• by Karl Greenberg , June 12, 2007

Porsche is hoping to immerse its brand and vehicles in affluent vacation markets with an integrated campaign on Plum, a network of TV channels in markets like Nantucket, Aspen, and the Hamptons.

As part of the program, Atlanta-based Porsche USA gets title sponsorship of a series of video pieces by Plum on various events in different Plum markets. Called the Porsche Performance Series and playing on Plum's television channels, Web sites, portable devices and VOD platforms, the effort also supports the launch of the 2008 Cayenne SUV.

The series, featuring short vignettes with on-the-street coverage of athletic, culture/arts and entertainment events in the eight markets Plum covers, debuted during this past weekend with a special about the Hamptons' Concours d'Elegance, a vintage automotive competition and auction in the Hamptons, sponsored by Porsche.

David Pryor, vice president/marketing of Porsche Cars North America, says in a release that the Porsche Performance Series reflects a shift away from mainstream television advertising to "one-degree marketing--where the relevance of local people and places will allow Porsche to touch the hearts and minds of its target demographic."

Tony Fouladpour, Porsche's spokesperson in the U.S., says Plum appealed to the premium performance-car maker because the network reaches a targeted high-income market. "The neat thing about them is that they can make the programming seem localized--you are getting local coverage with a desirable demo. It's very targeted and in line with what we have been trying to do more and more in terms of making more contact directly with potential consumers.

"What we like about it is [that] it's much more immersive in terms of content. Porsche is able to benefit from production that Plum does as well. Rather than just being a TV ad, we actually have entree--we are able to immerse the brand in the local community," he says. Porsche was "on the ground" in the Hamptons for the Concours, with marketing tactics like Porsche-only parking, and ads. "We had lengthy conversations about [these kinds of in-market opportunities]," says Fouladpour.

To that end, the company has been doing local performance-driving events in markets like Aspen, where the company launched its first "Travel Club" event in January, and in Vail, where one could learn how to drive a Porsche on ice. "It's more grassroots, hands-on personalized marketing, which comprises a driving element because we know that when people drive a Porsche they will buy one," says Fouladpour.

Plum was founded by Tom Scott--founder and CEO of Nantucket Nectars juices, and who, per a spokesperson, found himself drawn to local television on the island. He decided there was a business model in targeting high-net worth consumers in prestige markets. Scott brought the local-TV model to the Hamptons; Martha's Vineyard; Aspen, Vail, and Telluride, Colorado; Sun Valley, Idaho; Miami Beach; and Nantucket, Mass.

Carla Sinatra, who oversees sponsorship activities for the network, says the vignettes, between two and three minutes in length, are not advertisements but content that is "promoting what these events are, what they're about and when they occur, and who's benefiting from them." She says Plum has its own production facilities and studios in each market, as well as local reporters.

She says Plum, which launched in 2004, has done similar programs with Audi, Land Rover, Lexus and VW. "Plum is really about developing content. We run traditional ads, but we try to work with sponsors to have them see how much more powerful advertising can be when it's localized and focused on mindset and lifestyle." She says Porsche's effort runs through October.

Meanwhile, Porsche is advertising Cayenne in high-end magazines, and via one TV spot with limited play.

According to Sinatra, about 57% of people in Plum's broadcast markets surveyed by The Harrison Group watch Plum 3.6 hours per week, or a third of the time they spend watching TV. "We have some studies from Nielsen suggesting we are growing our viewership 50% year to year," she says, adding that the group is looking at two new markets for expansion.

In partnership with Harrison Group, Plum also commissioned a study based on 1,922 surveys and street interviews in Vail and Aspen this year. The study found that members of the Vail and Aspen communities had an average income of $600,000 and average value of personal assets worth $7.4 million, and a median net worth of $1.4 million.

Also, per the study, 37% reported being business decision makers, with 25% as the owner or senior executive in their businesses. Not surprisingly, most were in a "vacation mindset", meaning most--63%--were receptive to advertising; about as many were making decisions about lifestyle.

Per the study, 70% of respondents say they tend to watch Plum because of local coverage.