The Campaign

On any given day, there are more than one million excavator operators working behind the scenes of China’s rapid development. But this boom in construction has come at a cost. We wanted to do our part for the environment, so we reached out to those individuals in the construction industry who could make the biggest impact: the excavator operators themselves. But how could we convince these unsung heroes to do their part for a greener planet? Taking our cue from TV talent shows, we created a unique platform to celebrate their work, improve their skills and give them the opportunity to become famous… making “Operator Idol” the largest fuel-efficiency competition in the world. We recruited competitors through the channels they were most familiar with including radio and outdoor advertising, social and digital media, text and instant messaging and Volvo CE’s 34-city dealer network, resulting in the participation of 164,292 idol hopefuls. The competition tested their ability to operate excavators in a fuel-efficient manner. And it made the operator idols stars. At the same time, the contestants were trained and certified through online and onsite fuel-efficient classes. In the end, the campaign not only made celebrity idols out of these otherwise anonymous men and women behind China’s rapid development, but made them heroes of the environment as well.

The Brief

The campaign aimed to help Volvo CE attain its emerging market strategic objectives in China, increase the company’s share of voice, and build relationships with excavator owners, construction businesses and key government stakeholders. In partnership with China’s industrial association and the related government department, the campaign’s goal was to incorporate competition and fuel-efficient operator technique training that optimized operators’ driving style. As a result this would actively advance sustainable development in the industry and recognize those unsung working heroes behind the scenes of China’s phenomenal development.

Results

Output/Awareness • Registered 164,292 excavator operators in 2013 • Nearly 60,000 online eco-training participants • Over 7,000 excavator operators competed in 34 city contests across 30 major markets in China • 98.83% excavator operator respondents indicated they acknowledged the significance of fuel efficiency. Knowledge/Consideration: • More than 20,000 operators participated in online and offline fuel-efficiency and vocational training • Over 1,664 reports across TV, radio, print and online outlets; national, regional and local publications; and general, industry and trade media. • Taught fuel-efficient operating techniques to excavator operators, ultimately reducing carbon emissions Action/Business Impact: • 566,000+ visits to the official contest website, and over 157,000 QQ micro-blog followers • Recognized and supported the unsung heroes behind the scenes of China’s fast-paced development • Built long-term relationships with excavator owners, dealers, and key government stakeholders • Helped Volvo CE communicate its core values of Quality, Safety and Environmental Care and attain its strategic growth objectives in China

Execution

In 2013, over 164,292 contestants signed up for the event through recruitment platforms easily accessible to excavator operators, including a dedicated hotline, radio ads, text messaging, online and dealer channels. Further extending the campaign’s reach, we leveraged a multi-media approach to praise and support excavator idols throughout the event – a unique strategy that garnered attention from the media and general public alike. As part of this approach, we broadcast live content on a dedicated webpage hosted by a website popular with operators. An Operator Idol micro-blog account created a platform for Volvo CE to directly interact with operators and advance their mission of reducing carbon emissions. Social media played a key role in engaging younger drivers through real-time conversations that brought them closer to the Volvo CE brand. Finally, an “Operator Club” provided excavator operators with an unparalleled platform for peer-to-peer communications, support and Volvo CE updates.

The Situation

China’s national bird might be the red-crowned crane, but a more appropriate symbol of this rapidly developing country is its steely, flightless homonym: the tower crane. Cranes, pavers, excavators and more have become ubiquitous signs of growth in a country that is undergoing an unprecedented transformation. But with rapid development comes a rapid rise in fuel wastage. As a pioneer in fuel-efficiency, Volvo CE found that if each of China’s one million excavator operators could operate their equipment in a fuel-efficient manner, China would reduce its carbon emissions by 3.76 million tons. Thus, our Operator Idol campaign was born.

The Strategy

Volvo CE realized that the only way to deliver tangible environmental benefits would be to change the behavior of individual excavator operators. But how could these operators be fully persuaded to embrace fuel efficiency? What was in it for them? Our solution was to create a national publicity platform that celebrated the operator’s expertise and made heroes out of these important front-line workers within the construction industry. Operating excavation equipment is an underappreciated but highly valuable skill set, requiring years of training. By appealing to the operators’ sense of professionalism and providing them with an opportunity to become famous, Volvo CE was able to enthuse and educate operators while building preference for the Volvo CE brand and ultimately delivering environmental benefits for the country as a whole. The reward of using a Volvo CE excavator for free for one year provided additional excitement.