Volvo wants to get its buzz on

As I was searching around for what companies are developing buzz and viral marketing campaigns (which in my opinion, couldn't be a smarter move; traditional marketing is just like traditional everything else-- IT'S GETTING OLD!), nothing shocked me more than seeing an article in DirectNews about Volvo's new marketing strategy to create a viral marketing campaign in order to connect with a younger audience.

It's no secret that Volvo doesn't have the youngest, hippest image out of all of the car manufacturers. However, their decision to put more efforts into buzz marketing, as Volvo's marketing director Anita Fox tells Precision Marketing, "We want to create a campaign that creates 'buzz' marketing, as well as something that's relevant to the target market... we want the brand to have more 'talkability' to put Volvo on a lot of people's radars and show a more human side to the brand."

Volvo hopes to connect with their younger target market by portraying themselves as a brand focused more on having fun than they're traditional focus on their safety and functionality. They hope to create "buzz" through using social networking sites, mobile marketing, and simultaneously with the release of the new, sporty C30 model, will incorporate email marketing and banner advertisements.

Volvo is definitely taking the appropriate measures by using not-so-traditional marketing for a not-so-traditional target market, however, I think it will take more than naggy emails and Web site banners to transition the brand's image-- perhaps a little more delving into the internet marketing world and more consideration of other alternative marketing methods would make the brand's new marketing strategy more effective, but any big move takes babysteps.