Volvo Cars taps next generation to shape brand’s future
Volvo Cars taps next generation to shape brand’s future
Australia’s brightest marketing undergraduates pitched their best ideas to connect Volvo Cars with the next generation of customers. One university came out on top.
Volvo Car Australia has engaged some of the best young creative and commercial thinkers to help shape future campaigns that speak to the next generation of customers.
Volvo Cars partnered with the International Advertising Association’s Big Idea 2024 competition to challenge marketing undergrads across Australia to develop campaigns that reflect the brand's core purpose: "Freedom to move in a personal, sustainable and safe way."
Volvo Car’s involvement meant final year students could tackle a real brief for a highly active marketing department.
University teams were tasked with developing a fully integrated advertising and communications campaign designed to boost Volvo Cars cultural relevance and spontaneous brand awareness – amid a fiercely competitive and high-spending automotive market.
Brand builds demand
As a luxury brand aiming for a 2 per cent share of Australia’s circa 1 million annual car sales, increasing brand awareness and cultural relevance is critical.
Carmakers collectively spend hundreds of millions of dollars annually in Australia to build a pipeline of demand over years – and then have a short window to convert it when buyers decide the time is right to buy a new car. That means the clarity and consistency of brand messaging is key – and the offer has to be perfectly timed, targeted and executed.
Hence understanding how a new generation of potential customers think and engage with brands is a critical long-term growth driver – which is why Volvo was all-in on the Big Idea partnership.
Winning ideas
Teams from four prestigious Australian institutions made the finals: University of Canberra, University of Technology Sydney, Edith Cowan University, and University of Queensland. Ultimately judges from global advertising company WPP, publisher Yahoo, specialist digital agency AKQA and Volvo Car Australia landed on a winner: University of Canberra’s TUTELA team (pictured).
“What a fantastic opportunity for us to gain insights about our brand from some of Australia’s brightest strategic thinkers,” said Volvo Car Australia Marketing Director Julie Hutchinson.
“We were truly impressed by the quality of the submissions and presentations from all the finalists in the IAA Big Idea competition. It was fantastic to hear the fresh insights and ideas from students who share our passion for Volvo Cars. Congratulations to all the finalists and winners!”
The competition also served as a platform for high-caliber students to connect with potential employers, enhancing their career prospects within the marketing and automotive sectors.
