'Chrysler Town & Country and Voyager Travel Program'
28 September 2000
DaimlerChrysler Corporation, CBS Plus and Meredith Corporation Announce The 'Chrysler Town & Country and Voyager Travel Program' To Showcase the New Generation of Class-Leading Minivans
- Groundbreaking Multimedia Marketing Initiative Debuts in October -
AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Sept. 27 DaimlerChrysler Corporation
joins forces today with CBS Plus, the cross sales and marketing unit of Viacom
Inc. and Meredith Corporation , one of the nation's
leading media and marketing companies, to announce a groundbreaking multi-
media consumer program to showcase the all-new 2001 Chrysler Town & Country
and Voyager minivans.
The creation of the Chrysler Town & Country and Voyager Travel Program is
based on two important consumer trends: Americans are looking for ways to
spend more time with their families, and 65 percent of families take their
car, truck or minivan on vacation. Through this unique travel program,
consumers will receive up-to-date, authoritative and entertaining family
travel information through a variety of multi-media outlets.
The all-new Chrysler Town & Country and Voyager minivans are highlighted
as the ultimate family travel vehicles in these specially produced and created
national travel segments, regional travel vignettes, national lifestyle
publications print pieces, special events, sweepstakes, and interactive media
and travel alliance opportunities. Beginning in mid-October, this long-term
multi-media partnership runs for a full year.
"Through this first-time partnership with CBS Plus and Meredith, we hope
to give consumers a look at the all-new 2001 Chrysler minivans and offer
seasonal travel information in an entertaining and educational manner," said
Bud Liebler, Senior Vice President, Global Marketing, DaimlerChrysler.
"Today, marketing is more about giving highly sophisticated consumers
information in a variety of media outlets that fit their everyday lifestyle.
We think this multi-media partnership does this in an innovative style that
benefits our customers and their viewers."
The Chrysler Town & Country and Voyager Travel Program was created to
enhance the family vacation experience for millions of Americans through the
following elements:
CBS Television Network: Specially created travel segments will be
produced and broadcast on CBS' The Early Show for five consecutive days each
quarter. The segments will focus on seasonal themes and will be preceded by a
5-second Chrysler minivan spot.
CBS Spot Television: In 11 local markets -- including 6 CBS owned and
operated stations and the five Meredith-owned CBS affiliates -- 60-second "On
the Road" travel vignettes will be created. These vignettes will feature the
Town & Country and Voyager minivans and highlight local one-tank trip
destinations. The "On the Road" vignettes will be customized for each market
and be followed by a 30-second Chrysler Town & Country or Voyager minivan
spot. These vignettes will air for three weeks each quarter, during the same
month as the network vignettes, for 12 weeks total. The 11 local markets
reach nearly 40 percent of all U.S. households.
National Print: Six Meredith magazines -- Better Homes and Gardens,
Ladies' Home Journal, Midwest Living, Country Home, Family Money and Mature
Outlook -- with a combined circulation of 14.9 million, will create an in-book
and on-line sweepstakes and event marketing program. The sweepstakes will
invite readers to describe their favorite driving vacation spot for the
opportunity to win the grand prize of a Town & Country minivan or one of eight
first prizes of a week's vacation for a family of four at a Marriott Vacation
Club.
Network Radio: Westwood One radio will produce 60-second customized
Chrysler Town & Country and Voyager travel vignettes that will highlight
regional travel destinations. They will be thematically linked to the
television vignettes, and run two-three times per week for a total of 12
weeks, in a combination of drive time, sports and other programming across the
top 200 markets.
Event Series: The participating Meredith magazines will arrange for a
Chrysler Showcase to be displayed at various events related to the subject
matter of the magazines. The Meredith database will be used to invite pre-
screened subscribers to the events. Attendees will be offered a test drive of
the new minivan and receive various gifts.
Marriott Vacation Club Alliance: The vacation clubs will participate in
three ways. First as noted above, they will provide the eight first-prize
family vacations in the sweepstakes. Second, they will offer a special
vacation discount for current Chrysler owners that will be publicized in the
Chrysler owner magazine. Third, they will allow Chrysler to have vehicles
displayed at several of their 41 unique resorts.
Interactive Media: In a wide ranging e-strategy, Internet efforts will
include four elements. First, the creation of a comprehensive family travel
mini-site for consumer information on driving vacations that will be housed on
the Chrysler website http://www.Travel.Chrysler.com . The CBS Television vignettes
will be located on this site in video format each quarter. Also, Meredith
Interactive Media will research, develop and provide to the site content on 80
family vacation destinations throughout the life of the program. Second, CBS
News.com will feature video vignette segments available on the Early Show
micro site. Third, Chrysler Town & Country and Voyager minivan advertising
will be on CBS.com and various Meredith Web sites, including bhg.com, with hot
links to Chrysler. Lastly, Consumers will have the opportunity to opt in for
a Family Travel e-mail newsletter and receive travel and/or automotive
information.