the story
A year on from the driving ban lift for women in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, almost 50,000 female driving licenses have been issued to females. With an innate understanding of automotive trends in the region and with a passion for bringing people together, Volkswagen Middle East identified the need to unite female car enthusiasts in the same way that their male counterparts already are. The first ever female car club in KSA was established.
the challenge
After researching female VW drivers in Saudi following the ban being lifted, as well as intel received from local VW dealerships in relation to increased car sales for women, it became clear that there was a gap in the market and a desire for female car enthusiasts in Saudi to share their passion for driving in the same way that their fathers, brothers, or husbands have been doing for decades. We already knew that there were female car clubs existing in other regional markets, like the Arabian Gazelles, however, none existed in KSA.
the answer
Flying to Jeddah to create content of bespoke soundbites and capturing the first moments of the club launch,we produced a video news release in English and Arabic. Showcasing VW Women’s club story and outlining how the lifting of the ban has changed their lives. Highlighting how coming together as club has made the females feel empowered, unified and recognised.
We began seeding to media one week before the anniversary of the ban lifting under embargo.
the successes
As a result, we saw a 25% sales increase in the 8 weeks after the campaign specifically to female customers, indicating a direct commercial impact on the business in KSA. A 70% increase in sign-ups to the KSA women’s car club following the campaign with members now hailing from across the Kingdom including Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah.
We also achieved media cut through across business, lifestyle and automotive trade media throughout the GCC. This included 25 pieces of top tier broadcast coverage with a circulation of 4 million including Cosmopolitan Middle East and Vogue Arabia.
The ultimate success of this campaign is the direct link to car sales, with a total of 133 cars being sold to women in KSA the months following the campaign from June to September 2019, with no other marketing activity.
This a campaign also won the Best Automotive Category and Best Campaign in KSA at the 2019 Middle East PR Association (MEPRA) Awards.