A look at how the auto industry can use podcast advertising to drive awareness and trust

A QUICK OVERVIEW

The Challenge 

Support the successful launch of a new SUV automotive model. Create awareness and interest in the vehicle, and improve brand affinity among traditional male Nationals with families, living in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

The Strategy

Branded podcast creation. Product placement and sponsorship of a new fictional podcast show that was released with the start of Ramadan – to extend reach and boost brand affinity.

The Results

• 66% of all those who heard the podcast and ad could recall the auto brand sponsor.
• 71% of target audience listeners recalled the car model advertised.
• 82% of those who recalled the podcast and ad within the target audience had positive intent to take action.

Automotive advertising with podcasts

For Arab family men living in the Middle East, a car is a representation of who they are and who they want to be. An ideal vehicle will exemplify safety, trust, and pride. So when an American automobile manufacturer of trucks and utility vehicles came to launch a new vehicle in the Middle East they wanted to raise awareness with an approach that promoted these values.

We were challenged with creating an audio campaign that delivers brand uplift, high recall, and positive intention among National males aged 35-44 years, living in KSA and the UAE.

To bring the automotive vehicle to life we lead with the sponsorship of a local podcast, AlSilah الصلة, and a feature of the product within the show. AlSilah الصلة premiered during the Holy month of Ramadan and was a huge commercial success. The podcast ranked #1 in fiction for both the UAE and KSA, #7 in all charts for the UAE, and #15 in all charts for KSA. The show also gained a 4.8-star rating from listeners.

To effectively reach the largest pool of target customers we further ran ads across Apple Podcast platform and Arabic speaking shows. Our team produced a 17-second sponsorship ad in the local dialect that aired for 8 weeks in 2021.

Results of the automotive podcast campaign

It was a successful campaign that perfectly showcases how effective podcast sponsorship and advertising deliver more lift than print, digital, and TV. Our post-campaign survey shows:

• 66% of all those who heard the podcast could recall the brand sponsor.
• 71% of target audience listeners recalled the car model advertised.
• • 82% of those who recalled the ad within the target audience had positive intent to take action.

  The data also revealed the campaign had a positive impact on the brand. Listeners describing the company as authentic and innovative.

“Podcast ads represents a massive opportunity for our client to connect with existing and potential customers. Its an immersive and engaging channel. For this campaign, our strategy allowed the brand to truly stand out from the crowd. And connect to the values of the target audience through story-telling.” Lemya Soltani, Director of partnerships and BD.

Podcast advertising for the automotive sector is incredibly beneficial. Learn more about it here