June 12th, 2023, Janice Fernandes
Earlier this year Mercedes-Benz partnered with entertainment brand SUPERPLASTIC to introduce a new character – Superdackel – inspired by the brand’s classic Wackeldackel mascot, the “nodding dog” dashboard toy. The collaboration campaign elevated the brand’s Ad Awareness score, earning it the title of US Automotive Advertiser of the Month in January 2023.
According to data from YouGov BrandIndex, which tracks brand perception among consumers daily, the brand’s Ad Awareness score continued to grow in the following month with the release of the Land. Sea. Air commercial. This advertisement narrates the story of the car maker’s iconic three-pointed star logo representing land, sea and air, while also announcing their commitment to slash the brand’s CO2 footprint by 2039.
The campaign spans TV, cinema, digital, social media, print and out-of-home mediums in key global markets. Our data shows that this campaign has succeeded in connecting with the audience and has consistently elevated the brand’s Ad Awareness score in the subsequent months.
Our data shows that the adverts might be resulting in conversations about the brand. Word of Mouth (WOM) exposure asks consumers if they have talked about the brand with family or friends in the past two weeks and our data shows that more people have been talking about Mercedes-Benz since the beginning of the year compared to the previous three years.
The chart below illustrates the exponential growth in WOM exposure sparked by the recent campaigns.
Delving deeper into the purchase funnel reveals that in 2023 consumers are more inclined to consider purchasing a Mercedes-Benz car the next time they are in the market for one. Although there has been a slight drop in scores this month, Americans are still more likely to consider a Mercedes in 2023 than they were last year.
The increase in Buzz scores, which monitors whether consumers have heard anything positive or negative about a brand, suggests that the narrative around the brand has been generally positive. It is likely that the brand’s emphasis on sustainability in its latest campaigns may have played a role in generating positive sentiment.
Are the brand’s sustainability goals connecting with potential customers?
Mercedes-Benz has set the goal of becoming an all-electric company by 2030. While Americans who plan to purchase a new electric vehicle in the future are discussing the brand, the WOM exposure is not translating into a higher Purchase Intent among these consumers. The purchase funnel metric, which queries consumers about their likelihood of purchasing from this brand, indicates a declining rate of intent in April-May 2023.
However, the recently launched Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV, slated to arrive in the US in spring, might potentially influence the opinions of electric car buyers.
In addition to this, Mercedes has made other sustainable commitments, such as constructing passenger cars using 40% recycled materials by 2030 and repurposing waste like old fishing nets and land or marine debris. Following the commercial, the brand's Consideration scores experienced a significant increase in February 2023 among consumers who prioritize a vehicle's environmental impact when making a purchase decision. But Consideration scores among this group of Americans has since dropped to pre-campaign levels (16.7%) as of May 20.
Demographically which consumers have taken most note of the brand?
Demographically, our analysis of the WOM exposure metric indicates that younger consumers (18-34-year-olds) are significantly more likely to discuss Mercedes-Benz. This age group also exhibits the greatest boost in Consideration scores, suggesting a successful reception of the campaign among this audience.
While at the beginning of the year, consumers with the highest earnings (family income $100k+) were more likely to discuss the car brand, WOM Exposure has since increased among consumers with family incomes below $25k and those between $25k and $100k. Currently, lower income consumers are as likely as those with higher income to engage in discussions about Mercedes.
But when it comes down to who would consider purchasing from the brand, consumers with the highest income are still more likely to pick Mercedes, although consumers in the other income categories are not far behind.
Ultimately, Mercedes-Benz has left a significant impact, with consumers of various demographics taking note of the brand's campaigns and expressing interest in considering their vehicles for future purchases.
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Methodology: YouGov BrandIndex collects data on thousands of brands every day. A brand’s Word of Mouth score is based on the question: “Which of the following brands have you talked about with friends and family in the past two weeks (whether in person, online, or through social media)?” Data from surveys of adults aged 18 years and above residing in US from January 1, 2023, and May 23, 2023. The figures are based on a four-week moving average. Learn more about BrandIndex.
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