Malaysian Media Awards Winners Showcase





2011 | |

The Hybrid Chauffeur

Advertiser: Honda Malaysia
Brand: Honda Civic Hybrid
Creative Agency: -
Credits: Stan Chew (Strategy Planning Director), Evelyn Cheah (Media Planner), Rebecca Siew (Senior Media Planner)

Challenge
The unfamiliarity of hybrid technology and unavailability of test drives hampered slow sell-through of the Honda Civic Hybrid (In 2009, sold 216 units; 72% market share). In Oct 2010, the challenge was to push sales for the last batch of Civic Hybrid to make way for 2011′s hybrid model, Honda Insight.

Solutions
Kuala Lumpur morning traffic condition is simply awful. Driving to work is a drag; no one really likes to drive during rush hour, unless being chauffeured. Thus, the ‘Hybrid Chauffeur’ was designed to give people meaningful experience in the mornings in the Civic Hybrid. Nothing beats the real experience – we wanted prospects to experience the comfort and fuel efficiency. Most purchasing car decisions are sold during test drives, in this case, test being driven!

Execution
Honda sponsored the Mix.fm’s breakfast segment on going green for 1 month. Listeners were invited for free rides to work in the Civic Hybrid by registering and completing a slogan. Every week, Honda chauffeured one lucky winner every Friday, to and from work, for one month. The winners would experience the car first hand, and then shared these experiences over the radio. Participants were also led to an online registration page hosted by Mix.fm.

Result

  • 85 entries received in 3 weeks (niche product)
  • 128,935 views on Honda-Mix.fm’s page (CTR 0.17%)
  • Steep hike in Google search for hybrid
  • 2010’s final hybrid batch was fully snapped up; made way for 500 new Honda Insights in Dec 2010 (sold out for 2011; 287% increased)