Cypress-based Mitsubishi Motors North America Inc. has tapped an advertising agency in Huntington Beach for a national campaign aimed at Latino-Americans, the automaker’s first bid to target the fast-growing ethnic niche since 2004.
Grupo Gallegos has created 15- and 30-second versions of a TV spot that will run nationally on the Spanish-language Univision and Telemundo networks through March. The independent advertising agency has also developed point-of-sale and digital campaigns for the automaker.
“This is our foray into the Hispanic market,” said Mitsubishi Director of Marketing Francine Harsini. “In the past, we didn’t have the budget to dedicate separate resources from a creative standpoint, and I feel it’s really important to not just translate general market work but to really [present a] concept with a Hispanic market insight. This year we were able to put forward some dollars for a dedicated effort.”
Harsini said Mitsubishi Motors doubled its marketing budget in 2013 and has held steady this year.
New York-based market researcher Kantar Media estimated the automaker’s ad spending last year at $77.9 million.
The TV spot is based “on the insight that Latinos grow up in a large network of family and friends who want to help with every decision,” and it encourages “car buyers to find their own lane by selecting their own car,” according to the agency.
Marty Orzio, chief creative officer at Grupo Gallegos, said his team was “able to play with the name Mitsubishi by teasing out the first two letters, mi, which means ‘my’ in Spanish,” and convey the message of ‘My Mitsubishi.’ ”
“We are thrilled that when Mitsubishi Motors decided to increase their focus on the Hispanic market, they returned to Grupo Gallegos for support,” said John Gallegos, the agency’s chief executive and founder, referring to the agency’s work with the automaker to launch a digital radio and print campaign a decade ago in the Miami market. “The Hispanic population represents a huge opportunity for brands to expand their consumer base and increase sales, a fact that Mitsubishi has embraced with this new national campaign and communication focus.”
The agency has grown to about $25 million in annual revenue since its founding in 2001. Its client roster includes Comcast Corp., Clorox Co. and Foster Farms, among others.
The Grupo Gallegos assignment work for Mitsubishi will likely continue if it’s well received in the marketplace, Harsini said.
“We should not just dip our toes and get out. If we are going to dedicate our resources and media dollars, we need to be there for a longer period of time, so this is our entrance back into the market.”
Mitsubishi Motors is a unit of Mitsubishi Motors Corp. in Japan.
Its U.S. operation sputtered during the recession but has notched improvements over the past year or so. The brand sold 44,848 vehicles in the U.S. during the first nine months of this year, a 29.8% increase over the same period last year. It sold 5,558 vehicles last month, a 38.9% increase over the September 2013 volume.
