Luxury Car Brands Comm Analysis (2007)

Premium Segment Communication Analysis 2007by BBDO Moscow for Mercedes-Benz

May 2008

Introduction

• In this presentation we review the communication delivered by the main competitors in the premium segment of the car market in 2007

• Each brand is analyzed by the values it communicates, and especially by the efficiency of such communication; the values we chose come from print ads deployed by the manufacturers and thus represent the consumer's view on the market

• Each of the brand's communication analysis is divided into two parts:– elements of the communication illustrating the values

represented by the brand which are divided into four groups: brand positioning/slogan, brand lines, body copy and BTL

– pros and contras of the brand's communication with commentary• In the final part we discuss Mercedes-Benz communication

and make recommendations on 2009 strategy• Please use buttons where available

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INNOVATION

SPORT

LEADERSHIP

Values

INNOVATION

SPORT

LEADERSHIP

Communication Pros

not just brand communication but rather brand

experience communication touching upon a wide variety of

topics

S-models emphasize sport dimension of the brand and

serve as locomotives for respective model lines

supporting consumer loyalty via corporate

magazine ads

communication of brand values via service ads

distinctive dealer template differs markedly from brand's campaigns

(red line in the bottom, print structure)

special package ads featuring appropriate visual support (e.g., DTM

Edition) accentuate both brand values and package's essence

Communication Pros

Communication Cons

most of the stories are simply dull

excessive amount of idle pompous phrases in body

copy looks fossil and annoys

Sales

C+ D+ E+ F+ Roadster Coupe Halo Fullsize SUV

Audi A3 (32%) A4 (25%) A6 (25%) A8 (15%) TT (63%) A5 (18%) R8 94% Q7 (40%)

15313 1683 4025 3719 1048 444 283 81 3341

C+ D+ E+ F+

Roads

ter

Coupe

Halo

Fullsiz

e SUV

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1000012000140001600018000

Audi

Сегмент (6 брендов)

Mercedes

Innovation

Leadership

EMOTIONS

INNOVATION

SPORT

DESIGN

Values

EMOTIONS

INNOVATION

SPORT

DESIGN

accented aesthetic value of executions

emphasizes the premium qualities of

the brand

different 'driving pleasure' concept interpretation depending on carline

contributes to communication consistency

Communication Pros

utilization of the Formula 1 halo vehicle

emphasizes sporty character of the brand

original spare parts and service promotion makes

the brand experience more attractive

international awards emphasize status of the cars and their owners

and serve as additional RTB

Communication Pros

communication based mostly on product attributes, not the

consumer values

unwitty attempt to turn product weakness (lack of

localized GPS) into advantage – as a result even those who didn’t know about it do now

tonality of a number of executions is vague

and inconsistent

Communication Cons

Sales

C+ D+ E+ F+ Roadster Compact coupe Coupe Compact SUV Fullsize SUV

BMW 1 (21%) 3 (17%) 5 (20%) 7 (11%) Z4 (20%) 3 Coupe (75%) 6 (41%) X3 (100%) X5 (32%)

14008 1089 2653 2963 772 143 1159 402 2118 2709

C+ D+ E+ F+

Roads

ter

Compa

ct co

upe

Coupe

Compa

ct SUV

Fullsiz

e SUV

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1000012000140001600018000

BMW


Mercedes

Emotions

Innovation

Design

PERFECTION

INNOVATION

Values

PERFECTION

INNOVATION

aggressive promotion of

hybrid engines accentuates innovative

qualities of the brand

template update (‘innovations belt’ in the top of the print) softens the

overall 'sterility' of the messages

Communication Pros

monochrome color scheme of executions prevents them from standing out of the

clutter

Communication Cons

excessive amount of text in body copy looks fossil

Sales

D+ E+ F+ Coupe Midsize SUV Fullsize SUV

Lexus IS 15% GS 13% LS 20% SC 6% RX 37% LX 8%

13148 2450 1981 1407 63 6575 672

D+ E+ F+ Coupe Midsize SUV Fullsize SUV0

2000

4000

6000

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12000

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16000

18000

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Lexus


Mercedes

Perfection

Innovation

CHEERFULNESS

SAFETY

Values

CHEERFULNESS

SAFETY

dedicated attention to safety (while almost all

the new cars get at least 4 EUROCAP stars)

emphasizes brand heritage

C30 campaign not only made the model one of

the most successful in its class but also updated

brand perception by the young people due to its provoking executions

Communication Pros

Dima Bilan as a C30

spokesperson made the

campaign more expressive

lifestyle communication focusing on certain

human values makes the campaigns more relevant for the TA

cultural activities help to make the new

positioning (‘Life is beautiful…’) more

consistent and contribute to core TA’s

loyalty

Communication Pros

brand values communication

inconsistency (both fragments belong to one

ad)

incomprehensible stories and headlines of

the messages

Communication Cons

Sales

C+ D+ E+ Coupe Midsize SUV

Volvo C30 (34%) S60 (22%) S80 (18%) C70 (100%) XC90 (34%)

21077 1796 3537 2669 52 6159

C+ D+ E+ Coupe Midsize SUV0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

16000

18000

20000

Volvo


Mercedes

Cheerfulness

Safety

EMOTIONS

DESIGN

LUXURY

SPORT

Values

EMOTIONS

DESIGN

LUXURY

SPORT

unique color themes and

titles intended to differentiate

car models from each other

large part of the communication dedicated to cars’ interior

emphasizes luxurious qualities of the brand

Communication Pros

communication is overweighed with different values (even within one model) making brand image

vague for the consumer

most of the communication is executed in the

tonality of a brochure

Communication Cons

Sales

D+ E+ Midsize SUV Fullsize SUV

Infiniti G35 (5%) M (8%) FX (19%) QX (2%)

5540 834 1172 3355 179

D+ E+ Midsize SUV Fullsize SUV0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

16000

18000

20000

Infiniti


Mercedes

Emotions

Design

Luxury

SUCCESS

COMFORT

DESIGN

Values

SUCCESS

COMFORT

DESIGN

Communication Pros

consistent visuals: print structure,

color scheme, etc

high recognition rate of the

type helps to identify the

brand instantly

high production value of

illustrations contributes to

building a premium

perception of the brand

starting from the E230 campaign

lifestyle storytelling

principle has been used in

virtually all print ads

AMG models advertisements

serve as an additional tool

for accentuating premium

qualities of the brand

insufficient convincing power of

the cross-carline campaigns: the

brand tries to hold conversation with

multiple fundamentally

different audiences at once

dealerships' print formats often do not correspond

with the status of the car

some of the executions' metaphors

lack precision

Communication Cons

excessive volume of text in the body

copies

too many values discussed within one

message

Communication Cons

Recommendations

1. In 2008 we should proceed with communicating our brand values, namely 'respect' and 'fascination', in a consistent and focused way:• in addition to product advertisements, to consider

applying more efforts through-the-line to cover various dimensions of Mercedes-Benz brand experience – special events, service, etc. (e.g., through some special projects in glossy magazines)

• to conduct a research into trends evolving in luxury categories (i.e., 'minimalistic luxury' as opposed to 'dynamic luxury' currently dominating in the segment) and to find a way to reflect them in the communication (in visual concepts and storytelling)

• to encourage dealerships to announce events like seasonal test drives as important luxury lifestyle happenings for their regions

• to consider putting more focus on our ‘halo’ carlines (such as CL, SL, AMG, McLaren Mercedes F1)

2. We should also try our best to correct current communication flaws:• to stick to the 'one ad – one car' principle and avoid bulk

advertisements speaking of several models at once

• to remain focused on values attributed to a certain model (in accordance with the principles stated in 2008 Communication Strategy), and do not make the consumer think out messages like puzzles

• to pay more attention to dealerships' communication and to exert influence on print format choice by giving recommendations on size, structure, etc. and indicating those to be avoided

• to avoid increasing the body copy volume in executions

Recommendations

CLS under attack

Two major launches from key competitors scheduled for 2009: BMW CS (reported to be the new 8-Series) and Audi A7 –

newcomers in the niche created and so far occupied solely by CLS-Class

• Presumably, these expressive and innovative cars will be used to the full in competitors' communication to attract more attention to their brands

• We should consider different ways of defending our position in the segment in 2009:– to focus consumer's attention on CLS (both in ATL and

BTL) by arranging an individual campaign for it– to utilize CLS as an effective image builder for Mercedes-

Benz brand using suitable media (i.e., large formats of OOH)

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Recommendations

THANK YOU

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Success

Comfort

Design

Luxury Car Brands Comm Analysis (2007)

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Transcript of Luxury Car Brands Comm Analysis (2007)