JLR Dubai International Motor Show – Jaguar Land Rover MENA

AMEC Awards WinnerCategory: Best use of measurement for a single event
Client/Entering Company: Jaguar Land Rover MENA
Campaign title: JLR Dubai International Motor Show
Company Name: Salience Insight

OBJECTIVE/BRIEF

The Spirit of MotoringThe Dubai International Motor Show (alternating with Abu Dhabi each year) is the region’s largest and most influential automotive event. The 2013 event showcased an unprecedented 108 global and regional launches, including 15 concept cars from the world’s leading motoring manufacturers. Manufacturers also used the Show to sell cars to the public direct from the stand, in addition to displaying concept cars and new technology.

The automotive market in the Middle East is huge and, unlike that of the US and Europe, is growing. Consumers have a wide variety of choice in all price segments, with the high-end sector particularly competitive. Effective marketing and sales campaigns, generating positive media coverage, are vital if automotive companies are to reach and appeal to their target audience.

Jaguar Land Rover MENA, and its PR agency Weber Shandwick, engaged Salience Insight to produce a report based on media coverage and perceptions of JLR and competitor brand coverage during the Show. The report objectives were to:

  • assess the relative visibility of JLR brands and display models against those of competitors before, during and after the Show
  • compare the tone of coverage of JLR brands versus competitors
  • identify the geographical reach of the media coverage
  • establish the prominence of the media presence, in terms of article dominance, headline mention and use of images
  • compare whether JLR or its competitors, were discussed more in the light of key Show themes, such as debuts and set up of the stands
  • evaluate the relative media performance of car models on display from manufacturers in JLR’s class
  • understand which particular product attributes of JLR v competitor models were presented in a positive light

Another key outcome was to see how the media reported JLR’s new C-X17 concept.

STRATEGY

Jaguar’s C-X17 concept carIn order to make this ad hoc report a companion piece to JLR’s regular monthly reporting, we tracked a similar competitor set across the same markets, using the existing tracked media sources. A sister company, MediaWatch, provided the clips from print, online and broadcast across 14 media markets throughout MENA.

Each article mentioning the Show, starting several weeks before and after, was selected to capture pre-Show buzz and follow-up reviews post-event. JLR brand mentions and tracked competitors, including Audi, BMW, Lexus, Mercedes and Porsche, were analysed for corporate and product mentions. In order to build up an in-depth picture of each brand’s media performance, we also analysed tone against key Show themes, product attributes, focus articles and passing mentions.

EXECUTION/IMPLEMENTATION

Native language speakers analysed article content against a consistent codeframe in our bespoke database. We then compiled a clear and easy to understand PowerPoint report, using a combination of charts and tables, each of which was accompanied by an insightful narrative explaining the key coverage highlights for JLR and its competitor brands. An executive summary provided an overview of Show coverage in general, a short summary of competitor highlights and direct quotes from key industry figures, where they illuminated a particular data point.

CONCLUSIONS

We were able to demonstrate the effectiveness of JLR’s communications efforts around the Show in a number of ways:

  • JLR was among the top three most discussed brands in nine of the 14 tracked markets. Our data further showed that comments by a senior company representative boosted the volume and prominence of the brand’s coverage.
  • More than 50 percent of articles mentioning Jaguar or Land Rover featured the brands in the headline, with 25 percent of all such articles exclusive to JLR brands
  • The C-X17 was well received, appearing in the greatest number of articles for the brand, and winning praise for its styling, innovation and desirability
  • Although BMW and Audi were placed ahead of both Jaguar and Land Rover in terms of visibility, we were able to explain the reasons behind this (the launch of a revolutionary hybrid sports car and a successful communications campaign in the region, respectively), which will help inform the client’s future communications strategy

Our report on the Show proved that JLR’s communications campaign was highly effective, in that it met its objectives of generating prominent and substantial coverage in 12 out of 14 of the tracked markets, and secured a strongly positive media reaction to the C-X17.

Name of contact: Adam Hibbard
Email: adam.hibbard@salienceinsight.com