Press, not TV, is key to Audi success

Client: Audi
Agency: MediaCom
Lead planners: Anthony Morrison, Sonya Arthur

Strategy
The A4's target market is the affluent, career-focused, 40-something male. About 65% of A4 drivers are company car drivers, so a good deal of time is spent in their vehicles. The strategy was based on reaching these motorists either on the road, using radio and outdoor, or off the road, when they were taking time out to catch up on news. The "Breaking News" press strategy was devised to hit sources of current affairs, sport and business. Press formed the centrepoint of the activity, complementing national outdoor and radio advertising.

Activity
Activity focused on press, radio and outdoor to reach the target at key times during the week. Space was bought in quality papers such as The Times, The Daily Telegraph and The Guardian, appearing in the front half of the main news sections. Specific days of the week were targeted to reach the audience before their weekend wind-down: main news and business sections were only bought Thursday to Friday, with radio covering the start of the week. Space targeted sport, travel and property sections in the weekend editions.

Results
The 13-week press campaign reached 72% of ABC1 men, and the target group was exposed to the ads in print an average of five times. The campaign achieved over 2,000 gross rating points (GRPs), whereas Jaguar's XF model, which was launched in the same period, outspent Audi by £2m and achieved just over 1,000 GRPs. Research at launch showed that those aware of the A4 considered it more desirable than the BMW 3 Series, and that press was the strongest influencer of this audience - it generated a 20+ point improvement of awareness, compared with 6+ points for radio and 4+ points for outdoor. In addition, the campaign won the Grand Prix at the Guardian Newspaper Planning Awards, in association with Media Week.

Sonya Arthur, press director, MediaCom.

This article was first published on Media Week