Jeep Targets Youth Through MySpace, Tour
Free Concerts, a MySpace Web page and a new Jeep Compass are some of the ingredients Jeep is using in a multi-city tour it hopes will drive young consumers to its vehicles.
The Uncharted: The Jeep Compass Music Tour kicks off Aug. 24 in New York City’s Central Park. Headlining the event will be alternative hip-hop band G. Love & Special Sauce and eight emerging artists who will tour the country.
The artists will perform at 320 concerts—some planned and some spontaneous—in their designated region. Tour stops will include traditional concert venues and public locations popular with music-oriented audiences. During each performance, the artists will incorporate the Jeep Compass using its flip-down rear lift gate speakers as part of their stage. Branded T-shirts will also be handed out during the tour which ends Sept. 24.
“For our 22- to 30-year-old target audience, music is a huge part of their life,” said Jay Kuhnie, director-Jeep Communications. “This tour is a great opportunity to emotionally connect with them.”
Fans can track the tour and listen to the artists on social networking Web site MySpace.com on the Jeep Compass’ Uncharted MySpace page. The page includes a tour schedule of performance dates and locations, downloadable videos and pictures from performances, as well as opportunities to interact with other fans. Consumers can download wallpapers and AOL Instant Messenger icons and opt-in to receive text messages about tour stops. Apart from MySpace, high school and college students can use their Facebook accounts to access information about the tour.
In using MySpace, Jeep joins other brands, including Burger King, who seek an audience with users of the popular site (PROMO Xtra May 17, 2006).
The huge Web traffic that MySpace and other social networking Web sites generate have made them a treasure trove for marketers to mine. Earlier in the year, marketing research firm Nielsen/NetRatings said traffic at the 10 leading social networking sites accounts for about 45% of all active Web users. MySpace’s April year-over-year growth jumped 367% to reach 38.4 million unique visitors.
Online banner and print ads support. GMR, New Berlin, WI, handles the tour
Jeep is a brand of Auburn Hills, MI-based DaimlerChrysler Corp.
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