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3. “Buying a new car is less impulsive
than buying a new pair of trainers.”
http://www.contagiousmagazine.com/resources/MostContagious2012.pdf
4. “Research by Jaguar Land Rover
discovered that in 2000
people made an average of 7.5 trips
to dealerships before buying a car.
By 2010 that figure had shrunk
to 1.3 visits. The first impression
is more important than ever.”
http://www.contagiousmagazine.com/resources/MostContagious2012.pdf
5. ”Content marketing is about reaching out
to customers and those that don’t have Chevy
on their shopping list and putting our message
out in front of them in a relevant way.
So it’s about attracting new audiences and also building
an ongoing relationship with fans and our loyal customers.
We realized we need to have meaningful stories
and content that our audiences can engage with."
Carolin Probst-Iyer, digital consumer engagement manager Chevrolet
http://www.digiday.com/brands/chevys-shift-from-selling-to-telling/
8. “The layout and content of the new BMW magazine
embody our brand’s pioneering spirit.
The new categories “Emotion” and “Heroes”
have been added for this purpose."
https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/pressclub/p/pcgl/pressDetail.html?title=the-new-bmw-magazine-–-
driven&outputChannelId=6&id=T0130963EN&left_menu_item=node__2205
9. LAMBORGHINI MAGAZINE
http://www.gokd.net/lamborghini10-612.html
“Wie die Marke Lamborghini bietet auch das Lamborghini Magazin
authentische Markenerlebnisse, geprägt von den drei Attributen
„extrem“, “kompromisslos“ und „italienisch“. Dabei ist jede
Ausgabe als solitäres Kunstwerk angelegt. Eine zentrale Idee als
Kristallisationspunkt für den von Ausgabe zu Ausgabe
wechselnden monothematischen Ansatz, dazu überraschende und
mutige Perspektivwechsel, mitunter auch begleitet von scharfen
Kontrasten und harten Provokationen.
Ein anspruchsvolles Autorenmagazin mit Ecken und Kanten.
Alles integriert in eine multimediale Konzeption mit eigenem
Internetauftritt.” (www.lamborghini.com).
10. AUDI: TOP10 BRAND ON INSTAGRAM
http://wallblog.co.uk/2012/11/09/more-than-half-of-worlds-
top-brands-are-now-on-instagram/
11. NISSAN – ‘DATE BETTER WITH SENTRA’ VIDEO SERIES
“At the moment brands are obsessed with content. Count Nissan in. Nissan has just
launched a six part series to showcase some of the new features of the 2013 Sentra.
The series follows the courtship and romance of Jeff and Felicia. Six videos are available
on Nissan’s YouTube Brand Channel, including a special video message from Olympic Gold
Medalist Ryan Lochte. Nissan is asking viewers to help come up with an ending via a
Facebook app. The videos got about 9,000 views on average since launch Nov. 1.
The brand’s social media chief, Erich Marx, said that content is important because it is
what fuels Nissan’s social media strategy. In fact, content is almost synonymous with
social media. Without content, Nissan’s fans and followers wouldn’t have anything to
discuss and share on a regular basis.” http://www.digiday.com/brands/nissan-tries-web-series/
14. BMW MAGAZINE (Hoffman und Campe)
Pearl Awards 2012
“Best Mobile
Application”
http://www.bmw.com/com/en/insights/explore/bmw_magazine/01_2012/ipad_app/bmw-magazine-ipad-app.html;
https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/pressclub/p/pcgl/pressDetail.html?title=the-new-bmw-magazine-–-
driven&outputChannelId=6&id=T0130963EN&left_menu_item=node__2205
“BMW Magazine has been BMW’s customer magazine since 1989, available in more than
150 countries and 25 languages. The print edition is published twice yearly, with a
circulation of 3.8 million copies. An iPad edition has been available since 2010, with an
expanded digital version planned for 2013. Winning 38 awards, BMW was the most
successful company in corporate publishing in the 2011 CP-Monitor ranking.”
15. “Try to make your content as good as — or better than
— the content around it; that’s what we learned.
Make sure your content organically fits with the brand.
Real content, like stories, engages.”
Esperansita Bejnarowicz, Social Media Manager of Fiat
http://contently.com/blog/2012/11/12/ikeas-interactive-holiday-catalog-fiats-storytelling-debating-branded-contents-value/
17. "The BMW Magazine is to become a lifestyle magazine.
Under the motto “DRIVEN”, it will be published twice a year,
featuring topics dedicated to drive, passion and energy.
BMW models will be skilfully integrated into articles
on the arts, fashion and design – all true to the philosophy
of never standing still in life. The focus will be on international
stories about people whose visionary ideas change our lives."
https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/pressclub/p/pcgl/pressDetail.html?title=the-new-bmw-magazine-–-
driven&outputChannelId=6&id=T0130963EN&left_menu_item=node__2205
18. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsFa-szsrz4; http://www.digiday.com/publishers/the-economist-content-marketing-approach/
BMW’s “Ideas on the Table“ (by The Economist Group): “There is an obvious conflict of interest here, as I work for the
company that produced this campaign. All bias aside, the comprehensive strategy of this content program is impressive.
To position BMW as a “thought leader” in innovation, design and technology, The Economist Group hosted an underground
event series that brought together chefs, foodies, tastemakers and intellectuals. Excerpts from the dinners were then
transformed into print and digital ad campaigns that ran in The Economist and Bon Appetit. This campaign, which featured
in-person events, is a nice reminder that content marketing isn’t just what happens on paper (or e-paper).”
BMW ‘IDEAS ON THE TABLE’ (The Economist Group)
See also: BMWi ‘Activate the Future’: http://www.bmwactivatethefuture.com
19. http://spinsucks.com/communication/how-paid-and-earned-media-should-work-together/
"Mashable does a really nice job
letting 'ads' flow into their
content. With the exception of
one little sentence that says,
“Presented by Volvo,” you can’t
tell the story is an ad.
This is where things are going.
All of our disciplines are
blurring. Go make friends with
people who do advertising for
your company or work with your
clients. Make friends with those
in the marketing department.
Figure out how you can all work
together. Because this? This is
the future of PR."
PRESENTED BY VOLVO:
SUBTLY 'SPONSORED
JOURNALISM'
See also: BMW ‘Global Innovation Series’ (Mashable): http://mashable.com/category/global-innovation-series/
20. http://redwoodgroup.net/land-rover-
onelife-magazine/
LAND ROVER – ONE LIFE MAGAZINE (& DIGITAL EXTENSIONS) (Redwood) “Land Rover is a well-travelled,
adventurous brand, so Onelife regularly
heads to the far reaches of the Earth in
search of a good story. (…)
Land Rover Onelife Magazine has been
winning Best International Publication
at the 2011 APA awards, Customer
Magazine of the Year at the 2010 PPA
Awards, and Best Use of Photography
and Best Use of Film at the 2009 APAs.
The magazine is translated into 14
languages. It is adapted and delivered
to 36 international markets, in 450,000
copies. An iPad version of the magazine
is also created for both the UK and US.
To enhance each issue’s local relevance
and engagement with its audience, all
the markets have the option of
including their own local material in
either six or 14 pages, which are
designed and edited in-house.
21. “For this off the grid hi-tech house, TBWAHakuhodo collaborated with 20 companies that could provide the requisite
technologies. The Nissan Leaf electric car, for example, acts both as a means of transport and a homepower generator,
while Nissan Sangyo Corporation provides a special heat-resistant and insulating ceramic coating technology.
A ground-breaking illustration of how brand alliances can fulfil a powerful social and environmental vision.”
http://www.tbwahakuhodo.co.jp/mirainihon/index.html
NISSAN LEAF - ‘CONTENT ALLIANCE’ WITH TBWA/HAKUHODO
22. VOLKSWAGEN
DAS AUTO MAGAZINE
– ‘THINK BLUE, BUY LOCAL’
BRANDED VIDEO
Silver Pearl Award 2012
For Best Video
http://www.customcontentcouncil.com/
news/pearl-awards-press-release-tmg-and-
pace-bring-home-gold-pearl-awards-
ceremony-six-gold-awards-e
24. “Dealerships should aim to post content that connects
their industry to human-interest topics, such as
local traffic info, suggestions on weekend road trips,
or even the occasional discount offer.
Think about how your audience might relate
to your business in their personal lives and you are
almost guaranteed to find content-worthy
points of intersection.”
http://www.business2community.com/content-marketing/facebook-content-marketing-lessons-from-large-brands-0142752#wj3j81dWqCHfewJo.99
25. MY FORD iPAD MAGAZINE
“In the My Ford magazine app — the
official magazine of the Ford Motor
Company — you’ll get family-oriented
travel stories, celebrity interviews, sneak
peeks at new vehicles and much more.
You’ll also find stunning photo galleries
of original photography, as well as helpful
videos to show you how to get the most
from your Ford vehicle. Plus, this app
features a one-stop shop for all your Ford
vehicle needs and provides complete
access to the Ford vehicle showroom,
vehicle brochures, owner guides and
much more.
My Ford content is updated quarterly, and
a new issue is available for download in
January, April, July and November.
FEATURES
• Photo galleries of original photography
• Helpful videos to show you how to get
the most out of your Ford
• Complete access to owner guides, the
Ford vehicle showroom, vehicle
brochures and much more.
http://www.myfordmag.com/app/
26. http://www.iamjeepmobile.com
I AM JEEP – MOBILE APP
• "Your Profile": allowing you to customise the application with your personal details and the details of your car
• "Find your car": recording the position of your parked car, making it easier to find it thanks to route instructions
• "Due dates": due dates relating to your car and car servicing schedules will be available after the Show
• "Find nearest dealer": allows you to find your nearest Jeep dealer
• "Owner's Handbook": compressed version of the model information handbook
• "Contact Us": to contact the "I am Jeep" Customer Services directly
• "News" and "Jeep People": to be kept up-to-date at all times of all brand news.
28. SUBARU – MAP MY DOG WALK APP
“Brands are breaking into personal spaces, combatting tech fragmentation by
providing mobile solutions for their customers that ultimately serve as free (and
viral) media channels.
That was the reasoning behind Subaru’s Map My Dog Walk and Guide to Everything,
which tap into the brand’s “Get Outside” mentality.
Knowing that 70% of the brand’s customers have a dog, Subaru has featured
puppy-focused ads each February since 2010 during the annual Puppy Bowl. Looking
for an opportunity to extend the experience beyond the winter months, it
partnered with an app maker to launch the dog walking pedometer app, which also
contains a built-in social sharing network to find dog walking friends in your
vicinity, and record best walking routes, speeds and distances. Since its release,
Map My Dog Walk averages 300 downloads daily, lending life to Subaru’s “puppy-
approved advertising” beyond the February campaign, adding that the functionality
of the app has allowed for a deeper and richer relationship with users.
These apps allow the brand to integrate into the everyday lives of its drivers,
breaking through consumers’ private spheres.
Subaru doesn’t expect the app to drive sales, but it will amplify consumers’
experiences and really tie Subaru to that. It’s a way to use the consumer as the
voice of the brand – not just to pat ourselves on the back. At the end of the day, yes
we want to sell cars, but if we have our owners speaking to their experiences and
sharing that with others who potentially might be in the market [for a car], that
holds a lot of value.
http://strategyonline.ca/2012/08/29/next-big-things-the-new-branded-content/
29. “Brands are breaking into personal spaces,
combatting tech fragmentation by providing mobile solutions
for their customers that serve as free (and viral) media channels.”
Rob Font, digital communications manager, Subaru
http://strategyonline.ca/2012/08/29/next-big-things-the-new-branded-content/
31. "Four automotive manufacturers account for
around three quarters (73.1%) of all video shares in the sector
(Volkswagen, Kia, Chevrolet and Nissan), illustrating the huge
opportunity open to those brands who currently lag behind."
http://www.unrulymedia.com/article/new-unruly-report-sees-huge-growth-opportunities-automotive-marketers-social-video-advertisi
32. http://clearslide.com/v/xqzkvg
”We’re moving from a time when advertising was something
to be avoided on TV to a time when it’s something
to be shared online.”
Frank Rose, Author of
The Art of Immersion
and journalist at Wired
33. http://www.letsdothis.com/okgo/index.html; http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2012/02/ok-go-chevrolet/
CHEVROLET & OK Go
“OK Go built a track, Sonic played all the instruments. Check out Sonic playing a guitar solo at 45 mph.”
“Whether or not this helps sell the Chevy Sonic is yet to be determined, and obviously that part of the collaboration is some serious
advertising, because like most OK Go videos it’ll be up to millions of hits by the weekend. Regardless, the logistics behind creating a musical
test track to not only be played, but played correctly is very impressive. My virtual hat off to both Chevy and OK Go for once again turning a
mediocre song into an internet sensation.”
“Unsurprisingly, it's already
at well over 1 million views.”
(Adweek, February 2012)
34. KIA SOUL HAMSTERS
“(…) Kia has been the most successful in this
regard, its iconic dancing Soul Hamsters ad
series benefited from being aired during MTV’s
Video Music Awards in September and became
the most shared automotive ad during the
period from June 2011 to June 2012. Kia took
advantage of the gap in activity (pre and post
Super Bowl) to deliver the strongest
performance throughout the year.”
http://skiddmark.com/2012/11/which-
automotive-brands-are-winning-the-
content-marketing-race/
35. http://socialmediatoday.com/
seanroyer/1083706/best-branded-
content-week-december-15-2012;
http://www.youtube.com/user/
TheDrivingDogs?feature=watch
MINI COOPER –
DRIVING DOGS
Going for the “awwww” factor,
Mini Cooper teamed up with the
Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) to
teach three dogs to drive. The
dogs were then put to the test in
front of a live television
audience. SPCA has said that the
stunt was part of an initiative to
prove that dogs from shelters
are not second rate pets. The
three new drivers, Monty, Porter,
and Ginny were put behind
specially outfitted Mini Coopers
for their first trips behind the
wheel and I can’t help but think
that they look very cool. The
result is an extremely
entertaining (and adorable!)
way to bring attention to the
car brand.
38. "We receive tons of stories from consumers every day
in the form of photos and text and even videos.
They are out there, and they want to tell their stories,
so whenever we can, we try to capitalize on that."
Carolin Probst-Iyer, manager of digital consumer engagement for Chevrolet
http://www.digiday.com/brands/chevys-shift-from-selling-to-telling/
39. VOLKSWAGEN ‘PEOPLE’S CAR PROJECT’
http://www.psfk.com/2012/05/volkswagen-hover-car.html
“In 2011, Volkswagen launched its People’s Car Project in China, which asked everyone to submit innovative vehicle ideas. Over 33 million people
visited the site and 119,000 ideas were submitted. Three concepts were picked as winners, including the Music Car, the Hover Car, and the Smart
Key. Recently, the Hover Car was turned into a video that simulated how the vehicle would look, drive, and function. The clip has received
thousands of views within a few days and has gone viral internationally.”
40. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?
fbid=423874737647906&set=pb.
192574850777897.-2207520000.13590140
04&type=3&theater
AUDI (UK) – ‘CONTENT
CURATION’ ON ITS
FACEBOOK PAGE
See also:
‘Three Lines’
Facebook
engagement
campaign
(Audi A3):
“On Facebook, the
aim was to grow
awareness and
engagement around
pictures and content
relating to the car,
as well as starting
conversations about
how the most useful
innovation is
sometimes the most
simple. To do this,
Bartle Bogle Hegarty
used simple three-
line drawings to
celebrate other
innovations that
deliver "everything
you need, nothing
you don’t".
http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/News/
1161111/
41. http://escaperoutes.com/
FORD
‘ESCAPE ROUTES’
INTERACTIVE
REALITY SERIES
Ford Escape Routes is an interactive
reality series featuring a cast of six
teams of two, participating in a
unique road trip competition with
real-world challenges.
At-home viewers across the country
can participate in real-time via
EscapeRoutes.com, to help their
favourite team win, through the
interactive challenges and
games online.
45. "Building loyalty and a lasting relationship,
sooner or later, translates into sales.”
Carolin Probst-Iyer, manager of digital consumer engagement for Chevrolet
http://www.digiday.com/brands/chevys-shift-from-selling-to-telling/
46. *during first 9 months (launch period).
“4.3% rise* in re-purchase”
Dedicated & intelligent online portal/guide
incl. personal calendar, lifecycle follow-up,
benefits, custom news, exclusive info,
monthly newsletters and personal alerts.
(+ video channel + social media accounts)
RENAULT – MYRENAULT.BE
http://www.vimeo.com/19034906
48. VOLKSWAGEN DAS AUTO
“FOR OWNERS” (Meredith)
From November 2012, “Das Auto. Magazine” will be available on the
internet in six languages for seven countries at www.dasauto-
magazine.com. The magazine is one of the first publications to appear at
regular intervals which can be read on a wide range of screen types.
iPad users have their own quarterly version with exclusive audiovisual
and interactive content. There is also a print edition of the English
version of the new 92-page magazine, and importers worldwide can adapt
the content of this classic magazine format for further national editions.
(…) The new concept has a distinctly journalistic style while at the same
time also making intensive use of the possibilities offered by the various
communication channels.
“Das Auto. Magazine” replaces both the “Volkswagen Magazine” print
magazine and Volkswagen’s online and app customer magazine called
“Das.” The Berlin-based content agency KircherBurkhardt won the pitch
for this integrated magazine concept in the summer.
https://www.volkswagen-media-services.com/medias_publish/ms/content/en/
pressemitteilungen/2012/11/07/0.standard.gid-oeffentlichkeit.html; http://
dasautomagazine.com/;http://www.magazine.org/meredith-xcelerated-
marketing-wins-four-pearl-awards-presented-custom-content-council
“Das Auto brings loyal Volkswagen owners exclusive
news and stories about the cars and brand they love.”
2012 Gold Pearl Award “Most Improved Publication”.
50. “We remember experiences more readily than facts
– the smell of a classic car reminds us of our childhood,
the winding road in Jaguar’s F-TYPE video
triggers memories of a favourite drive –
whereas facts are usually unconnected
and for that reason far more difficult to recall.”
http://skiddmark.com/2012/11/which-automotive-brands-are-winning-the-content-marketing-race/
51. AUDI CITY
“Buying a new car is less impulsive than buying a new pair of
trainers, but the impact of digital on that process is driving key
changes across the sector. 2012 saw the launch of Audi City, a
small-footprint digital showroom in London’s West End. Visitors
use multi-touch screen tables (created by Razorfish
International) to design their ideal Audi from more than 3.5
million possible configurations. Their creation can be viewed,
life-sized, from all angles on huge HD screens, and can be seen
‘driving’ through virtual landscapes.
That vivid first impression is more important than ever.
Research by Jaguar Land Rover discovered that in 2000 people
made an average of 7.5 trips to dealer- ships before buying a
car. By 2010 that figure had shrunk to 1.3 visits. The impact of
each encounter gains significance. Audi City combines the
flexibility of digital car-configuration with the sense of high-
impact retail theatre that a brand-controlled environment of a
store can offer. It’s a strategy the brand clearly believes in: Audi
plans 20 further such destinations around the world by 2015.
http://microsites.audi.com/audi-city/en/index.html
http://www.contagiousmagazine.com/resources/
MostContagious2012.pdf
52. http://
www.contagiousmagazine.com/
resources/
MostContagious2012.pdf
CHEVROLET (ORCA) – RESCUE DRIVE
“Thinking more broadly about the customer journey than just how to entice people onto its forecourt, the Orca
Chevrolet car dealership in Brazil took an insightful approach to promoting the new Chevrolet Cobalt. Its Rescue
Drive campaign saw the business partnering with a local breakdown service to send a new Cobalt (along with a
salesman) to people stranded with broken-down vehicles. While the rescue company towed their faulty car
away, Orca Chevrolet allowed motorists to drive themselves home in the new Cobalt.
At its core, Rescue Drive was a smart way to add value to people’s lives while also running a product demo
precisely at the time when drivers may be considering a new purchase, i.e. when their old car had crapped out
on them. Go-getting managers looking to maximise productivity will no doubt like the way it mobilised
showroom staff and stock into action instead of passively waiting for customers to come to them.”
53. PEUGEOT’S HYBRID GRAPHIC NOVEL
“How can you tell a simple yet innovative story to promote a complex technology towards a non car-specialist target audience ? This is the
challenge we were facing when Peugeot asked us to communicate on their latest hybrid engines system. Instead of listing all the technicals
specifications, we decided to show the adventure of a heroin utilising the four driving modes of the HYbrid4 technology. To do so, we’ve
teamed up with Gerald Parel, famous for his Marvel comics covers’ illustrations, to bring the hybrid technology to life through what we called :
« The Hybrid Graphic Novel ». (…) Within a month of activity, we’ve collected thousands of tweets and blog posts, …”
“Storytelling is a powerful approach that can, when done right, compel users to convert more effectively than what any amount of
optimization, crazy visual callouts, or awesome interactive elements can do otherwise. Much like how we expect to see a moral at the end of
a book, we expect to find a purpose at the end of a site with a storytelling experience. When the path to the “moral of the story” (or
conversion point, to be more specific) is laid out clearly in front of our users’ eyes, the rest of the work lies simply in convincing them that
the purpose is really worth grabbing on to…”
http://graphicnovel-hybrid4.peugeot.com/start.html ; http://www.creativesandbox.com/case-study/peugeot-the-hybrid-graphic-novel
54. FIAT - ALTERNATE ROUTES
http://contently.com/blog/2012/11/12/ikeas-interactive-holiday-catalog-fiats-
storytelling-debating-branded-contents-value/;
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/186990/fiat-branded-content-better-
tell-a-good-story.html; http://www.cbsaltitudegroup.com/portfolio/fiat-usa/
Alternate Routes: The FIAT Storytelling Series
featured real people telling their unique and
passionate story in two-minute radio vignettes.
The series was filmed in front of live audiences,
generating long-form video, plus long radio spots
on CBS radio in five major markets over eight weeks.
The purpose of the content: not so much to tout Fiat
as to drive consumers online to watch the shows and
learn about the brand.
This was achieved because the radio spots were
cliffhangers. The video content, meanwhile, was on
Fiat's Facebook page. Fiat mirrored the experience
in the social space following the CBS radio flighting,
and weaved in content and stories to CBS.com.
The results were over 76 million impressions over
the eight weeks, with 29 million impressions online,
with videos -- eight to ten minutes -- being viewed
440,000 times. That's 59,000 hours of content
consumed, which drove nearly 7,000 people to
interact with the configuration and shipping too
on Fiat-USA.com.
55. http://www.storyworldwide.com/lexus/
LEXUS MAGAZINE (Story Worldwide)
“Lexus, a global brand, needed a consumer-facing publishing
program that would maintain the integrity of the brand while
allowing content to be localized, so it would be meaningful and
relevant for readers. Consumer loyalty, quality control and cost
efficiencies were issues.
Story Worldwide and Lexus launched a global brand marketing
program, which aimed to deepen brand loyalty through localized
content for Lexus magazine. Content extensions have included
an MSN portal, email newsletters, video stories for Lexus
websites, travelogues for TiVo and other VOD applications and
serialized fiction. The program has been identified as a
benchmark in customer publishing.
Results:
• 86% readers found the magazine informative
• 60% readers logged on to the Lexus website
• “Most Effective Automotive Title” (APA Awards).