The marketing campaign aims to increase consideration of the 2017 Acura ILX among millennial targets. Originally, the campaign positioned the ILX as a reward for career success. However, further research found millennials pursue side projects ("hustles") outside of work. The campaign was shifted to position the ILX as powering these hustles with features allowing work/life integration. The integrated campaign includes print ads, an on-campus event featuring the ILX, a podcast telling hustle stories, Spotify playlists, native articles, and a Snapchat filter. The goal is to make Acura seem youthful and innovative by tapping into the cultural significance of millennial side hustles.

1. Acura ILX Marketing Challenge
Syracuse University
Fall 2016
T N H

2. 3. Executive Summary
4. The Ask
5. Original Target
9. Positioning
10. Original Get/To/By
11. Final Target
12. Final Get/To/By
13. Big Idea
14. Metrics
15. Content Plan
16. Creative: Print Campaign 1
20. Creative: Print Campaign 2
22. Creative: Event
23. Creative: Event Video
24. Creative: Podcast
25. Creative: Spotify Playlists
26. Creative: Native content
27. Creative: Social Media
29. Budget and Metrics
30. Team
Table of Contents

3. Executive Summary
T N H
The Acura ILX is the entry-level car in the larger Acura ecosystem, which serves as a gateway to a higher-
end line of superior quality vehicles. With a multitude of intelligent features perfect for an audience of young
professionals, the ILX is the budding millennial of cars. With this in mind, TNH and Hill Communications teamed
up and challenged ourselves to create an integrated marketing campaign to increase purchase consideration
for the 2017 ILX, generate awareness and buzz about its features, and increase target market perception of
the brand. In order to appear bold and innovative to ambitious and aspirational millennials, it was important
for us to understand how these individuals relate to the industry. Cars are still a major part of millennials’ lives,
and possessing a vehicle fuels a kind of escapism and reinforces their independence.
Taking this into consideration, we came upon an important insight: for aspirational millennials, experiences
outweigh tangible goods. They don’t just seek experiences, they craft them. They live for their “passion projects,”
additional endeavors that allow them to explore their skills and interests outside of the workplace. The cultural
value of this “side hustle” was too big to ignore. It’s a phenomenon that no car brand has dared to own. It’s
what led our two agencies to position the Acura ILX as the vehicle that can #PowerYourHustle.
3

4. The Ask
Raise target market perception of Acura as an innovative,
youthful brand that offers precision crafted performance.
1 Develop an integrated marketing communications plan to increase purchase
consideration of the 2017 Acura ILX among the millennial target market.
Generate buzz by creating a viral pass-along that educates
consumers on the features and benefits of the 2017 Acura ILX.2
3
4
T N H

5. First, we met the aspirational millennial.
Despite the rise of ride-sharing applications like Uber and Lyft, this audience still believes in the value of having
a car.1
They see it as liberating.2
“Owning a car provides a sense of control that public transportation simply
cannot match.” To further narrow down the target, we honed in on the segment that is ready to make a big-
ticket purchase in the near future. This is to ensure that the ILX’s messaging will remain top of mind as they look
to purchase a new car.
This target is composed of men and women aged 25-37 who are making a household income of $75K or more.
They reside in and around urban areas. Specifically, we targeted “driving cities”– cities that lack a developed
public transportation network where owning a car is of great use. In market research databases, we filtered our
audience by Nielsen broadcast markets 6-25. These include places like Cleveland, Miami, and San Diego.
1
Bloomberg- https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2016-01-04/millennials-are-buying-cars-after-all
2
Focus Group, 10/14/16
5
T N H

6. Then, we really got to know them.
We initially sent out a survey that was centered around performance vehicles, but we
recognized this was simply not enough. We had to go further. We had to dive deep into
the aspirational millennial’s culture and how they interface with car brands. To do this, we
followed up with an additional questionnaire. As early adapters and digital natives, this
generation aspires to always be at the forefront of technological change.1
These millennials live in the experience economy, prioritizing creating memories over
purchasing material goods.2
Major lifestyle changes are near as this generation changes jobs, moves to a new place,
gets married, and settles down.3
They struggle with a career paradox: they believe they are in the right line of work5
but
are not satisfied.4
1
Index 149
2
Qualtrics Survey
3
Focus Groups 10/13/16 and 10/14/16
4
Index: 128
5
Index: 133
6
T N H

7. From there, we wanted to see what
aspirational millenials look for in a new car.
As they prepare for major lifestyle changes – a new job, moving to a
new city, or settling down with a spouse and family – they want a car
that can grow with them.1
Millennials seek to balance reliability and longevity with aesthetics and
features. They want a car that looks nice that’s in it for the long-haul.1
1
Focus Groups 10/13/16 and 10/14/16
7
T N H

8. Then, we drew a parallel between the target and the Acura ILX.
UNDER-APPRECIATED: While millennials work harder than their predecessors, they have yet to receive the
same level of acknowledgment. The Acura ILX provides the same technological features of comparable brands,
but the target has yet to fully grasp what the car is capable of.
MULTI-FACETED: Aspirational millennials know that life isn’t just about work and the 9-5. Similarly, the Acura
ILX is not designed to simply take you from point A to point B. The ILX will get drivers to their destination, while
making sure that they’re prepared for whatever the journey brings, whether that means taking calls for work or
jamming out to music on the way to a concert.
DIGITALLY NATIVE: The aspirational millennial lives in a world where staying on the grid at all times is vital.
Acura shares the same belief, imbuing the latest technology like SMS messaging and Bluetooth hands-free into
the ILX to ensure constant connectivity.
8
T N H

9. These parallels led us to an important realization:
Acura has the opportunity to play in an untapped space.
The area between “reliable” and “refined” is uncharted territory for car brands. The Acura ILX has an opportunity here to carve
its own message as a bold, youthful, and innovative alternative to the mainstream buckets.
Source: Dealership Visits and Focus Groups (10/13/16 and 10/14/16)
Reliable
Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Kia, Ford
Refined
Lexus, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Porsche
Practical Refinement
Youthful, Innovative, The Next Step
Acura
9
T N H

10. We originally planned to...
“The Aspirational
Millennial” (Older, affluent
millennials who aren’t
fulfilled by their 9-5 job, and
are ready to make a
big-ticket purchase in the
near future.)
GET TO BY
Consider the Acura ILX
as a personal reward
for their hard work and
determination to rise to the
top of their careers.
Positioning the Acura ILX as
a rite of passage. It’s finally
their turn to celebrate their
accomplishments without
settling at where they’re at.
But that wasn’t enough. We knew from our focus group that this audience tunes out and doesn’t pay attention
to stereotypical car advertising. We didn’t let our curiosity waver. If traditional marketing tactics wouldn’t work,
we had to figure out what would. We dove into their culture, their habits, their daily lives, and subsequently,
uncovered a major phenomenon.
10
T N H

11. These millennials are side hustlers.
They are living in an era where it is becoming mainstream to “be your own boss”. They no longer seek
work-life balance, rather work-life integration so they don’t have to compromise their passions for work.1
To compensate for the career paradox they’re stuck in, millennials are side hustlers. They pursue a
project outside of work that provides an outlet to express their creativity and personality.2
In today’s world, it’s never been easier to maintain a pet project with services like Kickstarter, IndieGoGo,
Patreon, Etsy, and Redbubble. All it requires is the ability to stay connected and adapt to change.
Acura has to be as youthful and innovative as the consumers it wants to capture.
These consumers strive to reach the height of their careers while still keeping a passion project alive to
express their personalities.
They work for the money and live for the hustle.
1
Gemba Marketing http://gembamarketing.com/the-millennial-shift-work-life-balance-vs-work-life-integration/
2
Huffington Post, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/giana-pacinelli/generation-1099-reinvents_b_11651074.html
11
T N H

12. We took this new insight and shifted our direction to...
“The Aspirational
Millennial” (Older, affluent
millennials who aren’t
fulfilled by their 9-5 job,
and are ready to make a
big-ticket purchase in the
near future.)
GET TO BY
Consider the Acura ILX as
their next big-ticket purchase
and see the brand as
youthful and innovative.
Highlighting the fact that the
Acura ILX powers your hustle
with innovative features that
allow you to achieve
work/life integration.
12
T N H

13. Acura is stuck between two major categories of car brands – the reliable and the refined. Simply selling it as an
upgrade wasn’t enough. We needed to tap into a cultural phenomenon in order to position Acura as a youthful,
innovative brand that delivers precision-crafted performance.
Enter the side hustle. The passion project. The hobby that lets you be you.
According to Quartz, “the side hustle offers something worth much more than money: a hedge against feeling
stuck and dull and cheated by life”.
This updated strategic campaign message hits a cultural nerve by establishing relevancy. With smart, tech-savvy
features at a manageable price point, the Acura ILX can own the side hustle. It keeps you connected through
work, play, and everything in between.
Whatever your hustle is, this car has the features to power it.
Big Idea:
The 2017 Acura ILX Powers Your Hustle
13
T N H

14. 600earned engagements
8127earned impressions
10200impressions & CPI of
$0.003
39video shares
8,756video impressions
61.5%of survey respondents said they
were either extremely likely or
somewhat likely to purchase a new
or used vehicle in the next 2-3 years
84.6%of survey respondents said they
would consider definitely, probably,
or possibly buying the Acura ILX
upon purchasing a new or used
vehicle in the next 2-3 years
80.8%
of survey respondents said
I have a more positive impression
of Acura after this event
“
“
Min: 2
Max: 5
Mean: 4
Survey respondents
rated how much the
“Power Your Hustle”
message spoke to them
on a scale of 1 to 5
14
Objective 2
Generate buzz by creating
a viral pass-along that
educates consumers on the
features and benefits of the
2017 Acura 2017 ILX
Objective 1
Develop an integrated
marketing communications
campaign to increase
purchase consideration of the
2017 Acura ILX among the
millennial target market
Objective 3
Raise target market perception
of Acura as an innovative,
youthful brand that offers
precision crafted performance

15. Content Plan
T N H
#PowerYourHustle
Podcast
Native
Print
Event
Social
Spotify
15

16. Creative: Print
For our first set of print ads, we wanted to show our target
how the specific features of the Acura ILX allow the car to
seamlessly fit into their chaotic day. The specific benefits that
we highlighted include: the unlimited productivity possibilities
in the On Demand Multi-Use Display, the ELS Studio Premium
Audio System, and the Active Sound Control feature.
In order to ensure maximum views, we knew we wanted to run
our ads in the campus publication with the largest readership,
The Daily Orange. We recognized that it was just as important
to have a broad audience in addition to getting as many
eyes on our ads as possible. This is why we decided to run
these print ads in the Friday football special edition, “In The
Huddle.” This Friday publication is not only read by Syracuse
University students, but also by a larger population consisting
of the greater Syracuse community. 4,000 copies are printed
and distributed before kickoff.
16

17. Creative: Print
17

18. Creative: Print
18

19. Creative: Print
19

20. Creative: Print
For our second set of print ads,
our goal was to highlight specific
features of the Acura ILX while
nodding to one of the main insights
we found about our target: they
pursue a project outside of their 9-5
that provides an outlet to express
their creativity and personality.
20

21. Creative: Print
21

22. Creative: Event
22

23. Creative: Event Breakdown
https://www.facebook.com/tnhsyracuse/videos/1343757595657548/?pnref=story
To garner buzz on campus, we placed the Acura ILX along with a full event
setup (complete with a DJ and 8 ft, Snapchat-story-worthy sign) on Walnut
Park, a busy epicenter of activity at Syracuse University. If people couldn’t
stop by, TNH and Hill Communications came together to bring the #hustle
to them. With a little help from the popular local vendors (Recess Coffee &
Roastery, Picasso’s Pastries and Cafe, and Hangry Baker), we made sure to
inform SU students that the ILX is here to #PowerYourHustle.
• 3,712 video views (87% organic)
• 8,756 total reach
• ~2.5K unique views (roughly equivalent to17% of full time undergrad
students at Syracuse University)
• Over 80% of audience was 18-34 years old
• 256 Facebook likes, 1,191 Facebook engagements, 39 Facebook shares
• 81% of views came from the post being shared (indicates virality)
• 350 cups of coffee given away in under 2 hours
• 500 event attendees
23

24. Creative: Podcast
We created “The Hustle” as a form of
user-generated content that our target
can listen to during their commute.
This podcast includes relatable stories
from the day-to-day lives of members
of our target. The two examples we
have included are stories that follow
the author through the mundane
occurrences that take place from 9-5 to
the exciting, after-hour side hustles they
spend all day looking forward to.
For example, episode two tells the story of a man stuck in traffic
on his commute home one Friday afternoon. Despite the traffic
delaying his weekend hiking trip, he is able to reflect on the
early days and the future of his travel blog.
24

25. Creative: Spotify
• Pre-Outing
Before you hop in the cab, let the 2017 Acura
ILX power your pre-party with our list of
audible pump-ups.
• The Long Commute
Every great day starts with a decent commute.
Ready yourself for the day ahead with beats
from the new 2017 Acura ILX.
• Sunday Decompress
After a long weekend, Sundays are better with
a smooth soundtrack, powered by the 2017
Acura ILX.
• Weekend getaway
Throwbacks to get your weekend going,
powered by the 2017 Acura ILX.
• Work Mix
Tunes to keep you going through your workday
from the car that knows, the all-new 2017
Acura ILX.
• Late Night Jams
For the late-night run or hangout, vibes brought
to you by the all-new 2017 Acura ILX.
25

26. Creative: Native Content
A trending form of web content amongst our target is
Buzzfeed listicles. Members of our target share these branded
articles on social media with their friends and family when
they find the content to be funny, relatable, and “too true.”
We created a subtly branded listicle, “8 Things You Need
Before You Graduate That Aren’t A Job” and published it on
the website of Syracuse University’s Jerk Magazine. By the
time students reach their senior year at SU, they will come
to rely on Jerk Magazine for funny, relevant, and satirical
content. Because of this reputation, we knew Jerk Magazine
would be the best platform on which to publish our listicle
because, there, it would have the best chance of being
shared and, ultimately, going viral on the Syracuse campus.
26

27. Creative: Social Media
SNAPCHAT
We bought a geofilter on
Snapchat for use during our
event day, and encouraged
people to add the filter to
their Snapchat stories.
Instead of making a
traditional Facebook page,
we chose to create an event
page to use to invite people
and engage directly with
attendees and potential
consumers.
We chose to harness
Instagram in order to show
off the beautiful images
of the ILX and continue to
engage with our
consumers on a platform
they frequent.
We used Twitter as our
main platform for launching
content and for staying in
contact with our event
attendees and
potential future ILX drivers.
27
Facebook Instagram Twitter

28. Social Content Strategy
PROMOSPOWERPARTSPARTS
Posts focused on and highlighting the
ILX’s individual superior features
Posts that connect powering
consumers’ daily hustles with the ILX
Posts that connect our event and other
executions with the general excitement of ILX
28

29. Budget and Metrics
T N H
Total Media Cost: $39.71
Total Impressions: 39,705
Video: 258 reactions
3,712 views
8,756 people reached
Event Page: 10,893 total reach
1.8K views
1,615 total engagement
Filter: 10,200 impressions
CPI: $0.003
Account: 268 plays in 3 days
Article: 1,243 views
1,112 unique views
303 Facebook likes
3:15 avg. time on page
1,089 social entrances
Account: 53 followers
149 tweets
38 retweets
7.065 impressions
#PowerYourHustle: 96 tweets
46 retweets
Account: 22 followers
503 likes
2 reposts
7.065 impressions
#PowerYourHustle: 1,568 likes
9 reposts
29
$2,227.66
Event
$2,354.54
Total
$69.40
Strategy
$57.48
Media

30. T N H
Team Members
Account
Josh Daghir, President
Sydney Trager, Account Manager
Carla Caban, Account Manager
Kennedy Patlan, Account Manager
Strategy
Rohan Krishnan, Director of Strategy
Sam Feldman, Associate Strategy Director
Sandeep Gourkanti, Associate Strategy Director
Tyler Coleman, Strategist
Kim Flatley, Head of Research
Ed Russell, Faculty Advisor
Creative
Matthew Hankin, Creative Director
Lan Zhang, Lead Art Director
Olivia LeRoy, Lead Copywriter
Shelby Guller, Head of Social Media/Copywriter
Alanna Quinlan, Art Director
Audrey Heurlin, Art Director
Chi-Ching Ada Lam, Art Director
Brianna Henry, Copywriter
Victoria Pla, Copywriter
Media/Publicity
Greta Rosenblum, Head of Media
Alexis Meade, Media Associate
Kevin Agyakwa, Event Coordinator
30