Its South Australia-based plant is still under threat after its parent company DaimlerChrysler announced a worldwide restructuring to shed 9,500 jobs.
of car owners rather than the car attributes and then matching consumers to car models.
It used research from Roy Morgan to develop customer profiles around each of its vehicle models to develop buyer characteristics and aspirations.
The local profiles will be integrated into the global brand positioning, which Mitsubishi has called "active, sophisticated, confident and authentic".
A new corporate identity was also unveiled as part of the campaign. The campaign was driven by Mitsubishi's new marketing department, headed by vice-president of sales and marketing, Bill Pyke, who was previously with Toyota, and Lorraine Maroun, formerly with Fame Advertising, who is advertising manager.
Maroun said that the decision to take some business away from its main agency, Young & Rubicam, and appoint five new below-the-line agencies was made so Mitsubishi could better target the media consumed by its target audiences.
It has retained Y&R to handle its mainstream advertising but for the first time moved its web design business to Euro RSCG, ethnic communications to EtCom, direct marketing to The Loyalty Factor, brand identity to FutureBrand FHA and brochure design to Walter Wakefield and Amba Communications.
Pyke said local research found intentions to repurchase among Mitsubishi owners had improved.
"In Australia, we have a strong (new model) release line-up in five to six years so there was an opportunity to look at the marketing thrust," he said.
"If we were to capitalise on the new products, we needed innovative and progressive marketing for the volumes we're looking for."
Pyke said Mitsubishi was aiming to sell 760,000 cars this year and grow its market share slightly to 9.1 per cent. "It's very conservative."
"There's no reason not to be a double figures brand. We'll never be number one ... nor is it our aspiration but we're keen to expand market share and achieve this year the launch of a significant number of new products,
he said.
