Pioneer announced the details of a significantly increased brand campaign for the U.S. market that follows the recent launch of its new corporate tagline, “sound.vision.soul.”
Pioneer will spend $20 million during the first year of the campaign, set to begin in mid-October, which is designed to reinvigorate the Pioneer brand and includes print and broadcast advertising, along with an enhanced Web site and sports and entertainment sponsorships.
The company expects to spend at least that much annually during the second and third years of the campaign, a spokesperson said. Separately, the company will continue its new product advertising program.
One of the main reasons Pioneer has embarked on the program is that research indicates many consumers know Pioneer only for its car audio products. The company feels it needs to show the public that it is a major proponent of such technologies as DVD recording, plasma touch-screen Cyberboards and digital video-on-demand. As part of the three-year brand re-engineering project, Pioneer will reposition the brand to better reflect the breadth of its innovative digital entertainment technologies, making Pioneer even more relevant to today’s consumers.
“Pioneer offers highly advanced, digital entertainment products that lead the industry in quality and reliability. Now we must communicate the benefits of these products to American consumers,” said Kazunori Yamamoto, president and CEO of Pioneer North America Inc.
Pioneer has selected BBDO West to create the print and broadcast advertising campaign, which integrates products from various Pioneer business divisions including home entertainment, mobile entertainment and business solutions, focusing on four key digital technologies: plasma display, DVD recording, digital cable television and mobile entertainment.
The technologies were selected for their market potential and for the role they play in Pioneer’s Vision 2005 strategic business plan.
In a new partnership with the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Calif., Pioneer has launched the Virtual Resort at the “Innoventions” pavilion. The interactive exhibit in the Tomorrowland area is a futuristic virtual resort that showcases new and next-generation digital technologies for home and mobile entertainment. Many of the same digital technologies highlighted in the advertising campaign are displayed in an interactive manner for the millions of guests.
Pioneer will continue its long-time involvement in the exhilarating world of motor sports with its sponsorship of two FedEx Championship Auto Racing Teams – Tora Takagi driving for the Walker Racing Team and Alex Zanardi driving for Mo Nunn Racing.
Pioneer will re-establish its web site www.pioneerelectronics.com as a hub of information for consumers who are interested in digital entertainment products. Its look and feel will match the offline advertising campaign while providing enhanced functionality to users. Among the new features will be: product comparison charts to help consumers select from numerous available products; an interactive glossary to describe the many new terms that result from ever-changing technology; and a product finder that allows users to locate Pioneer products based on key features of interest.
