Mercedes Targets Millennials With Instagram Stories
Millennials, being young, educated consumers in the digital age, are often drawn to new products because of a brand’s technology and the experience they offer. When it comes to marketing to the Millennial demographic, the higher tech, the better, which is a lesson Mercedes knew as they curated an Instagram Stories campaign for the A-Series.
Racing Toward First-Time Millennial Buyers
Mercedes catered to Millennials, and enticed this demographic with their luxury automobiles through Instagram Stories with the “Bucket List” campaign. The car manufacturer used Stories to highlight the A-Class’ new technology, which includes an all new Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) multimedia system.
The Manager of Corporate Communications at Mercedes Benz USA Donna Boland said, “MBUX is certainly new technology, very new for us, because it goes so far past what we’ve had, in terms of infotainment and telematics. It bundles them up into what we’re confident at this point in time is the most comprehensive user experience on the market. If you’re going to bring that to market … you want to bring it to the people who will probably appreciate it most.”
Though Millennials are most often known for saving their pennies and this technology is only available in the higher-end models, Mercedes took the jump to target this demographic in an effort to “wow” the first-time buyers.
“This [is the] Millennial generation that is as concerned about checking experiences and incredible things off their bucket list, and with the introduction of the A-Class,” Mark Aikman, Mercedes Benz USA General Manager of Marketing Services said, “we hope that they check one item, which is owning your first Mercedes-Benz, off the bucket list.”
Engaging New Buyers Through High-Tech-Focused Video
Aikman noted that Mercedes “may have been the first auto brand to advertise a car model using Instagram Stories.” Instagram successfully placed Mercedes’ Story videos, which were “powerful, snackable, thumb-stopping content,” according to Aikman, in front of Millennials on October 15 and November 9 of 2018. These short videos reached more than 200 million individuals on those two days. Plus, thousands of these viewers entered a contest, which allowed a winner to fulfill a task on their bucket list with the help of Mercedes.
The campaign, which was hosted entirely on Instagram, involved a lot of tracking and monitoring, and usage of Instagram advertising and Promoted Stories. Mercedes even reached out to winners through Instagram’s direct messages to let them know they won.
Continued Use Of Instagram To Interact With Consumers
Since their breakout Instagram campaign, Mercedes has continued heavy use of the platform. Earlier this month, Mercedes released their augmented reality (AR) filter on Instagram. This filter, the first for any carmaker, was inspired by the manufacturer’s short film for the new CLA Coupe, which targets the Millennial audience. The filter allows users to decorate photos with Tokyo lights, keeping in theme with the short film.
With more than 200 million impressions and thousands of engaging actions, Mercedes hosted a new type of campaign to interact with Millennial prospects.