Objective

Chevrolet Discover the Unexpected – the brand has a longstanding partnership with the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA).  The partnership has evolved to include Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU).  The goal is to provide HBCU students majoring in communications, marketing, and journalism majors experience, knowledge, and support to excel in their field. Now in its 7th year, this year’s class will mark over $750,000 awarded. This program allows HBCU students to “find new roads” with Chevrolet as Marketing Interns and the National Newspapers Publishers Association as content creators/journalists.

Our Main Objectives Are to:

Drive awareness of DTU and Chevrolet’s commitment to the Black community

Increase Chevrolet brand affinity (i.e. “Brand for Me”)

Increase consideration of the Chevrolet brand among African American new car buyers

Generate authentic conversation about DTU in social media

Strategy

Create a multi-tiered social media ecosystem that drives brand affinity, by amplifying the authentic experiences and personal stories of our Fellows in a way that resonates with their friends, family, followers and community.

Creative Approach

CHWA created an Ecosystem to amplify messaging.

• Our message approach will differ based on where it’s originating in the Ecosystem

• Fellows messaging will leverage their authenticity with messaging that focuses on their personal narrative

• Fellows messaging will be amplified in coordination with our Ambassador & Mentors, plus our DTU and Chevy social channels

• Harder hitting brand messages will be coordinated through our Ambassador & Mentors - but even more so through DTU and Chevy social channels

• Reach is extended through our Ambassadors & Mentors, corporate social channels and our digital media buys.

Paid Media Approach 

The paid media amplification plan supports awareness of the program and engagement with DTU content through paid social (video), print and live read assets.  Traditionally, DTU print has focused on announcing the new class of DTU fellows. Radio/live reads should encourage consumers to follow the Fellows’ journey at nnpa.org/chevydtu. Paid social will amplify Fellows and other content from Bootcamp, NNPA Convention, MLB Swingman Classic, and the News Show Recap

Earned Media Approach

• Social media has always been part of DTU, but this year, it will be central to the fellowship experience.  

• Through DTU, our Fellows will learn how to be influencers, and how influence is part of leadership. 

• Our DTU “influencers” will enable Chevrolet to connect more authentically with the African American audience.

• The approach will be multilayered. We’ll amplify our Fellows experience in coordination with our DTU Ambassador, Mentors, DTU social media handles and the Chevrolet brand, to reach beyond their community of friends, family and followers.

Results

Results:

• The 2022 DTU program moved perceptions of the Chevrolet brand and created brand affinity. Directional improvements were noted for NNPA readers and the general audience on a number of brand attributes including: 
  • Brand for Me (+ 5.2 percentage point lift for NNPA readers/+6 percentage point lift for general respondents)
  • Supports Local Community (+ 5.3 NNPA/+6 general)
  • Environmentally Responsible (+7.5/+5.5)

• Recall of the DTU social and digital assets were strong among NNPA readers (75.3% recall) and general respondents (66.6% recall)
  • Social assets (via Facebook & Instagram) were cited more often than other social platforms or websites as their source of DTU awareness.

Media