AMERICAN HONDA

Cruisers are a lifestyle. My primary involvement with Honda initially was to manage and direct the development of key cruiser collateral and drive outside initiatives in conjunction with RPA, the agency of record for Honda. However In a much larger initiative, in 2010 American Honda later engaged me directly to develop and implement an overall strategy for their partnership with the NHL and the National HockeyLeague All-Star game. Under the gun and behind schedule, they were looking for an overall strategy to showcase Honda as a major brand presence and sponsor of the event and a way for viewers, both across the US and Canada, as well as those attending the game to interact with the Honda brand.

Through the development of a multi-level communication strategy, we incorporated a combination of mobile text, broadcast, onsite environmental, collateral signage and fan interactive messaging to create an all-encompassing strategy to connect fans to Honda. Across the US and Canada, fans were driven to text the number of their MVP player of the game during the first and second periods. Fans in attendance (all 78,000) received a commemorative roster card handed to them upon entrance, with text instructions as well. The mobile site, combined with the national broadcast spots and supported by in-arena jumbotron spots as well as printed collateral, led to a third period response of over 325,000 participants and click throughs to the Honda / NHL All-Star microsite.

A response never seen by Honda measurement. In addition to the development of the event strategy, I also directed and was onsite to manage real time mobile tallying, onsite signage and environmental staging areas, as well as negotiate with the NHL to award the games chosen MVP with a new Honda Accord at center ice.

The largest success? The entire strategy and program was developed and executed in less than four weeks from initial contact with Honda.