#hondanextdoor
Honda France
Issue 46 | March 2018
Agency
SID LEE Paris
Creative Team
Creative Executive Creative Director and Chairman Sylvain Thirache Copywriter Gu¨llit Baku Art Director Ludovic Gontrand Production Integrated Production Director Thomas Laget
Production Team
Producer Aldric Menanteau Production MILES
Other Credits
Other President Johan Delpuech Deputy Managing Director Bruno Lee Account Director Fabien Buferne Account Manager Camille Lefrère Client VP Honda Europe Christophe Decultot Department Manager, Car Division Pierre Guignot Marketing Manager Steve Amsellem
Date
October 2017
Background
Honda in France had a problem in that it did not have as many dealerships as it would have liked. However, Honda also had some of the most committed brand-fans anywhere. These die-hard fans across the country were the company's best ambassadors, knowing the cars better than some dealers. Why not rely on their experience and passion to solve Honda's dealerships shortage problem?
Idea
Loyal Honda drivers were invited to turn their garages into pop-up dealerships in French suburbia to promote the CR-V and HR-V SUVs.
They were given real Honda neon signs, real banners and the other accessories only used by dealers.
In a three week campaign across social media and featuring Number One Honda fan Jean-Baptiste in a TV commercial, Honda invited potential customers to test drive their SUVs from one of their new local dealers.
Results
There were over a million people reached. Thousands of leads were generated and 1,053 people signed up to visit a neighbour's garage to test-drive a car.
Our Thoughts
It has been said that if you have genuine brand fans, then you also have marketing on steroids. They boost awareness, get people sharing and they make crowd-sourcing work. And they do it all for free because they love the products and the company that makes them.
If you can please them by recognising their passion for the brand and give them a bit of local fame in return, which is precisely what Honda have done here, then you are on your way to creating the best sales-team you will ever have.
According to a Nielsen survey, 84% of those interviewed said they "always" or "sometimes" took action as the result of a personal recommendation.
Recommendations don't come more personal than this, when every Honda owner's neighbour sees how much the brand means to them.