SCENARIO:

You get a call from the CEO of Aero! He tells you he is sending the jet over and he would like to have a chat with you - at the villa - to go over some of your ideas. After he sends a car over for you, you find the jet ready to go and off you go to Aero Headquarters. You notice, all of a sudden, that you are being treated like the corporate star!

During the meeting with the CEO, he tells you that the Aero board wants to move on with a very selective opening in the North American market. They want to use - very heavily - the existing small, but very loyal, Aero customer base. Even though the new car is far less expensive than the existing Aero models, he feels that the existing Aero owners' advocacy of the new Aero will make for a very successful introduction.

In particular, he feels that using buzz marketing, that is (using existing users and experts) to create a feeling of uniqueness and adding a personal touch to the customer experience will enhance the Aero brand so that it becomes sought after rather than being something that is sold to people. You nod sagely, knowing that you'll need to educate yourself on buzz marketing and how to use it to position Aero as a preferred option.

KEY PLAYERS:

Raymond Burke: Technical Director

Kathy Lee: VP of Marketing

Patricia Lopez: Art Director

Allison Tanney :CFO

TASK:

Given the scenario, your role and the information provided by the key players involved, it is time for you to make a decision.

Generate a Marketing Campaign for the new Aero models in the U.S.

1: Discuss the pros and cons of utilizing the existing Aero customer base of Pinnacle owners as part of your promotional strategy.

2: How will you use the existing Aero technology advantage?

3: What media will you use (Internet, radio, newspaper, TV) to generate buzz?

This is a somewhat new arena. There are a lot of resources available, but you simply may want to consider starting with a Google search of buzz marketing. Other sites that could be useful in your information search are BzzAgent and the Word of Mouth Marketing Association. You also may want to consider the marketing strategy for the movie Cloverfield and the current marketing program for the Ford Fiesta.

Write a 450-500 word summary in which you lay out the broad ideas regarding how you will generate buzz for the new products. Try to identify specific actions you will try, as well as how you will determine whether you are having success.