1. Analyze the role of integrated marketing communications in the marketing of automobiles such as the Mazda Protegé and MAZDA6. How is each IMC element used to market automobiles?

The primary role of integrated marketing communication (IMC) is to inform, persuade, and to remind loyal or potential customers of the benefit of purchasing a motor vehicle brand produced by an automobile company. Mazda knew perfectly well who were its target customers for the Mazda Protégé and Mazda6 were. The firm, therefore, adopted the IMC to advertise the Mazda Protégé to drivers aged between 20 and 30 years who were still young and were objective of owning a “cool, fun, and hip to drive” car. It also used internet marketing to promote its Mazda6 brand among men who were lovers of motorsport games and were enthusiastic about retaining sporty but more mature vehicles. Through these IMC approaches, the company was able to expand its market share by informing and persuading buyers to purchase these two Mazda brands.

2. Evaluate Mazda’s decision to drop the “Get In. Be Moved’ tagline for the Protegé and adopt the “Zoom-Zoom” theme for its advertising.

The “Get In. Be Moved” slogan was a powerful tagline for the Protégé since it gave the consumer the promise that by simply getting into the Mazda Protégé, the user would be able to move. However, the management thought that such a slogan would not appeal to most customers because of its impracticality and would make most consumers feel disappointed. The firm, therefore, resorted to the use of “Zoom-Zoom” slogan which was more practical and achievable since it created a sense of the powerful engine of the car which awakens the consumer’s inner desire of associating with a multipowered engine car like the Mazda Protégé. Hence, the “zoom-zoom” slogan was used instead of the “Get In. Be Moved” because of its appeal to most customers.

3. Evaluate the strategy Mazda is using to advertise the new MAZDA6 sports sedan. Do you agree with the decision to use a more mature and less playful approach for the MAZDA6?

For the Mazda6 sports sedan, the company used an advertising strategy that seemed to depart from the approach that was used earlier for the Protégé brand. The advert for the Mazda6 involved “a more mature” effort which was designed to position the car amongst its enthusiasts as a refined, sporty car for more confident and less playful consumers. I believe that the use of a more “grown-up” approach in advertising the Mazda6 sports sedan was effective and necessary since it effectively enhanced the company’s market segmentation approach and providing a Mazda brand that perfectly suits the needs of grown-up car enthusiasts who wish to own sporty but more mature car models.

4. What recommendations would you make to Mazda regarding its integrated marketing communications strategy as the company moves forward?

As the company moves forward, I would recommend two fundamental approaches that Mazda should implement to enhance its market share and reach out to a wider target market. First, I would suggest that apart from segmenting its target market on the basis of age and the expectations of its buyers, the firm should also consider segmenting the market on the aspect of the income level of these buyers. Hence, the company should come up with new Mazda brands that suit different income status of other low-income earners who would also wish to own cars. Secondly, the firm should also consider using new advertising platforms such as social media platforms to reach out to an increased number of buyers. Today, social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube remains some of the most visited sites across the globe. Consumers in the modern age of digitalized world also prefer to inquire and even purchase various products through online platforms. Hence, the firm needs to shift its focus from the traditional mass media platform and embrace the new social media platform as the new channel for advertising its brands.