The Campaign

In September 2013, the State Administration of Radio Film and Television in China declared that traditional advertising on prime-time radio and TV would be decreased. This created increased costs and even fiercer competition between brands that needed to stand out to their target audiences. With over 3,000 TV channels in China, it was becoming increasingly difficult to obtain effective return on investment through TV advertising. So, brands and TV channels began to develop more creative ways to integrate advertising and reach a high number of viewers. Implementing branded content became the best choice for brands across the board and hence competition in this space intensified. However, typical use of branded content in China tends to rely on product placement in TV shows. Generally, choosing a popular show in which to feature the brand is viewed as sufficient due to the huge exposure it would receive. Integration and creativity with branded content is relatively low in China compared to other markets, with the focus on TV collaboration only. Very few brands were bringing their brand values to life through creative and integrated use of branded content.

Results

CHALLENGE: DongFeng Citroen could not promote its C4L only for its award-winning engine because consumers saw little difference between product functionalities in its segment in China. Post-80s and 90s consumers prefer brands that align with them emotionally, and highly competitive brands in the B-segment had already established their connection. OBJECTIVE: As a latecomer, DongFeng Citroen C4L needed to build brand preference, cleverly communicating its brand spirit: “The Power of Moving Forward”, and increase sales. STRATEGY: We found “The Power of Moving Forward” an aspirational concept for youths, but far from their perceived reality of intense pressure, unsure how to move forward. We brought the powerful inner core to life – the powerful engine driving the C4L and the wisdom empowering youths. Our strategy to engage youths was communicating the key campaign message: “Feel the voice of wisdom and start the power of moving forward” through the strategic use of branded content activated through customized multi-channel integration. EXECUTION: We strategically placed DongFeng Citroen C4L as appointed vehicle of “The Voice”, aligning our brand spirit of inner power inspiring youths and leveraging the show’s resources featuring role models from local businessmen to overseas celebrities. This was broadcast on CCTV-1 during peak hours for 9 months and on number 1 video site iQIYI.com, integrated with celebrity endorsed content such as forty role models chanting C4L’s slogan and show reviews. This extended to social media through real-time questions to interact with role models on the show, and a C4L WeChat APP including celebrity catch-phrases and exclusive videos. Celebrity endorsed C4L videos were also broadcast in all DongFeng Citroen 4S retail stores, expanding to tangible brand experience. Our Youth Empowerment Programme inspired youths in real life! We selected students from top universities to express their opinions about C4L’s slogan, appearing on “The Voice” itself.

1. Sina - SINA website homepage, SINA video website, ”The Voice” dedicated page 2. Youku - Youku homepage, video album display page, “The Voice” dedicated page 3. Netease APP - homepage on iOS, homepage on android, “The Voice” dedicated page

•The creative technique of introducing C4L’s branded content clearly worked, gaining 15% more social buzz than main title sponsor of “The Voice”, Jiaduobao. (Source: Agency research) •Over 373 million youths watched “The Voice” during the campaign, equating to 27% China’s total population (Source: Infosys). •The social campaign attained over 90 million views online. The social engagement reached 180,000, 4x target KPI 45,000 (Source: Sina Weibo). •C4L created an emotional bond with over 15,000 students, who participated in the Youth Empowerment Programme to share thoughts about C4L’s campaign message (Source: Agency research) •Actual ROI 403%, surpassing target 300%. (Source: Agency research)

DongFeng Citroen C4L needed to build emotional connection with Chinese youths to become the car of choice over established brands. We activated our key campaign message “Feel the voice of wisdom and start the power of moving forward” through multi-channel integration of branded content. We partnered with “The Voice” TV talk-show as co-sponsor and appointed vehicle for 9 months on prime-time. The show was well aligned to C4L’s brand values, inspiring youths to overcome life’s challenges. We could also leverage the show’s authority to invite role models and create effective branded content. For example, we selected young elites in our Youth Empowerment Programme to share their own views of C4L’s slogan on the show itself and forty role models each chanted C4L's brand message on customized online videos. We integrated with customized branded content such as celebrity endorsed videos on iQIYI.com, in retail stores and on social media.