banner ads. They are exceedingly likely to read magazines such as Mens Health, Forbes and ESPN Magazine. They enjoy watching primetime sports, scientific programs and networks like the CW. They tune in to programs like the American Music Awards, the Grammys and the Video Music Awards. They plan to watch big sporting events like the Super Bowl, PGA Championship, NBA playoffs and the Summer Olympics. In 2011, Chevrolet bought five 30-second ad spots during the Super Bowl to build on the Chevy Runs Deep campaign, making a huge comeback since its last appearance in 2007. They worked with Rolling Stone magazine to reach a younger demographic, pairing Chevy cars with rock stars and offering 49-cent downloads from a Chevy Soundtrack. Various Chevrolet vehicles appeared in the Transformers movie franchise as well. 19 Media allocation for the Volt mirrors the go big or go home media usage philosophy of the Chevrolet brand. A 60-second ad aired during the 2008 Summer Olympics, giving the large audience its first glimpse of the Volt. The Volt also appears in various print advertisements, on billboards and in commercial slots during primetime broadcasts. 20 Interactive media offers consumers a whole new way to experience the Volt. Facebook and Twitter pages dedicated to the car feature quick facts and showcase customer interaction. The My Volt website allows Volt owners to access information such as how much charge their car has, or unlocks their Volt with the click of an icon. Chevrolet Voltage is a social media site exclusively for the Volt and Volt owners. Chevrolet adapted to changes in media throughout the years and has clearly mastered the art of reaching people everywhere.

Creative Analysis
By playing off of old techniques and evolving them to appeal to modern audiences, Chevrolet has been able to keep strong themes going throughout its brand development. Chevrolets main advertising theme has always been patriotism and American spirit. Through the years, the brand has continually sought to evoke a feeling of American pride from its consumers. Some of the most popular campaign tag lines have included: Lets Go America! (1932) See the USA in Your Chevrolet (1952) Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie and Chevrolet (1974) An American Revolution (2003)

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Evoking a feeling of patriotism was meant to make consumers associate buying a Chevy with doing their part to support their countrys legacy.21 Chevy ads have also utilized pop culture to get their message across. In 2003, General Motors began their They Dont Write Songs About Volvos campaign, in which they made a list of 200 songs that talked about their Chevrolet brand. The ads for this campaign displayed celebrities singing these songs while driving in Chevys, evoking fond memories associated with the brand and popular songs of the past.22 Chevrolet advertising has also targeted past campaigns specifically to men, one of their largest target markets. Their 1991 to 2004 Like a Rock campaign tied the brand with masculinity. In 2009, a TV commercial with NFL player Howie Long made fun of their competitors, Ford F150 owners and Dodge Ram owners, depicting them doing feminine tasks.23 Building off of consumers love of Americanism and unity, Chevrolet also used advertising to build up its reputation as a family brand.24 In 1957, Chevys Birthday TV spot displayed a family giving their mom a new car for her birthday gift. A 2009 TV spot showed a baby riding on an assembly line and being taken care of by the machines, highlighting the Chevy brand as a parent figure. In 2011, Joel Ewanick, GMs global chief marketing officer, said he wanted more consistency in Chevys campaign. While he said the campaign would improve, he said he was especially happy with Spaceship Earth commercial that utilized shots of forests and windmills to promote Chevys interest in reducing carbon emissions and renewable energy.25 In 2011, the Chevy Runs Deep campaign was tied into the popular musical TV series Glee after the Super Bowl. Cast members from Glee road in the Volt, Camaro, and Cruze compact and sang the See the U.S.A. in Your Chevrolet song from the 1950s and 60s. It took Chevrolets old ties to Americanism and re-invented them by making them seem important to a whole new audience. To continue this, Ewanick stated he wanted more modern versions of past successful campaigns, in which people had good memories tied with Chevrolet.26

General Motors Hybrid-Electric Vehicle Campaign History

General Motors was the first to produce an all-electric car when it introduced the EV1 in 1996. For the debut, GM displayed a commercial from San Franciscos ad agency, Pubilicis & Hal Riney, which showed fans moving away from a house to go to the garage and greet the new car.27 Its slogan was, The electric car is here- EV1, General Motors.

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needing any gas. Google trends showed a spike in searches for Chevrolet Volt by 7 p.m. on August 8, the first day the spot aired. On August 7, there were 1,029 searches for the Volt, and this peaked at 10,429 searches on August 12. Since its debut in 2010, Chevy Volt has followed along with General Motors advertising themes while adopting some new strategies to highlight the vehicles technological advances and uniqueness. GM partnered with Google to use Google Maps in the Chevy Volt navigation systems. GM partnered with Microsoft to create a Microsoft X-Box 360 Kinect Joy Ride game, in which users are prompted to view a Chevy Volt ad and then allowed to design their own Volt and take it for a virtual joy ride on the game. The Volts recent commercials are informational about the cars plug-in abilities in addition to its ability to use gasoline. One of the latest commercials depicts a Volt owner pulling into a gas station stopped by a man and his son who question why the Volt is there. The commercial serves to remind people that the Volt does have gas capabilities and ends with the tagline More Car than Electric and the phrase Electric when you want it. Gas when you need it.30 Another TV spot depicts workers at a drive through bickering over the Volts gas and electric capabilities and utilizes the same tagline. A third commercial describes how consumers live in America, a country dominated by spontaneous acts of freedom, which the Volt drivers can partake in due to the cars electric charge and gas back-up. A fourth commercial involves a parking attendant hopping in a Volt and asking a driver stuck at the entrance of a parking ramp about the Volts features.

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SWOT Analysis
Strengths
Appeals to consumers desire to help the environment, but without changing their routine; the current brand enforces this idea Consumers are able to charge Chevy Volt at home, making ownership a convenient option Compared to the other competitors in the price range, it is the most powerful hybrid, with instant torque The price of purchasing a Volt eventually equals the money saved from gas purchases Sleek interior and exterior design gives the vehicle a luxury feel without a luxury price Won numerous awards (see Brand Analysis)

Weaknesses

The price and brand of the Chevy Volt conflicts with Chevrolets overall brand image Charging stations are not readily available in the public yet Consumer base is less informed of the Volts capacity to utilize both diesel-fueled engine and electric battery Consumers thought that GM had lied about the Volts hybrid capabilities

Opportunities

Threats

Higher gas prices cause consumers to want fuel efficient, smaller cars than in the past; potential benefit for hybrid vehicles Overall trend of eco-friendly, green initiatives Chevy volt doesnt have any real competitors because it is the only hybrid with both fuel and electric capabilities The gap between pricing of regular and hybrid vehicles is expected to decrease

Consumers may be waiting for the price premium to decrease on hybrid vehicles During this recession, people need more money now during recession, consumers would rather save now than have a purchase payoff in the future Other less expensive competitors, such as Nissan, Toyota and Ford GM recently filed for bankruptcy, which may decrease consumer trust in the brand

Key Issues and Implications

As a brand, Chevy Volt appeals to a variety of environmentally, issue-conscious consumers who, as adults, appreciate the value of a hybrid car. The increasing demand for a green lifestyle gives Chevy Volt hope for upcoming years. With consumers ability to charge the Volt at home, the product becomes more of a convenience. While many consumers have complained at the high price of the car, Chevy must find a way to satisfy consumer needs with a greener car, but also build their market with a more affordable product. Highlighting the Volts gas and electric capabilities helps to set the Volt apart from other hybrid competitors. With other cheaper competitors entering the market, Compass Communications will look to launch a campaign that will build Chevy Volt as a premiere fuel-efficient vehicle, and satisfy the needs of its target market.

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Campaign Strategy

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Consumer Target Market

Compass Communications was able to define an accurate target audience for the Chevy Volt thanks to Ballweg Chevrolet Dealership and Simmons Data III. By using our Simmons data to initially segment the market, we were able to reinforce these findings with primary research, which included interviewing professionals at the Ballweg dealership and researching public opinion about the Volt and the Chevrolet brand through social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, and various blogs. Generally, our primary and secondary target markets are educated, informed, highly involved, and serve as role models for their social groups. They differ slightly in age and income, and therefore, differ in the reasons they wish to purchase a Chevy Volt. Novelty and status are the main aspects of the Volt that appeal to these groups.

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Primary Target Market: The Ashers

Ethan and Andrea Asher met in graduate school, married two years later, and are currently living together in San Francisco, California. Although Ethan, 36, and Andrea, 35, are recently married, they are not interested in starting a family just yet. They are each educated, informed, career-oriented individuals, who would prefer to concentrate on their career, social lives, and commitment to each other. Ethan, a management consultant for a local business in San Francisco, thinks of his current position not just as a temporary job, but as the beginning of his career. He is constantly striving to get ahead in his work and is rewarded by his annual salary. Andrea works as an account manager for a sales firm and aspires to eventually own her own sales and marketing business. They take full advantage of the fast-paced lifestyle that California offers. Not only do they enjoy kayaking, backpacking, rock climbing, and camping in the state and national parks, but also they are incredibly involved in the California Association of Human Rights Organization (CAHRO). Ethan and Andrea also love taking risks and see themselves as incredibly unique and progressive. They surround themselves with like-minded individuals who also consider themselves pioneers in recent trends and movements. In their social circle, Ethan and Andrea are known for their interest in the latest innovative technology and their ability to be the first to own a cool, new product. Although their first concern is the novelty of a product, they also value purchases that show their concern for the environment, while making a conscious effort to recycle and reduce pollution. The Ashers purchased a Chevy Volt because of the cars unique ability to utilize both a battery and gas engine backup, which is something they considered to be innovative and energyefficient.

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Secondary Target Market: The McCoys

Although the McCoy family is similar to the Ashers in many respects, William and Adrienne McCoys income level is significantly higher than the Ashers. William, 52, and Adrienne, 49, were high school sweethearts. They waited to get married until just after college and promptly moved to a residential suburb near Chicago. Their two children, Brian and Julie, are grown and have families of their own. William is a psychology professor at the University of Chicago. Although he started his career as a psychologist, he was so successful that he decided to teach at his Alma Mater and conduct research of his own. His wife, Adrienne, is one of the top real estate agents in the Chicago area. The McCoys have been incredibly successful financially, and even though they had the opportunity to retire at a young age, William and Adrienne love and appreciate their careers. They believe that money is the best measure of success. The McCoys are also heavily involved in local associations and enjoy taking advantage of their busy social life. William enjoys participating in local government, while Adrienne volunteers for Friends of the Arts, a not-for-profit arts support group. Although they would prefer to spend their time with friends at their country club, William and Adrienne also enjoy spending time alone. Gardening, sailing, yoga, photography, and cooking are just some activities that the couple has experimented with. William and Adrienne are educated and informed. They value purchases that show their concern for the environment, but more importantly, they value products that strengthen their image and status. Their friends look to them as models for purchasing decisions and aim to emulate their lifestyle. The McCoys bought a Chevy Volt to reinforce their image; the car has style, efficiency, flexibility, and has redefined what it means to be the driver of a hybrid.

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Tertiary Target Market: Berry Plastics

Businesses are constantly being challenged to become more energy efficient and environmentally friendly. By offering the Chevy Volt as a company car for employees, businesses can demonstrate their concern about being environmentally friendly. This also complements our consumer target markets like the Ashers and McCoys, who are high-income, career-oriented individuals. In addition, the Chevy Volt is a newer product. Offering it as a company car may help promote the vehicle and allow individuals to experience the benefits of the Volt without personally investing or seeking it out from the start. Because some companies only offer few select vehicles that employees can choose from when receiving a company car, this may single out the Volt as the only hybrid option available. We would like to offer companies like Berry Plastics Corporation a number of Chevy Volts for company cars. As a large company that produces plastics, Berry Plastics has recently become concerned about showing potential customers that their products are durable and strong, yet environmentally conscious and energy efficient. This company has been known to give company cars to their employees. By giving this company a hybrid car, they can highlight the positive aspects about the companys attitudes. This strategy will be targeted towards types of companies that are not usually perceived as environmentally-conscious, like those that produce plastics, chemicals, and other materials, but are striving to be more green.

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Campaign Strategy
Campaign Objectives
Compass Communications ultimate business objective is to increase overall knowledge of the Chevy Volt, increase the level of brand awareness for Chevy, increase the Volts share of the hybrid market, and finally, to increase sales of the vehicle. Ultimately, our primary objective is to increase sales of the Chevy Volt by ten percent. However, to compliment the increased sales, we would also like to increase general knowledge of the Volt by ten percent and increase our target audiences desire to purchase a Volt by 25 percent. With a combination of creative marketing efforts and public relations strategies, Compass Communications has created a comprehensive and successful campaign for branding and advertising the Volt.

Competitive Advantage
Although it is compared to other hybrids, the Chevy Volt is truly the only car on the market that uses both electricity and gas, making it the only car of its kind. Because it is the first and only car in its category, we will differentiate our product by focusing on the novelty and uniqueness that the Volt embodies. We plan on focusing on the Volts innovative combination of electricity and gas to appeal to the early adopters in our target market, like the Ashers, who desire new and original products. Furthermore, because of the Volts unique capabilities, we would like to focus on the flexibility that the vehicle offers. Consumers like the Ashers and McCoys will not need to worry about running out of charge, like in a fully electric car, or running out of gas, like in a diesel-fueled vehicle. Therefore, for consumers like the McCoys, who are attracted to the Volt due to the inherent status incentive, will be attracted to the Volt instead of other hybrid vehicles that do not offer this flexibility. Chevrolet is also an American vehicle, unlike many other of the hybrid car options. Chevrolet is an incredibly trusted brand and has many brand loyal consumers. Like other Chevy vehicles, the Chevy Volt has instant torque and incredible technological capabilities. Unlike other hybrids, consumers may be more willing to follow Chevy into the new hybrid market, because even though the Volt is a hybrid, it is also a Chevy. Additionally, compared to other vehicles in the hybrid market, the Volt is sleeker and more visually appealing. For our consumers interested in serving as a role model for their social circles, these aspects of the Volt may become increasingly important.

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Brand Personality
Appealing to those who want to be green, but presumably do not want to go out of their way to change their routine to do so, Chevrolet has marketed the Volt as another step in a daily routine. The first set of commercials, Breathe Socket and Unplug focus on how plugging in the volt is similar to plugging in a cell phone, coffee maker, or other household appliances that are part of a routine. The second set of commercials has been purely informational, concentrating on the beneficial effects of using the Volt, with taglines such as from gas friendly to gas free. Finally, perhaps in an attempt to appeal to the Chevrolet consumer base as a whole, the Volt has sported the tagline Its more car than electric, appealing to the consumers need to go green without changing their lifestyle or routines. The current brand position of the Chevy Volt is solely that the vehicle is half electric and half gas. Currently, the Volts unique selling point is Electric when you want it, gas when you need it and that somebody has to be first. First, in our research we found that individuals often are confused by the transition from electric to gas motors and believed that GM lied, claiming the vehicle was entirely hybrid. Some claimed that it was not really a hybrid because it uses gas. This is not an ideal brand position for the Volt. Furthermore, although we would like to target early adopters, the phrase somebody has to be first implies that buying the Volt isnt a great decision, rather its interpreted as its a necessary decision simply because some people need to be the first to buy a car. However, the Volts marketing campaign has also emphasized the easiness of being environmentally friendly. The Volt is portrayed as another part of a consumers daily routine, emphasizing that charging a car is similar to charging a cell phone or laptop. This campaign places less emphasis on the environmental effects, appealing to consumers who would like to be energy efficient and environmentally conscious, but do not necessarily have the time to commit to activities or organizations. Perhaps most importantly, in the Consumer Reports 2011 Car Brand Perception Survey, Chevy was not highly scored in innovation by consumers. This is something Compass Communications wants to change and will apply to our branding strategy.31 Compass Communications would like to reposition this brand personality. Our Simmons III Data shows that Chevrolet Volt consumers are hard-working professionals who are early adopters and love to embrace new technologies. Because of this, we will seek to redefine consumers knowledge of the Chevy Volt, consumer feelings about the Volt and Chevrolet brand, and hybrid vehicles in general. This will position the Volt as the newest, latest technological advancement that early adopters, like the Ashers, will feel compelled to purchase and allow consumers like the McCoys to see the Volt as an essential status incentive.

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Creative Concept
Ultimately, Compass Communications aims to redefine what it means to be a hybrid, positioning the Volt as a new, innovative product that would intrigue the Ashers. We would also like to redefine what it means to be a driver of a hybrid. Hybrid drivers will no longer be viewed as dedicated environmentalists, but rather, sophisticated, educated, and suave role models, similar to the McCoys.

Chevrolet Redefined
Though Chevrolet has always emphasized the importance of tradition and a strong connection to the Chevy brand, Compass Communications would like to redefine this by using the trust that brand loyal consumers feel. By encouraging consumers to trust in Chevrolet because of its strong and consistent legacy, they will feel more comfortable adopting the new technologies Chevy is supporting. Thus, we propose a new tagline, Trust in Tradition, that will remain similar to past taglines such as Like a Rock and Chevy Runs Deep. These past taglines emphasize a strong emotional connection to the brands legacy, but Trust in Tradition will redefine this image by focusing on this emotional connection as a means of encouraging consumers to follow Chevys footsteps in introducing and adopting new one-of-a-kind technologies. Redefining Chevy in this way will demonstrate that Chevy recognizes the changing values of the American people. Chevy understands individuals desire to stand out and be technologically advanced. Emphasizing trust and brand loyalty will emphasize that Chevy will supply consumers with products that fit these desires but still hold true to traditional Chevy values. Compass Communications will redefine Chevy as a growing, innovative brand that appeals to the changing values of the consumer, while still remaining a trusted, American company.

Hybrids Redefined
Compass Communications will seek to redefine the stereotype of hybrid cars as solely environmental purchases. Cool factors such as the look and design of the vehicle, as well as the uniqueness of the dual gas and electric capabilities, will be emphasized to highlight the reliability and flexibility that people will gain in addition to underlying environmental benefits. Buying a Chevy Volt will no longer be just a statement about a consumers environmental concerns; the purchase of a Volt will be innovative and admirable, appealing to both early adopters and those consumers who would like to benefit from status incentives. In this way, consumers will feel they will be purchasing a type of vehicle that benefits their overall lifestyle while also helping the environment. Ultimately, Compass Communications is redefining the hybrid. The Chevy Volt is a hybrid, but it is unlike any others. The environmental benefits are simply an added incentive to the novel, sophisticated and admired purchase of a Volt.

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Consumer Image Redefined

Compass Communications would like to redefine the image stereotypes of hybrid consumers. By highlighting unique ground-breaking technology such as the gas-electric duality, consumers who buy the Volt will see themselves as intelligent, educated, and sophisticated individuals who are capable of understanding the technology and want to be the first to have it. The Ashers, for instance, will be a new consumer of the Chevy Volt. Showing the sleek style of the exterior and interior of the car will also help redefine the consumer image by making potential purchasers of the Volt feel they will obtain a stylish, high status image rather than be seen as a nerdy environmentalist. The McCoys will be another consumer for the Chevy Volt.

Business-to-Business Targets Redefined

The Volt will also be targeted to companies that provide their employees with company vehicles for traveling. The Volt will be positioned as a means of redefining a companys image by displaying their concern for the environment along with concern and absolute care for their employees. This will also help to redefine the Volt as a car for professional individuals, which apply to both our primary and secondary target markets. Redefining these different aspects of the Chevrolet and Chevy Volt brand, the consumer market for the vehicle, and businesses who may take advantage of the benefits offered by the vehicle, the Volt will stand out from the rest of the hybrid vehicles in its market.

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Campaign Scope

In order to set up for a Super Bowl spot, we would like to start the Volt campaign at the beginning of the year. Our other television advertisements will focus on networks that our target markets are interested in, placing commercials in primetime spots. We will center our outdoor ads in the large metro areas, like San Diego, San Jose, Houston, Dallas, Denver, Phoenix, Seattle, Orlando, Washington D.C., New York, Detroit, Chicago and Minneapolis, while keeping in mind that some cities rely heavily on public transportation. We will emphasize interactive media and new social media, like Facebook, Twitter and blogs to inform the public and build hype about the Volt. We plan on buying big TV spots for its ability to reach a large audience and allow for creativity and stopping power. Furthermore, we will also advertise in magazines to include rational and emotional appeals.

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Creative Brief

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Creative Overview
Creative Concept
Compass Communications developed the Redefining Hybrid campaign to emphasize the Volts sleek, innovative style and technological attributes that set it apart from other competitors. Because our primary target audience, the Ashers, are young, environmentally-conscious early adopters who love to be the first to buy new products, Compass Communications feels that emphasizing the Volts one-of-a-kind gas-electric capabilities will appeal to our potential consumers. Our secondary target audience includes older business professionals who feel financially secure and enjoy making purchases that will reflect their status. Again, the Redefining Hybrid campaign will reach this group of individuals by highlighting the Volts technological advancements and the cool statusboosting image purchasers will obtain if they choose the Chevy Volt. Overall, our campaign focuses on highlighting aspects of the Volt that early adopters and status-lovers will feel compelled to want in order to keep their position as the tech-savvy leaders among their social groups. By using characters and scenarios that our target consumers can relate to, we will be able to reach our audience on a more personal, relatable level. In order to make the campaign even more personable, we will use emotional marketing through use of strong visuals across our creative outlets to further grab our audiences attention. This campaign will also support Chevys current reliability and positioning, and take it one step further by emphasizing the Volts gas-electric duality as the new ultimate form of reliable backup for Chevy drivers.

Creative Objectives
The primary objective of Compass Communications creative campaign is to increase sales through emphasizing the Volts gas-electric features. Our secondary objective is to increase buzz about the Chevy Volt with our integrated creative and social media strategies. By both informing and engaging potential consumers, we plan to create a solid brand foundation that will eventually allow us to branch out from our initial big-city targets to create widespread reach and increase the majority of people who are knowledgeable about the Volts latest technological capabilities.

Positioning and Selling Premise

By branding the Chevy Volt as the most technologically-advanced hybrid, Compass Communications will position the Volt as the latest gadget that early adopters and status-lovers must have. To do this, we will emphasize its unique selling proposition: that it has gas and electric capabilities while all other hybrid vehicles run strictly on electric charge.

Tone
The creative campaign will have an informative, yet powerful and confident tone to reassure Volt consumers that Chevy truly believes the Volts new features will help enhance consumer lifestyles and redefine their perception of hybrid vehicles. The ads will speak to consumers on a personal level to invite them to continue trusting in the Chevy legacy and the current technologies Chevy is promoting. A humorous tone will be used throughout video executions of the campaign to grab consumers attention.

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Slogan
Compass Communications will link the Redefine theme throughout our creative campaign by utilizing Redefining Hybrid as the slogan across all media outlets. This will be a memorable slogan to our early-adopter targets because it leaves them thinking about the Volts hybrid capabilities and how they are redefining and improving hybrid vehicles in light of other hybrid competitors. This slogan will create positive connections with the Volt and will ultimately relate back to the overall Chevy legacy, which we have also redefined to emphasize incorporating new technology while maintaining traditional values. To execute this slogan in our creative campaign, Compass Communications will reach out to consumers by redefining what it means to be a hybrid owner. We will use our ads to redefine what it means to be an environmentalist and a technology-lover by showing that both of these attitudes can coincide. Emphasizing the cool factor of the new gas-electric capabilities as the latest innovation, but also as the cool new way to be environmentally-conscious, will help reshape the hybrid vehicle image for Volt owners.

Thematic Linkage
To create consistency across the campaign, Compass Communications will use the Redefining Hybrid slogan in all media outlets. In addition, we will use the Trust In Tradition tagline to reinforce consumers that the Chevy brand is completely confident in its latest hybrid model. To further cement the connection between the traditional Chevy brand and the new Chevy Volt, the Chevrolet logo and the Volt logo will be used across all visual media outlets to ingrain in consumers minds that Chevys legacy of the past and the Volts technology of the future are solidly linked.

Timing
Compass Communications will begin its creative campaign with advertisements that focus on showing our consumers exactly how we will be redefining hybrid vehicles and hybrid vehicle owners. Showing how the Volt is the cool, new, innovative hybrid with redefined technological advancements that can then redefine the consumers image as a hybrid owner will explicitly connect our campaign with our slogan and cement it in consumers minds. Emphasizing the humor and relatable characteristics of our two male characters at the start of our campaign through our viral video and commercial media outlets will especially draw consumers in and connect them with the campaign. After our audience is familiar with the Chevy Volt characters and the technological aspects of the Volt, ads will become less informative and focus on re-iterating the overall idea of the cool factor of owning a Volt and the technological aspects our consumers will be aware of. We will build off of past campaigns that emphasized Electric when you want it. Gas when you need it and act as a continual reminder to consumers about how the Volts hybrid-electric qualities are coupled with a gas backup.

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Print
All three of our print ads have the theme of Redefining Hybrid, while also touching on different selling points. Each ad will have QR codes in the bottom-left of the ad, which will prompt the viewer to download our mobile application. Our first print ad, Technology at your Fingertips, aims to inform consumers about the Volts new technology, including the gas-electric capabilities. We strategically planned to run this as our first print ad, because many consumers may be unaware of the Volts features. i

Technology
at your Fingertips

Chevy Volt introduces you to the technology that lets you travel your way. With its half gas, half electric capabilities, you will never be left without a backup. Running an EPA-estimated 40 miles per charge, Chevy prides itself in offering you the latest in technological advancements.

Chevy Volt. Redefining Hybrid.

www.VoltRedefined.com www.VoltRedefined.com

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Once we have established our new technology and features, we will launch the Let Gas be your Backup ad, which shows the Volts gas-electric features in action. The ad shows the Volt traveling down an open road. The tagline attempts to alleviate the fear of running out of electric charge on a long trip, thanks to the gasoline fuel tank in the Volt. i

Let gas be your backup

Chevy Volt introduces you to the technology that lets you travel your way. With its half gas, half electric capabilities, you will never be left without a backup. Running an EPA-estimated 40 miles per charge, Chevy prides itself in offering you the latest in technological advancements.

Chevy Volt. Redefining Hybrid.

www.VoltRedefined.com

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Our third print ad, Taking the Lead, will run leading up to the 2012 Summer Olympics. This ad will convey the idea that the Volt is pulling ahead of the competition with its unparalleled features. The Chevy brand will also be associated with the Olympics to embody the overall brand image of American pride in our athletes.

Leading the way

Chevy Volt is a game-changer with its half gas, half electric capabilities, rivaled by no other car in its class. The Volt doesnt settle for anything less than gold.

Chevy Volt. Redefining Hybrid.

www.VoltRedefined.com

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Radio
Drive-time radio will be used to reach those daily commuters and business professionals who may be considering purchasing a new car. Because radio ads are generally used at the start of a creative campaign, the message will be more informative rather than emotionally-driven. Compass Communications plans to use radio to detail the environmental and technological benefits of the Volts gas-electric attributes. As the campaign progresses and listeners become more knowledgeable about the Volt, the radio spots will evolve with the television ads. Using questions in the advertisements and moments of silence to allow listeners to think and comprehend the message will be used as attention-grabbing elements. VO: Hi there. Where are you headed today? VO: Got enough gas in your tank to get you there? VO: Its hard to keep up with rising gas prices these days. VO: Ever thought about switching to a fuel-efficient hybrid vehicle? VO: How about a Chevy Volt, the only gas-electric car on the market? VO: The Volt gets you where you need to go, with an EPA estimated 40 miles per electric charge, but also runs on gas for those spontaneous road trips that you love to take. VO: For more information, check out VoltRedefined.com and visit your local Chevy dealer today. VO: Chevy Volt. Redefining hybrid.

Because our target audience listens to internet-only radio stations and tunes into the American Music Awards, Grammys, and VMAs, we know they like music. Therefore, Compass Communications will also place radio advertisements on online radio stations such as Pandora. These stations do not allow listeners to pause or skip commercials, therefore, they will have to listen to the ad. We will complement these radio commercials with banner ads that direct listeners to the micro-site and social media sites.

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Outdoor
Outdoor advertising is effective, because it is the next closest thing to point-of-purchase advertising in the sense that our target audience may be viewing our billboard, for example, on the way to a car dealership. Our billboard ad will say, When gas meets electric followed by Redefining Hybrid to convey the message that Chevy Volt is changing what it means to be a hybrid by being the first hybrid with gas and electric capabilities. We drove this idea home by showing an electrical plug and gas pump, instead of showing a Volt car.

When gas meets electric.

Redefining Hybrid.

Creative outdoor ads will be used to add originality and uniqueness to the Chevy Volt campaign. It will be placed in busy cities in front of malls, office buildings, and transit sites, where our target professionals are likely to be found. One example will include large sleek pictures of the Chevy Volt painted across the sides of buildings. A cord traveling from the picture will be painted along roads and sidewalks, which leads to a painted image of a plug at the end of the cord. When our audience sees this attention-grabbing image of a plug on the sidewalk, their natural curiosity will lead them to follow the cord. Their attention will then be directed at the image of the Volt on a nearby building.

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Internet
Micro-site
VoltRedefined.com will act as the central hub for the Redefining Hybrid campaign. Our media outlets and promotions will direct people to this site. Although Chevy Volt already has its own web page, this site will link off the original website and will focus on the technological aspects of the Volt by featuring a scroll-over image of the Volts different features. In addition, all viral video and social media sites specific to our campaign will be linked to this page. To make the site more personable, a live chat feature will allow consumers to speak with local dealership representatives and view a link to a map with locations of charging stations.

Redefining Hybrid.
HOME FEATURES PHOTOS DEALERSHIPS EVENTS SPONSORSHIPS

Banner Ads
Because our target audience often clicks on Internet banner ads, Compass Communications will make this a large part of our creative Internet campaign. Personalized banner ads will be used to reach our target audience on an individual level. Because our target audience reads online magazines and newspapers and likes to look at sports-related content online, we will place our banner ads on these types of websites. The ads will feature bold images of the Volt to grab viewers attention and drive potential consumers to the micro-site. They will be simple, yet eye-catching, highlighting the Volts sleek image.

Chevy Volt. Redefining Hybrid.

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www.VoltRedefined.com

Social Media
Our target audience believes that the Internet has changed the way they spend their free time and provides them with a new way to socialize with others. To incorporate this, Compass Communications will keep updated Facebook and Twitter accounts to interact with consumers and obtain feedback about the Volt. In addition, our social media sites will encourage consumers to share images or videos with other consumers, specifically highlighting where they have gone in their Chevy Volt.

Viral Video
Because our target consumers are avid Internet users, Compass Communications plans to jump-start our campaign with viral videos that juxtapose two characters, a dorky environmentally-conscious man and his cool, yet equally environmentally-conscious neighbor. These will serve to generate buzz about the Volt and will be circulated throughout the micro-site, social media accounts, and YouTube. Every two weeks, our campaign will upload a new webisode showing the latest comical developments in the neighbors lives as the uncool neighbor goes to great heights to preserve the environment and his neighbor displays the ease of being environmental with the Volts gas-electric technology. Each video ends with the pair finding common ground in their concern for the environment. The cool neighbors use of the Volt as a means of being environmental without compromising his suave image or status will continually drive home our theme that the Volt is redefining hybrid vehicles and what it means to be a hybrid owner. Ultimately, these videos will act as mini-trailers to our first big TV spot to be launched at the Super Bowl. The viral videos are meant to draw viewers attention and make them want to look out for the Volt Super Bowl ad, just as movie trailers get people excited for an upcoming premiere.

Smartphone Application
Compass Communications will incorporate the smartphone application Charging Forward into its creative campaign to appeal to early adopters who use the latest technologies. The application will locate the nearest charging stations and gas stations to ensure consumers are never left stranded. The application will also keep an estimated running count of how much money Volt drivers have been saving while running on electric charge. Because our target audience feels money is the greatest measure of success, this aspect will appeal to those who love to be reminded about their smart financial choices.

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Television
Television is an essential part of any advertising campaign. Therefore, Compass Communications will produce four different TV spots that showcase the cars gas and electric capabilities and emphasize unique features that would set consumers apart from their peers. Overall, television will help generate buzz about the Chevy Volt and direct potential purchasers to both our micro-site and eventually, local dealerships. Because it is a very engaging, visual medium, television ads will allow consumers to see the sleek design of the interior and exterior of the Volt and imagine themselves driving it, thus reaching our audience on a more personal level. Through emphasizing cool factors that will appeal to our secondary status-loving target, like the McCoys, Compass Communications will focus most of the ads on the gas and electric capabilities that our early adopters will like. These ads will utilize the same characters throughout to add an element of continuity to the campaign. Because our target is also interested in sports and said they plan to watch both the Super Bowl and Summer Olympics, we will create TV spots that use the same characters, yet also include humor to ensure our audiences remember the Volt ad among the large number of competing advertisements at these events. The storyboard below is a sample of a 30-second television commercial emphasizing the Volts redefined hybrid characteristics. Video: Scene is set up to portray neighborhood homes side by side. The neighbor on the left comes out of his home in the early morning and is shown separating his recyclables into 6 different specifically-labeled bins. Audio: Funny instrumental Time: 5 seconds

Video: The same neighbor climbs onto his roof and starts assembling an elaborate solar panel apparatus, struggling to put it together. Audio: Funny Instrumental Time: 5 seconds

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Video: The neighbor on the right comes out of his house, walks to his Volt in the driveway and looks up at his neighbor on the roof before climbing in. Audio: VO: Whatcha doin up there Sheldon? VO: (nerdy voice) Due to the latest power out- age, Im devising a back-up energy source. This way my car will always be charged in case we have another power outage like we did last night. Are you sure you have enough electric charge on that thing? VO: Yeah, Ive got charge, but I can use gas to get me the rest of the way. Good luck with that roof. Video: Man drives away in his Volt while neighbor on roof has an ah-ha moment watching his neighbor leave. Scene fades to black. Time: 5 seconds

Video: Scene fades back to the same two houses at night. The mans car is gone from the driveway and his solar panel project has made no progress. The other neighbor drives back and parks his Chevy Volt. He gets out and eyes pan from his neighbors driveway to his neighbors roof. Scene fades to black again. Audio: Funny Instrumental Time: 5 seconds

Video: Scene fades back into morning. Neighbor with Volt comes out and gets into his car as other neighbors garage door opens to display a Volt. The two pull up to one another side by side, give each other a knowing look, and drive away. Audio: Funny Instrumental Time: 5 seconds

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Media Plan

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Television: $56,454,265.25
Television will be the largest platform for advertising the Volt, with allocation focusing on seasonal changes, holidays and programs our target market is interested in. Simmons III data shows that our target market watches both national and local networks during primetime hours. Therefore, we will distribute the advertising budget relatively evenly between national, spot and spot cable television. Due to our pulsing strategy, we will focus on national advertisements during the high points and on spot advertising during the low points. This strategy of distribution gives the Volt a strong, constant presence in the media. Based on the Choices III data, we will focus on networks such as ESPN, FOX, and the CW, because our target market is more likely to watch channels that have similar content to these networks.

Sporting Events
Knowing that our target markets are physically active and enjoy also watching sports, we will place Volt advertisements in various sporting events throughout the year. According tour, our target markets plan to tune into events such as the NBA playoffs, the Masters, the Summer Olympics and the Super Bowl. Our biggest focus will be on creating ads with a lot of stopping power for both the Super Bowl and the 2012 Summer Olympics, because these programs will reach the greatest amount of viewers. In addition, we will also run two advertisements during the Major League Baseball playoffs, continuing to intertwine Chevrolet and historic American traditions.

Magazines: $14,218,643.75
Simmons III data shows that our target market is more inclined to read general interest and mens magazines. Therefore, we will place advertisements in magazines such as Mens Health, Forbes, ESPN Magazine and Consumer Reports. Our ads will be present in both print and online editions since our target market reads magazines online. Placement in these magazines will connect with our target markets interest in sports and business. Allocation will continue to be concentrated on seasons and holidays.

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Radio: $4,549,966.00
Radio is an economically conducive outlet to reach our target audience. We will focus advertisements on National Radio morning drive times and Spot Radio evening drive times in the same cities we will focus our outdoor advertisements. Drive times are a smart choice for Chevy Volt advertisements because they will reach our target market at times when they are commuting to work, cause our consumers to think about getting gas for their cars, and the possibility of owning a hybrid vehicle.

Outdoor: $2,450,000.00
Outdoor advertising is another inexpensive way to reach our target market while they are driving or spending time outdoors. We will focus on cities around the country with big commuter populations. By the start of our campaign, the Chevy Volt will be available nationwide, making it easily accessible in our target cities.32 These cities will include San Diego, San Jose, Houston, Dallas, Denver, Phoenix, Seattle, Orlando, Washington D.C., New York, Detroit, Chicago and Minneapolis. Our advertisements will be placed throughout the spring and summer months to insure a high number of viewers.

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Internet: $ 2,243,125.00
Although the smallest portion of the budget is applied to Internet advertising, Compass Communications expects Internet activities to have a big impact on our target market. According our research, our target markets feel the Internet has changed their way of living. They are inclined to click on Internet banner ads and do a lot of daily activities online. In addition to making sure all the print ads for magazines appear in online editions, we will use key words and viral videos to generate buzz about the Chevy Volt during the beginning of and throughout the campaign. Key words for Internet searches will include Chevrolet, Volt, hybrid car American hybrid and hybrid technology. We will continue to advertise the Volt through banner ads and a five-month ad spot on Pandora during seasonal changes and holiday times. The banner ads will be interactive and lead to the Chevy Volt website. Placement will be on websites that pertain to our target market interests, including ESPN.com, NewYorkTimes.com, Forbes.com and London2012. com. Through our Internet advertising, Compass Communications aims to build excitement and inform people about the Volt while establishing the base for our Redefining Hybrid campaign.

Motion Picture: $84,000

Compass Communications will place the Chevy Volt in the new James Bond movie Skyfall, which is expected to be released in October 2012. The James Bond franchise is popular among Americans and will complement Chevrolets previous presence in other action films like Transformers, as well as reach a large number of viewers worldwide.

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Media Allotment

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Media Spending
Total Budget $80,000,000.00 IMPACT MEDIA SPENDING MEDIA CATEGORIES Super Bowl Grammys Masters NBA Playoffs Summer Olympics Video Music Awards MLB Playoffs American Music Awards Motion Picture Keywords Internet Banner Ad Viral Video Internet Radio Ad Outdoor SUM TOTAL COST PER UNIT $2,968,800 $990,250 $1,141,850 $1,141,850 $1,141,850 $990,250 $1,141,850 $990,250 $84,000 $29,250 $3,000 $10,000 $102,375 $35,000 UNITS X MONTH 1 2 2 2 4 1 2 1 1 25 300 10 5 70 TOTAL $2,968,800 $1,980,500 $2,283,700 $2,283,700 $4,567,400 $990,250 $2,283,700 $990,250 $84,000 $731,250 $900,000 $100,000 $511,875 $2,450,000 $23,125,425 NOTES 1 Super Bowl Advertisement 2 Commercials 2 Commercials throughout 2 Commercials throughout 4 Commercials throughout 1 Commercial 2 Commercials 1 Commercial Placement in 2012 James Bond movie 5 words from January-May Placed April-June/ Oct.-Dec. 10 videos from January-August 1 ad for 5 months on Pandora 14 cities from April-August Total Spent $23,125,425.00 Remainder $56,874,575.00

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Media Spending
NON-IMPACT MEDIA SPENDING MEDIA CATEGORIES National TelevisionSports National TelevisionPrimetime CPP TOTAL $38,337 $33,103 % ALLOCATION $ ALLOCATION 10% 20% 22% 15% 4% 4% 10% 15% 100% $5,687,457.50 $11,374,915.00 $12,512,406.50 $8,531,186.25 $2,274,983.00 $2,274,983.00 $5,687,457.50 $8,531,186.25 $56,874,575.00 GRPS 148 344 390 692 781 537 199 132 3223

Spot Television-Prime- $32,066 time Spot Cable Television- $12,324 Prime National Radio Morn- $2,913 ing Drive Spot Radio Evening Drive National Magazine (Men) National Magazine (General) SUM TOTAL $4,240 $28,618 $64,733

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Media Spending
IMPACT MEDIA MEDIA CATEGORIES
Super Bowl Grammys Masters NBA Playoffs Summer Olympics Video Music Awards MLB Playoffs American Music Awards Keywords Internet Banner Ad Viral Video Internet Radio Ad Outdoor
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC Total

1 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 6 5 5 5 60 3 1 1 1 1 1 14 4 60 1 1 14 14 14 14 60 1 1 1 1 1 60 60 60

1 2 2 2 2 1 2 1 25 300 10 5 70

NON-IMPACT MEDIA MEDIA CATEGORIES

National Television-Sports National Television-Primetime Spot TelevisionPrimetime Spot Cable Television Primetime National Radio Morning Drive Spot Radio Evening Drive
GRPS JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

Total

148 344 390 692 781 537 62 40 18 13

25 18 15 23 21 54 63 30 67 60

24 33 21 65 67 60 30 9 18

24 43 47 100 73 40 30 18 23 42 125 67 24 25 16

25 18 33

25 18 17 43 52 53

25 30 47 70 60 60 20 14 34 37 125 60 45 25 15 43 47 100 67 55 35 20

148 344 390 692 781 537 199 132 3223

67 23 20 14

64 40 14 8

64 60

National Magazine 199 (Men) National Magazine 132 (General)

SUM TOTAL

3223

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Public Relations

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Public Opinion Analysis

Since 2010, the overall perception of the Chevrolet brand has remained relatively static but positive. In both the 2010 and 2011 Consumer Reports Best Car Brand Perception survey, Chevrolet has finished in fourth place, behind Toyota, Ford and Honda both years. The scores of each brand reflect consumers total perception level of a car brand across seven categories; safety, quality, value, performance, design/ style, technology/innovation and friendly/green.33 Another consumer perception-based survey conducted in 2010 by BrandIndex surveyed 5,000 consumers daily on the opinions of more than 1,100 different brands, rating on a scale from minus 100 to 100. Zero means equal positive and negative perceptions, and generally the highest score is around 60. Among all automobile brands, Chevrolet ranked second with a score 22, behind Fords leading score of 40.34 J.D. Power and Associates has also conducted a survey, beginning in 2007, that examines how gratifying a new vehicle is to own and drive, based on owner evaluations. Premised by the fact that brands included luxury-brand vehicles, Chevrolet ranked 23 in 2007 before falling out of the ranking in 2010, when it ranked 18. 2011 saw a small decline to 23, but it is the first time Chevy has been ranked in consecutive polls.35 YouGov BrandIndexs Buzz score, which asks respondents, If youve heard anything about the brand in the last two weeks, through advertising, news or word of mouth, was it positive or negative? ranks Chevrolet third among the highest Auto Buzz scores, behind Ford and Honda, for the first six months of 2011.36 In Consumer Reports 2010 annual reliability survey, many General Motors brands improved their rating from the previous year, most notably Chevrolet. According to the survey, 83 percent of Chevrolet vehicles had scores of average or better, up 50 percent from 2009.37 In addition to the positive perception surrounding the Chevrolet brand, even more encouraging is the Chevrolet Volt, which was voted the car with the most satisfied customers by Consumer Reports. The hybrid-electric model edged out several other top-performing cars such as the V8-powered Dodge Challenger and the Porsche 911 to take the title, awarded on December 1, 2011. A total of 93 percent of respondents who own the Volt said they would definitely buy it again, compared to 91 percent who owned its two closest competitors.38

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Media Tracking
Media outlets across the country and North America reeled off a constant stream of news coverage regarding the Chevrolet Volt throughout the course of 2011. The majority of press coverage regarding the Volt was positive and portrayed the Chevrolet Volt as the tradition of the future for Chevrolet and its consumers. Recent coverage highlights topics from customer satisfaction, the excitement about the new product and what it means for the automobile industry to how the Volt will help clean up the environment. Several stories also highlight Chevys goal to strive for the utmost consumer satisfaction. The safety concerns over the lithium-ion battery and consumer disdain over the price of the Volt will keep Chevrolet working to improve customer satisfaction as much as possible. We will continue to monitor all available media coverage to note successes, trends and potential problems so that we may respond more quickly and more efficiently to improve our public relations strategy for the betterment of the Chevrolet Volt and the happiness of our loyal consumer base. These cars appeal to the cool, tech-savvy consumer segment. October 21, 2011 LA Times I found myself charging the Volt after short jaunts not just because of the novelty, but the desire to keep Volt fully charged to minimize gas fill ups. May 30, 2011 Chicago Daily Herald

Volt could be the companys iPod, the shiny new device that changes behavior on a mass scale. October 25, 2011 Journal Star (Peoria, Illinois)

The Volt competes in a segment extended range electric vehicles - that it alone occupies. August 16, 2011, The Gazette (Montreal)

These models reflect a larger trend weve seen in recent years: Sporty cars and fuel efficient cars with alternative drivetrains tend to generate more enthusiasm and loyalty than most other types of vehicles. December 2, 2011 Cars & Motorbikes

An electric-only vehicle has range limitations. Volts technology appeals to buyers because they dont need a different vehicle to fulfill all of their transportation requirements. Volt eliminates the need to own two separate cars. March 13, 2011 The Times (Munster, Indiana)

People wonder, Is it as safe as a regular gasoline-powered car? These results show that automakers are putting the same high level of safety engineering into these new electric cars (as are going) into their gas-only vehicles. April 26, 2011 USA Today

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Stakeholder Analysis
General Motors, Chevrolet: One of the largest concerns
for General Motors and Chevrolet about the Chevy Volt is that demand for the new plug-in vehicle has been relatively low. The Volt is bringing customers to the dealerships, but the price is turning many away. GM has repeatedly claimed that its sales target goal for 2011 is 10,000 units. Unfortunately for the car manufacturer, nine months of the year are complete and less than half of that goal has been completed.39

Viewed as one of the greatest competitors to the Chevy Volt, Nissan has sold 7,199 Leafs in 2011, which is almost double the sales of the Volt. Positively, The Chevy Volt is a new avenue for GM and Chevy. The electrical hybrid vehicle could open the door to a new niche market as well as be a driver for a company that has faced severe economic instability in the recent past. Also the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) is investigating a potential safety concern, the lithium-ion batteries in the vehicles. However, the fires that have resulted after crash tests have all been lab contained at this point. No vehicles on the road have reported the same issue.

Oil Companies: It is hard to see any benefits for oil

companies if hybrid electric cars take off in the United States. If the popularity of such vehicles increases to a large degree, oil companies will lose profit due to customers not needing to purchase as much gas as before. It would seem likely, however, that oil companies would be more supportive of the Volt than of pure electric vehicles because the Volt still uses diesel fuel.

Environmental Groups and Agencies: One re-

port advocates that the effectiveness of hybrid electric cars cannot actually help improve the environment. The reports cites that emissions from manufacturing cars are at least 50% higher because batteries are made from materials such as lithium, copper and refined silicon, which require much more energy to be processed.40 The combined savings of the first and second round of light-duty standards over the lifetime of 2012 to 2025 vehicles will save drivers $1.7 trillion in fuel cost, reduce oil dependency by 12 billion barrels of oil, and cut heat-trapping pollution that drives global warming by approximately 6 billion metric tons, said the Natural Resources Defense Councils Roland Hwang.41 Green Car Journal named the Chevy Volt the 2011 Green Car of the Year.

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Consumers: Consumers are finding the price of the Volt, $40, 000, too expensive. However,

the introduction of the new vehicle has created new jobs at production plants. Chevy Volt owners recently voted the Volt as the car with the most satisfied owners, 93 percent saying they would definitely buy the Volt again. Some consumers may be concerned by the investigation of the lithium-ion battery fires, but GM has offered loaner vehicles and announced plans to buy back vehicles to keep customers happy.

Automobile Dealerships: Dealerships share many of the same concerns as the GM and

Chevrolet parent companies. Prices are deterring customers from buying the Volt and sales are not where GM would like them to be at this point. Volts may have the ability to draw people into the dealership and purchase a car, even if it is not the Chevy Volt. Though the Volt is drawing consumers, after seeing the price, many have purchased the fuel efficient Chevy Cruze instead.

Capital Markets: President Obama has said that he hopes to have 1 million hybrid electric

vehicles on the road by 2015. Such a drastic change in the number of electric vehicles could dramatically alter the infrastructure of the oil industry, the car industry and maybe even the gas station or convenience store industry.

Government: The government is offering subsidies for qualifying buyers of the Volt to entice

purchases. First the Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008, and later the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES) granted tax credits for new qualified plug-in electric drive motor vehicles. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) also authorized federal tax credits for converted plug-ins, though the credit is lower than for new PEVs.42

Employees: The Chevy Volt production plants in the United States have had workers unionize
and sign a new contract. Additionally, more employees have been hired by Chevrolet at plants producing the Volt in order to meet production demands and projections.

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2011 Public Relations Efforts

The year 2011 was Chevrolets centennial year. Founded November 3, 1911, Chevrolet has consistently tried to be an innovator in the automobile manufacturing industry. So, it is no coincidence that Chevrolet used 2011 as an opportunity to use their tradition and history to foster a positive public response. It is also not a coincidence that Chevrolet used its centennial as the launching point for what it hopes to become a new tradition, the 2011 Chevy Volt. During 2011, Chevrolet started a 100 day countdown to November 3, encouraging fans and consumers to think back and tell their favorite Chevy stories, vote for their favorite Chevrolet cars and trucks, and take the birthday party to their local communities with the help of Chevrolet and its dealers. It is fitting that we mark our Centennial by recognizing these connections and celebrating Chevrolets role in peoples lives, Chris Perry, VP, global Chevrolet marketing and strategy said. The PR event correlates greatly with the Chevy Runs Deep slogan, appealing to the personal relationship America has had with Chevrolet for 100 years. Three events key to the 2011 Chevrolet public relations strategy included the sponsorship of the Woodward Dream Cruise, Chevrolets partnership with the American Cancer Society to help support Making Strides Against Breast Cancer and creation of its very own Pandora Chevrolet Station. All of them have the potential to elicit strong emotions. The Woodward Dream Cruise was Chevrolets way to sponsor a community event. Held in August, the event draws 1.5 million fans and over 50,000 performance vehicles and is the largest one-day automotive event in the world. Making Strides Against Breast Cancer was a series of walking events to help raise money to fight breast cancer. Employees, dealers, union partners and suppliers of Chevrolet all joined in an effort to save lives by helping people stay well, help people get well, find cures and fight back against breast cancer. The final centennial event strategy was the creation of the Chevrolet Pandora channel. Just think how many songs have been written that included a Chevrolet reference; its a lot. Recognizing the importance of music in its history, as Compass Communications did in its primary research, Chevrolet and Pandora compiled a playlist of the top 100 songs that mention the brand. Several songs include American Pie by Don McLean, Crocodile Rock by Elton John, Little Red Corvette by Prince, and Tim McGraw by Taylor Swift.43

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2012 Public Relations Strategy

The foremost goal of Chevrolet and the 2012 Volt is to make sure we provide a quality-built and safe vehicle for our consumers. Beyond that essential premise, we recognize our trend-setting consumers needs for a technology-driven vehicle with increased flexibility and fuel efficiency, all wrapped inside a stylish exterior, without sacrificing any of the advantages of a fully gas-powered vehicle. We not only want the Volt to represent those ideals, but also for the public relations strategy to reflect them as well, as specified by the following agenda: 1. Reassure stakeholders, consumers and the general public that Chevrolet and the Volt are committed to a safety and quality vehicle for each one of its customers. a. Chevrolet will continue moving forward with the established consumer support program in regards to the lithium-ion battery concerns. 2. Accentuate the technological appeal of the Chevrolet Volt via a partnership with Apple, as well as solidifying our relationship with consumers and potential customers through the use of social media sites. a. Planned partnership with Apple to promote sales of the Chevrolet Volt. b. As part of our Redefined campaign, the Chevrolet Volt Facebook and Twitter pages will run several incentive based contests. 3. Increase awareness of the flexibility offered by the Chevrolet Volt through its placement in various highly visible performance platforms. a. Planned sponsorship with Best Buys Geek Squad b. Planned sponsorship with CBS and The Amazing Race c. Planned product placement in James Bond movie. 4. Emphasize the stylish, yet fuel efficient Chevrolet Volt through a generous philanthropic endeavor. a. Planned donation of Chevrolet Volts to drivers education programs across the country.

Media/Press Relations Strategy

Through the beginning stages of the lithium-ion battery concerns, Chevrolets efforts to solve what could have been a major crisis have strengthened our belief in the proper way to handle media and press relations. Going forward, we pledge to meet any issue with full responsibility and honesty as we search for the best solution to the given situation. Chevrolet will hold a minimum of four quarterly press conferences to release the latest industry data and how it relates to Chevrolet and the Volt, and send out press releases to the media as needed. We will also establish a media/press contact number directly to our Public Relations team to handle any questions members of the media may have.

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Responding to Public Opinion

In light of the concerns regarding the lithium-ion battery fires, Chevrolet will continue to support any consumer who has purchased a Volt by loaning another vehicle to the consumer during the inspection of their Volt or buy back any Volt from any consumer who is worried about a danger with the Volts battery. Chevrolet will also create a website for consumers that will provide any and all updates regarding the NHTSA investigation.

Partnerships
Chevrolet and the Volt plan to partner with technology giant Apple to establish and maintain the technological attributes of the Volt. The plan is for Chevrolet to give away the consumers choice of an iPhone, iPad 2 or iPod Touch, complete with a two year data package for the device, with the purchase of a 2012 Chevrolet Volt. Chevrolet will also distribute $5 iTunes gift cards with every Volt test drive. It is believed that the Apple partnership will have a positive impact on our target consumers because the Volt and Apple products share a similarity of being one-of-a-kind pieces of technology and attract a similar consumer base. According to Compass Communications primary research, those who love to buy new gadgets and appliances, like Apple products, are 63% more likely to own a hybrid.

Social Media/Mobile Marketing

Social Media
Facebook and Twitter also play a critical role in influencing the Volt target market. According to our Simmons III data, those who believe the Internet is the new way they socialize with people are more likely to own a hybrid. We plan on strengthening consumers relationships with Chevrolet and their social circles by creating fun, incentive-based social media activities. In the spirit of our Redefining campaign, one particular Facebook contest will include consumers posting on the Chevrolet Volt wall, what they are redefining at that time. Weekly winners will be awarded for the best answers with gas cards, so despite an already efficient gas/electric system, they will be able to go even further without spending to fill their tank. For Twitter, Chevrolet will award randomly selected users who upload creative twitpics with their Volt, under the hash tag #ChevroletVolt, the opportunity to win an upgraded charging station at their home, free of charge.

Mobile Marketing
Chevrolet plans to develop a smart phone application that allows the user to find the nearest charging stations for their Volt. The application would also include a counter for the number of different charging stations the individual visited. Cumulative through 2012, the individual who visited the most charging stations across the country would be the winner of $50,000.

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Sponsorship and Product Placement

Chevrolet is excited to plan sponsorships with three highly visible platforms that will raise awareness to the level of flexibility that the Volt has. Best Buy is a national retailer that employs the services of the Geek Squad to repair or service any piece of electronic equipment. The plan would be to sponsor the Geek Squads service vehicles by replacing them with Chevy Volts. Not only creating a more efficient travel, but having the Volt gain attention on the road.

As part of CBSs Amazing Race, we plan to implement the Volt into at least one stage of the race, advertising that the electric charge will last, for each team to use. The extreme nature of the race will emphasize that you can do anything and go anywhere with this vehicle, without worrying about running out of charge.

Finally, placement of the Chevy Volt in the upcoming James Bond movie would be a great placement for the Volt. Serving as some type of getaway car, the Volt would display its topend performance. The presence alongside such a well-known character as Bond would also impact our target audience, which agrees that if a character in a television show or movie uses a product, theyre 27% more likely to own a hybrid. An appearance at the Hollywood movie premier would also generate positive buzz for the Volt.

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Philanthropy and Publicity Events

The Chevrolet Volts philanthropic endeavor both aids the community as well as influences young early adopters. Chevrolet plans to donate Chevrolet Volts to drivers education programs around the country. The impact of the Volt would not only stress the importance for environmentally friendly driving, but it would also attract the next generation of car buyers and early adopters. Chevrolet would also like to plan a remake of the same walk across America challenge that others have used to bring awareness to social causes in the past. The event would spark both local and national attention, and create a very positive perception of Chevrolet and the Volt. Beginning in Los Angeles, California, a convoy of 20 Chevrolet Volts would make their way across the country to New York City -- without using any gas. It would be a grueling, but compassionate trip. Each day the Volt convoy would travel about 70 miles. The convoy would take off with a full charge of electricity and would drive toward New York, making scheduled stops that would allow for the Volts to be plugged in for eight hours and charged to capacity. During the charging process the 40 volunteers would find some way to provide aid to someone or something in the community. Each day of travel and community service would be broken down as follows: Wake up and drive 35 miles = About 1 hour Plug in, charge and better the community = Eight hours Unplug and drive 35 miles = About 1 hour Plug in, charge and better the community = Eight hours Sleep = Six hours Each day would proceed in that fashion, until the convoy made it all the way from LA to New York City. Local and national news stories would be created throughout the entire trip about all the amazing stories from helping people to the stories of the volunteers and beyond. But the subject is really irrelevant because it would always get brought back to the fact that this convoy of community servants were traveling across the country in Chevy Volts. The trip could easily last up to 50 days, and with two stops per day, over 100 different communities served and no fuel emissions released.

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Media Contacts
Network/Cable Television
ABC News 147 Columbus Ave., New York, NY 10023 Phone: 212-456-7777 CBS News 524 W. 57 St., New York, NY 10019 Phone: 212-975-4321 Fax: 212-975-1893 CNN One CNN Center, Box 105366, Atlanta, GA 30303-5366 Phone: 404-827-1500 Fax: 404-827-1784 (Public Relations) Fox News Channel 1211 Ave. of the Americas, New York, NY 10036 Phone: (212) 301-3000 MSNBC/NBC 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10112 Phone: (212) 664-3720 Fax: (212) 664-4426 (NBC News) PBS 2100 Crystal Drive, Arlington VA 22202-3785 Phone: 703-739-5000, Phone: 703-739-5290 (Ombudsman) Fax: 703-739-5777 620 8th Ave., New York, NY 10018 Phone: 212-556-1234 USA Today 7950 Jones Branch Dr., McLean, VA 22108 Phone: 703-854-3400 Fax: 703-854-2078 The Wall Street Journal 1211 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036 Phone: 212-416-2000 Fax: 212-416-2658 The Washington Post 1150 15th St., NW, Washington, DC 20071 Phone: 202-334-6000 Fax: 202-334-5075

Magazines
Car And Driver Magazine Nathan Christopher - Executive Director of Public Relations Phone: 212-649-2582 EV World J. William Moore Publisher, Editor-in-Chief (402) 339-9877 EVWorld.Com, Inc. P.O. Box 461132 Papillion, Nebraska 68046 Motor Trend Magazine 831 S. Douglas Street El Segundo, CA 90245 Newsweek 7 Hanover Square, New York, NY, 10004 Phone: 212-445-4000 Time Time & Life Bldg., Rockefeller Center, 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 100201393 Phone: 212-522-1212 Fax: 212-522-0003

National Radio Programs

National Public Radio 635 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20001-3753 Phone: 202-513-2000 Fax: 202-513-3329

Newspapers
The Los Angeles Times 202 West First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012 Phone: 213-237-5000 Fax: 213-237-4712 The New York Times

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Press Release #1
Contact: Brett Sommers bsommers@chevyvolt.com 715-340-0607

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Chevrolet Pairs with Apple to Offer Choice of iPhone, iPad 2 or iPod Touch with Purchase of 2012 Volt. DETROIT, MICH., December 26, 2011 Chevrolet is proud to announce a one-year partnership with electronics giant, Apple, Inc. Chevrolet will be rewarding customers for either test driving or purchasing a new 2012 Chevy Volt. A test drive will earn the customer a $5 iTunes gift cards, and the purchase of a 2012 Volt will earn the customers choice of either an iPhone, iPad 2 or iPod Touch, complete with a two-year data package. While the electronics industry and automotive industry are very different in terms of the use of products, Apple and the Chevrolet Volt can both be looked at as, technologically-advanced gadgets, if you will, GM CEO Daniel F. Akerson said. Both companies are trying to bring their customers a top-ofthe-line product that has no duplicate. The Chevrolet Volt is the only car in its class, capable of first running on a pure electric charge for an average of 35 miles before automatically switching to its backup gas engine, extending the cars overall range well above 300 miles. Each authorized Chevrolet dealer will carry this promotion through the end of December, 2012. The Chevrolet Volt was recently named the car with the most satisfied customers, according to a survey by Consumer Reports. Ninety-three percent of Volt owners responded they would most definitely purchase the Volt again. The Volt edged out the V8 Dodge Challenger and the Porsche 911 to take home the award. ###

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Press Release #2
Contact: Brett Sommers bsommers@chevyvolt.com 715-340-0607

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Chevrolet Volt Chosen to Play the Role of Getaway Car in New James Bond Film, make a Red Carpet Appearance at the Hollywood Premier DETROIT, MICH., March, 27, 2012 Chevrolet announced this morning that the 2012 Volt has been selected to play the role of one of Agent 007s getaway cars in next falls latest James Bond chapter, Skyfall. The Volt will also be present for the red carpet Hollywood premier screening of the film. The scheduled release is unknown at this time. Everyone at GM and Chevrolet are extremely excited to be given this opportunity to have our newest and most revolutionary car be the getaway car in the new James Bond movie, GM CEO Daniel F. Akerson said. The best part is that the stunt drivers for the film will really get to show everyone else the real type of power our hybrid has. This is just the latest movie to feature a new line of Chevrolet vehicle. Back in 2007, Chevrolet used Transformers to give its new Camaro a shot on the big screen for all to see. Skyfall looks to give that same opportunity to the Chevrolet Volt, a chance for all of America to see the Chevy Volt in action. The Volt, capable of running for 35 miles on pure electricity before switching over to its reserve gas tank, has people wondering just how much power a hybrid vehicle can have. If the Volt has enough speed and power to get James Bond out of a pinch, it has enough for the average consumer too, Akerson said. The Volt boasts a 149-horsepower engine, plus the ability to travel well over 300 miles on one tank of gas once it runs out of electricity. If Bond were driving any other Hybrid vehicle, he would either run out of electricity or simply get overtaken by what or whoever he was running from. The Volt has it all, Bond stunt driver Stanton Barrett said. ###

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Press Release #3
Contact: Brett Sommers bsommers@chevyvolt.com 715-340-0607

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Chevrolet to Donate 100 Chevy Volts to Drivers Education Programs Across the Country DETROIT, MICH., June 1, 2012 General Motors and Chevrolet announced today that it will be donating the first of multiple batches of Chevrolet Volts to drivers education programs around the country. The very first 100 will be split evenly among the 50 states, two per, to provide new, quality and environmentally friendly vehicles to driving schools that may be having a difficult time providing a quality vehicle for instruction. We thought of it as a better way to introduce the next generation of car buyers to the type of vehicles many people hope will be filling up the highways in the next couple of years, GM CEO Daniel F. Akerson said. It also allows us to do a very small yet helpful part in protecting the environment in each of these 100 communities. A specific list of driving schools has been determined, but GM and Chevrolet wish to surprise the 100 lucky recipients rather than just releasing the list to the public. The Chevrolet Volt should also help with fuel costs at the select driving schools. Due to after school programs, much of the Volts use will be for a couple hours at a time, allowing for a minimal amount of fuel to be spent before being recharged for the next instructional. The Volt is a one of a kind vehicle that has the ability to run on pure electricity for about 35 miles before switching to a backup gas engine that allows at least 300 additional miles to the trip range. Chevrolet also announced that it will be six months to a year before they donate another batch of Volts to more drivers education programs. We will wait and see what the reception is by this first group of programs before deciding how many and when to donate another set of Volts, Akerson said. That being said, we are very pleased to be making a difference and project nothing but positives to come from our donations. ###

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Press Release #4
Contact: Brett Sommers bsommers@chevyvolt.com 715-340-0607

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Chevrolet Announces Chevy Volts Will be the Primary Vehicles for Best Buys Geek Squad DETROIT, MICH., July 9, 2012 Beginning August 1, the 2012 Chevrolet Volt will become the primary vehicle for entertainment and electronics retailer Best Buys infamous tech support team, the Geek Squad. GM and Chevrolet were able to negotiate a deal that will have Volts zooming all over the country to provide technical support. The Volt may even change the Geek Squads nerdy image to that of calm, collected intellect. Maybe not, but the Volt certainly is a piece of technology in itself, a perfect vehicle for individuals who work with different pieces of technology all day. Our partnership with Best Buy and the Geek Squad will give us a road presence. People will see those geek squad cars and know that its a Chevy Volt, GM CEO Daniel F. Akerson said. The Chevy Volts will also provide a more efficient means of travel for Geek Squad employees. On house calls, the Geek Squad in most cases will be able to arrive at their destination without using an ounce of gas, thanks to the 35 mile range the Volt gets from running off pure electricity. Upon returning to the store, the Volt will be able to be plugged right back in and start recharging again for its next run. Not only will the Volts allow us to save a small amount of money on gas, but more importantly it gives us the impression you should get from a geek, Best Buy CEO Brian J. Dunn said. The Volt shows that we are up to date with the latest technology like we should be. In a recent study by Consumer Reports, the Chevy Volt was voted to have the most satisfied owners above all other makes and models. Ninety-three percent of Volt owners responded to a survey that they would definitely buy the Chevy Volt again. The Geek Squad is not the average owner, but if it works well for people during their everyday lives, there is no reason it cant work for the squad, Dunn said. ###

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Appendix

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18. Brophy, B. (2011, December 1). Wordle. Retrieved from http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/4553204/J345_CHEVY_VOLT 19. Chevy Courts Youth with Help from Rolling Stone. Automotive News. 7/9/2007. Vol. 81; Issue 6263. Page 36. 20. Chevys Volt Gets a Charge. Brandweek. 9/22/2008. Vol. 49; Issue 33. Page 6. 21. Robb, Megan. Techniques Used in Chevrolet Advertising. EHow.com. Web. 13 Oct. 2011. <http://www.ehow.com/ list_6880680_techniques-used-chevrolet-advertising.html>. 22. LaReau, J., & Halliday, J. (2009). Chevy review is sign GM wants ads that provoke. Automotive News, 84(6382), 8. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. 23. Thompson, C. (2010). Chevys Revolution evolution. Automotive News, 84(6395), 4. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. 24. Colias, M. (2011). GMs Ewanick: Chevy ad agency needs consistency. Automotive News, 85(6477), 3-24. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. 25. CHEVYS VOLT GETS A CHARGE. (2008). Brandweek, 49(33), 006. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. 26. Chevrolet Volt Ad Campaign to Draw on History, Future | ThirdAge. Baby Boomer Health, Aging & Retirement | Midlife Caregiving & Relationships | ThirdAge. Web. 13 Oct. 2011. 27. GM Partnering with Microsoft for Virtual Chevy Volt Advertising. GM-Volt: Chevy Volt Electric Car Site. Web. 13 Oct. 2011. 28. Colias, M. (2011). GMs Ewanick: Chevy ad agency needs consistency. Automotive News, 85(6477), 3-24. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. 29. EV1 was ahead of its time; GM directs Chevy into green scene. By: Henry, Jim, Advertising Age, 00018899, 9/15/2008, Vol. 79, Issue 34 30. Autoblog Staff RSS. Latest Chevy Volt Ads Remind Us That This Car Swings Both Ways. Autoblog - We Obsessively Cover the Auto Industry. Web. 06 Dec. 2011. <http://www.autoblog.com/2011/09/23/latest-chevy-volt-ads-remind-us-thatthis-car-swings-both-ways/>. 31. Consumer Reports. (2011, January). Ford leads in the factors that matter most to car shoppers: Cadillac, honda, and toyota lose ground, according to consumer reports 2011 car brand perception survey. Retrieved from http://www.consumerreports. org/cro/cars/new-cars/news/2011/01/2011-car-brand-perception-survey/overview/index.htm 32. Cholia, A. (2011, January 27). Chevy volt will be available around the country by the end of 2011. Retrieved from http:// alttransport.com/2011/01/chevy-volt-will-be-available-around-the-country-by-the-end-of-2011/ 33. Associates, J.D. Power and. Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout study. 2011. http://rankingthebrands.com/ The-Brand-Rankings.aspx?rankingID=46&year=348J.D. 34. BrandIndex. Auto Rankings US - First Half 2011. 7 7, 2011. http://www.brandindex.com/article/auto-rankings-us-firsthalf-2011. 35. Jackson, Kathy. Survey finds Ford is top auto brand. 6 14, 2010. http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/ehost/ detail?sid=56f02be9-aced-4606-bd3b-d8d2d6620c9f%40sessionmgr4&vid=7&hid=18&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2Z Q%3d%3d#db=buh&AN=52925991. 36. PRNewswire. Chevy Marks 100 Years with Fans, Owners and Communities. 7 27, 2011. http://www.prnewswire.com/ news-releases/chevy-marks-100-years-with-fans-owners-and-communities-126244153.html. 37. Reports, Consumer. Best Car Brand Perception Survey. 2011. http://rankingthebrands.com/The-Brand-Rankings. aspx?rankingID=180&year=261. 38. Chevrolet Volt takes top consumer satisfaction prize. 12 2, 2011. http://my.news.yahoo.com/chevrolet-volt-takes-top-consumer-satisfaction-prize-104203144.html.

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39. Chevy Volt Sales Fall Short. (2011, October 3). Retrieved 2011, from Wired: http://www.wired.com/autopia/2011/10/chevy-volt-sales-fall-short/ 40. Fuel Economy Advocates Fight Back in CAFE Probe. (2011, October 17). Retrieved 2011, from hybridcars: http:// www.hybridcars.com/news/fuel-economy-advocates-fight-back-cafe-probe-31538.html 41. Government Incentives for Plug-in Electric Vehicles. (2011). Retrieved from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Government_incentives_for_plug-in_electric_vehicles#United_States 42. Woodyard, C. (2011, 10 10). Drive On. Retrieved 2011, from USA Today: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2011/10/chevrolet-volts-magic-rubs-off-on-sales-of-cheaper-cruze/1 43. Consumer Reports Most Reliable Cars: GM makes big strides but has a long way to go. 2010. http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/autos_content_landing_pages/1556/consumer-reports-most-reliable-cars/.

Ballweg Dealership Questions: Middleton, WI (608-824-3000) 1. Are there any tactics you use to sell the Volt versus other vehicles? 2. What are the main reasons you feel people choose the Volt over other cars? 3. What needs of the consumer do you associate with the Volt? Why do you direct people to the Volt? 4. What characteristics do Volt buyers typically have? Age? Family/single? 5. When a customer decides they want a hybrid, what do you highlight about the Volt that sets it apart from its competitors? 6. What are the deciding factors that lead you to recommend one car over another? 7. What has been common feedback on the Volt and other hybrids? 8. How many people have come in for maintenance on the Volt? 9. Would you personally buy a Volt? Why or why not? 10. What do you think are the best things about the Volt? The worst? 11. What features of the Volt do customers interested in the car seem to be most familiar with? Least familiar with?

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