Dive Brief:

• Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) is extending its Driving Matters general market campaign with a digital-first effort targeted at Hispanic audiences, according to a company news release. The automaker aims to tap into an existing affinity for Japanese-made products and will work with Hispanic media outlets including Telemundo and Univision.  
• Mazda's research found more than 12 million Hispanic consumers in the U.S. identify with its brand philosophies but, to a large extent, aren't actually familiar with Mazda, Russell Wager, vice president of marketing for MNAO, said in the release. The effort, made with the help of the brand's fully integrated WPP agency Garage Team Mazda and done in partnership with WPP's multicultural communications shop The Bravo Group, kicks off July 9 with a week-long "disruption" period of Japanese-only messaging, followed by three phases focused on the Mazda brand philosophies of Passion, Harmony and Perseverance.
• Both Honda and Chrysler are also launching marketing efforts targeting the Hispanic market, with Honda reporting 73% of its sales growth last year was from multicultural buyers, according to a report in MediaPost Communications.

Dive Insight:

As the demographic makeup of U.S. consumers continues to shift and diversify, more brands are rethinking marketing strategy to engage new audiences. The automotive sector's interest in the Hispanic market, in particular, might largely be a reaction to buying power, but is also a recognition that it's a segment that has been previously under-marketed to, especially given Mazda's own findings around a lack of brand awareness. 

The Mazda effort also underscores the growing value of truly multicultural marketing. While the campaign seeks to connect with Hispanic consumers specifically, its emphasis is on the brand's Japanese roots and core philosophies, which connect across cultural lines.  

Mazda, on the whole, has been reinventing its marketing strategy to put a greater emphasis on brand experience. In February, the automaker noted that digital now accounts for over 40% of its marketing spend, and the channel remains a focus for the Hispanic push along with tailored messaging around major traditional media outlets like Telemundo and Univision.