Honda
Over a decade behind the handlebars: Steering Honda Canada’s National Marketing from Coast-to-Coast.
Case Study Highlights
- The Challenge & Insight: Defining the critical market opportunities and the specific problems we solved.
- Measurable Impact: The concrete results, key performance indicators (KPIs), and quantifiable measures of success.
- A Proven Partnership Model: Analyzing the successful methods and core competencies that have grown into long-term success.
- The Strategic Fit: How our unique expertise perfectly addressed the client's complex operational needs.
The Opportunity
Honda Canada operates in one of the most competitive and diverse marketplaces in the world. From motorcycles and ATVs to marine outboards and lawn mowers, each division must connect with unique customer groups and diverse dealer networks, all while maintaining a cohesive tone that aligns with the iconic history of a global brand.
In 2012, Honda engaged clearmotive to lead advertising efforts across multiple Honda Canada product categories. Our goal was to expand awareness and boost sales across their Powersports, Power Equipment, Engines, and Marine divisions.
The Objective
From the very beginning, Honda was clear on two key initiatives where we could make an impact:
- Reclaim the position of "#1 Motorcycle selling brand in Canada."
- Develop an efficient, cost-effective, and unified operational workflow.
Additionally, we faced the challenge of ensuring Honda stood out in a highly competitive market filled with performance-driven brands. We needed to highlight not just their engineering excellence, but the emotional connection the brand builds with customers. We were tasked with elevating brand presence across each division while helping to drive sales and reinforce Honda’s reputation.
Our Approach
We pride ourselves on delivering highly creative solutions to our clients’ marketing challenges. In this case, however, high-level creativity was merely the cost of entry. Honda recognized that our extended value lay in our operational expertise: the ability to manage hundreds of products across multiple divisions, each with separate client team responsibilities. This was our wheelhouse, and we fully embraced the opportunity.
Working collaboratively with Honda’s existing media and PR partner agencies, we developed integrated creative and strategic campaigns that showcased Honda’s durability, quality, and reliability. Our responsibility included unifying messaging, elevating brand storytelling, and delivering measurable business impact while maintaining Honda’s trusted, premium reputation.
Our integrated approach combined strategy, creativity, and collaboration to elevate Honda’s brand and marketing performance across various customer journey touchpoints. We:
- Developed and delivered integrated campaigns across TV, radio, print, digital, OOH, and social media.
- Ensured local-to-national alignment for consistent brand messaging and dealer relevance.
- Managed the national Honda assets library for dealer-level marketing and social media.
- Maintained agility and responsiveness for product launches and seasonal pushes.
- Developed Honda websites with a user-first approach to design and UX.
- Led a nationwide research strategy, engaging directly with dealers and customers to refine offers and optimize advertising.
- Grew the Honda social media presence, expanding reach and engaging new audiences by being responsive to customer stories and experiences.
- Created consistent Point of Sale (POS) collateral to align upper-level marketing with on-the-ground customer engagement.
- Collaborated with the Honda events team to enhance the in-person show experience and bring the Honda story to life.
The Results
Through our partnership, we helped Honda achieve significant milestones:
Goal Accomplishment:
Honda reclaimed the title of #1 Motorcycle selling brand in Canada shortly after our relationship began and has held that position since 2014.
Improved Workflow:
We implemented a bespoke project management system that organized workflows, introduced high-level quality control oversight, and delivered campaigns efficiently and within budget.
Sales Growth:
Our campaigns drove measurable results across all divisions.
Elevated Brand Presence:
Our integrated national-to-local storytelling helped Honda stand out in a crowded market.
Digital Impact:
New UX-focused websites and expanded social media efforts grew engagement and audience reach.
Dealer and Customer Engagement:
Research-informed offers and exciting point-of-purchase/event materials created stronger in-person connections.
Race Team Visibility:
Our support and real-time result tracking strengthened the race following and highlighted Honda’s performance credentials.
Takeaway:
Through cohesive storytelling and strategic collaboration, our team has elevated Honda’s brand presence, strengthened dealer and customer engagement, and delivered measurable growth across the Powersports, Power Equipment, Marine, and Engines divisions.
A Growing Relationship
While clearmotive designed and developed Honda websites from the start, our partnership evolved in 2020 where we became part of the newly established Honda Digital Integration department, serving as their User Experience agency.
This work consisted of launching the new Honda Powersports website — uniting Motorcycles and ATVs — as well as developing new websites for Honda Marine and Engine products. This involved leading a nationwide research strategy, working directly with dealers and customers to refine provincial offers, supporting dealer associations, and optimizing advertising.
Since then, our relationship has continued to evolve based on the changing needs of our client, and our responsibilities have grown to oversee the management and content creation of two national Honda Canada social media channels: Honda Powersports and Honda Outdoor.
This expanded oversight builds on our ability to speak to customers in exciting new areas, further reinforcing a consistent brand experience across all touchpoints — speaking to Honda customers in the places where stories are shared and brand loyalty begins.
Why clearmotive?
When Honda Canada chose clearmotive, they weren’t just choosing another agency — they were solving a problem that both giant holding-company agencies and tiny boutiques couldn’t.
- Large global agencies bring scale, but they are often slow, siloed, and expensive. Enterprise brands get lost in layers of process, resulting in inconsistent alignment and inflated costs.
- Small boutiques bring passion and creativity, but often lack the resources, national coverage, and enterprise experience to manage complex, multi-division brands.
We secured the opportunity to partner with Honda because our strong creative output was matched by our operational expertise. This proved to be a key differentiator. We became a reliable partner, efficiently and consistently delivering highly organized, quality-controlled, and budget-compliant results.
We Deliver the Balance
Enterprise Scale:
Through day-to-day brand support and digital integration, we continue to successfully support Honda Canada across the Powersports, Power Equipment, Engine, and Marine divisions — managing national campaigns, social channels, dealer networks, and customer research at scale.
Boutique Agility, Mighty Experience:
Our nimble size and refined processes enable us to respond rapidly with expert precision, all while maximizing budget efficiency. The Honda client team benefits from direct, consistent access to senior leadership experience and is supported by a technology stack optimized for accuracy, speed, and seamless communication across a broad range of projects.
National Coverage:
clearmotive is a work-from-anywhere agency, with our largest hubs in Calgary and Toronto and individual team members residing in multiple locations across the country. This allows us to provide true coast-to-coast support with a direct personal connection to the diverse geographical areas and customer segments that Honda serves.
Our Commitment:
We get in and experience it. Since our partnership with Honda began, the clearmotive team has cleared ice rinks to play hockey under the light of a generator, dressed up for Halloween to blow leaves with a Versattach, blazed through wooded trails in a SxS, and kicked up dirt in CRF motocross riding schools — all to better understand every Honda product through the eyes of a customer.
If you’re an ambitious brand ready to align your marketing to drive measurable results, clearmotive is the right partner for you. Please reach out and share your story with us.
We look forward to doing great work together.
Let’s make some noise together.
Learn how we can create something amazing for your customers.