Driving Success: An Integrated Campaign for Wessex Garages

Electric vehicles have increasingly gained in popularity amongst consumers in recent years, and yet few dealer networks have positioned themselves towards this valuable market segment. We decided we wanted to be one of the first. It also fitted perfectly with our overarching “Intelligent Choice” brand positioning.

Our campaign centres around our quiet revolutionary, Chas, who reflects our middle-class, middle-aged target consumer, who are anything but revolutionary, but keen to do their bit in quiet ways. This disarming creative approach used charming, gentle humour, throughout a fully integrated campaign across broadcast TV, addressable TV, radio, paid social media, online display and video, outdoor, organic social media, online content & PR.

The Opportunity
We had considered promoting EV previously but were concerned that the market wasn’t big enough and the barriers to uptake too great. However, the biggest concern was that we would merely displace conventional sales for EV sales with no net benefit for the business.
However, we felt that now was the right time. Our analysis of web search data and our content engagement demonstrated a huge upsurge in interest. Repeated lockdowns had heightened consumer awareness of ecological issues, and it was evident that more people would start to consider EV when purchasing their next vehicle. It was the perfect opportunity to make our brand more relevant.

The Insight
We knew that EV was on everyone’s radar, but people needed help to understand if now the right-time was to make the switch. And, if it wasn’t we could still offer a conventionally fuelled vehicle or hybrid. It wasn’t about selling EVs per se. It was more about capturing consumer conversations and demonstrating our brand promise it was all about helping them make Intelligent Choices. We know our customers. They are middle aged and middle class. They are conservative by nature, and not revolutionary eco-warriors. However, they are sensible, responsible, and informed, and prepared to do their bit modestly. We had permission to help them when it comes to EV, but not preach to them.

This provided a platform for some gentle tongue-in-cheek humour via a parody of classic revolutionary iconography, juxtaposed with a mild-mannered, middle aged bloke rocking a tank top. As the voice over says “…he may not look it but Chaz here is a revolutionary. Just a very quiet revolutionary”.
The concept was fun engaging and, most importantly, non-preachy. We used data led targeting to reach the most relevant postcodes for each dealership, whilst overlaying affluence, manufacturer preferences, and ecological interests. The media mix extended across a wide range of online and traditional media, to maximise reach and impact. It ran on ITV, Sky Adsmart, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, online display networks, radio, outdoor and our PR campaign achieved strong levels of traction in trade and consumer media, locally and nationally. We also developed an EV matching tool on our website to help consumers find the best EV fit for them.

The campaign was well executed, well-received 
and effective. We received anecdotal praise from 
key partners in the supply chain, particularly amongst our manufacturer brands. It also cut through amongst consumers. Overall web traffic increased by 25%, organic visits from EV search terms increased 68%, EV content engagement increased 66%, and over 1,200 people used our EV car matcher tool. Most importantly sales of EV vehicles increased by 81%.