GM Launches Hispanic Grassroots Efforts For New Trailblazer.

This week General Motors kicked off an integrated marketing campaign targeting Hispanic consumers for the Chevy TrailBlazer EXT. The campaign includes a grass-roots mall tour, “Una Feria Sobre Ruedas”/ “A Fair on Wheels,” in five major Hispanic cities: Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Miami and San Antonio, as well as a strong advertising component.

The mall tour, “A Fair on Wheels,” creates a fun, family-oriented environment where attendees can interact with GM products and services. The tour has a carnival theme featuring product showcases and games for the family such as Plinko, High Striker, Fortune Teller and Ring Toss. The Chevy TrailBlazer and TrailBlazer EXT will be displayed. The venues also feature Spanish-speaking product specialists as well as informational materials from General Motors’ partners GMAC and OnStar.

“A Fair on Wheels,” kicked off on July 13 and 14 in the Puente Hills Mall in Los Angeles, CA; moved to the Ford City Mall in Chicago, IL on July 20 and 21 in; and will make stops July 26, 27 and 28 in the Jersey Gardens Mall near New York, NY; August 3 and 4 in the Dolphin Mall in Miami, FL; and August 10 and 11 in the South Park Mall in San Antonio, TX. These community grassroots events will be supported by local media buys in television, radio and print advertising as part of the launch of the Chevy TrailBlazer EXT campaign.

“The Hispanic market is a priority for General Motors. Our company is committed to bringing Hispanic consumers the best products and services, and to communicating with them in a culturally-relevant way,” said Sonia Maria Green, Director, Diversity Marketing and Sales, Hispanic and Asian American Segments. “This family-oriented promotion is part of that mission. Research has shown us that Hispanics are similar to general market consumers in that they want safe, top-quality, high-performance products. Where they differ is in purchase motivation,” Green noted. “Hispanics buy based on what is best for their family. The TrailBlazer EXT mall tour is unique in that it provides product information to every member of the family in a family-friendly atmosphere.”

The Chevy TrailBlazer EXT, the newest addition to the TrailBlazer product line, has more room than the original TrailBlazer, a feature that should be attractive to Hispanic consumers. Green commented that, “Hispanic households, which are generally larger than average, will enjoy the third-row seating which allows the TrailBlazer EXT to seat seven comfortably.” In addition to providing additional seating, the third row seat can be folded down to create additional cargo space for transporting luggage or groceries, making it an ideal vehicle for the busy, modern Hispanic family.

“Another really exciting feature of this program is that it is a fully integrated campaign,” said Green. “In addition to the grass-roots mall tour and television advertising, we have a community involvement and philanthropy component. As part of its dedication to the Hispanic community, General Motors commissioned a painting from Mexican artist Yolanda Garza Morales. The painting was made into a poster that will be sold at each mall tour destination with all proceeds going to the National Hispanic Scholarship Fund.” The National Hispanic Scholarship fund has granted over 53,000 scholarships totaling more than $89 million to Hispanic students since 1975, making it the largest Hispanic scholarship granting organization in the U.S.