Just as the Internet helped make the nonsensical phrase "All your base are belong to us" a well-recognized piece of the gen-Y lexicon, Mercedes-Benz hopes the Web will entice young car buyers to rave about the brand. Currently, about 60% of households conduct online research before buying a car. In the 18-to-34-year-old category, that percentage is significantly higher. Mercedes let those statistics steer all marketing initiatives for its C-Class Coupe, the first Mercedes priced around $25,000 and aimed specifically at twentysomethings.
In a cluttered market segment aimed at an overstimulated demographic, Mercedes knew that it needed to transcend the flash and fizzle of traditional automotive sites. So it brought on board Critical Mass, a marketing and media-services company that's based in Calgary, Alberta to build the C-Coupe Web site. The integrated site needed to communicate a more youthful vibe, while remaining mindful of the high-caliber Mercedes brand. Respect your elders, but don't follow their rules, Mercedes told Critical Mass.
"We aimed to create a destination, not just an online brochure," says Jerry Johnston, president and CEO of Critical Mass. "The Web site informs and educates, but it also gets consumers to the next level in the buying process by exciting and engaging them. Mercedes wants to empower its consumers from the beginning."
And putting buyers in charge means arming them with a variety of interchangeable tools. The toolbox -- the C-Coupe site -- links users to an online sweepstakes promotion, a PDA application with detailed specifications and images, and a viral tool that allowed users to craft and share their own C-Coupe movie. Elegant and streamlined, the site was recently ranked best in online convenience by J.D. Powers.
It wasn't shocking or particularly groundbreaking in design and execution, but the C-Coupe site got the job done for the roughly 1.4 million users who visited during the sweepstakes. And now Mercedes hopes to keep those gen-X and gen-Y consumers invested in the brand by giving each one of them an individual Web site when they buy a Mercedes.
"The owner Web sites will keep track of service records, leases, loans, and insurance," Johnston says. "Eventually, you'll be able to identify where your car is parked by turning on your computer. You'll be able to have your car diagnosed remotely. Technology is going to broaden Mercedes's relationship with its consumers well beyond the car-buying experience."
Even the best technology can't help Mercedes, Chrysler, or Toyota quantify the success of the new, innovative branding campaigns. How many click-throughs translate into actual sales? What lasting impression will a branded feature film leave on potential consumers? Can music really define a brand personality? With a little luck, these three companies will find out.
Anni Layne Rodgers (annirodgers@hotmail.com) is the former Fast Company senior Web editor.
Email
Digg
StumbleUpon
Facebook
Buzz Up!
LinkedIn
