Best Automotive: The Building Tomorrow Project

Client: Volvo Construction Equipment

Agency: OTW/Two Rivers Marketing

Award: Best Automotive, 2021: Gold

Brief

Volvo Construction Equipment’s brand tagline is Building Tomorrow. For years, the company has communicated the tagline through some of the most innovative infrastructure projects worldwide. Now, Volvo Construction Equipment wanted to take their communication to the next level.

According to a recent survey by Edelman, 64% of consumers are now belief-driven buyers who want brands to deliver on social issues as well as products. Therefore, it is critical for brands to live up to their beliefs in order to grow and attract talent.

Having good products and services is simply not enough. Making the world a better place makes Volvo Construction Equipment a better company. The challenge moving forward was to develop a program to help Volvo CE activate its brand purpose around social sustainability to drive societal development.

Solution

Interviews with employees and dealers worldwide showed that many social good initiatives did already exist. Volvo CE didn’t need another “corporate initiative”. They needed a platform to amplify existing efforts, raise awareness and encourage more action. The Building Tomorrow Project was created.

The idea was to communicate sustainability through emotional, human-centered storytelling.

To reach external and internal target audiences, a multi-channel strategy was put in place, covering communication globally through a content hub, social media, internally through Volvo CE’s intranet and regionally in North America through newsletters, dealer networks and earned media.

The most important target audiences on social media was the core audience – people with an interest in construction – as well as new audiences – women and people with an interest in sustainability.

In addition to making a positive social impact where Volvo carries out its business, the primary business goal was to increase the perception of Volvo as a brand that does good for society. This will be measured as part of the annual Global Brand Track Study and annual employee and dealer surveys.

The program is the result of a joint agency effort between Swedish OTW and American Two Rivers Marketing. A Transatlantic collaboration led to the main concept.

OTW was responsible for the global roll-out, concept development, content marketing and social media distribution. Two Rivers Marketing was responsible for developing the program identity, driving partnerships, the implementation of the concept among dealers and partners, as well as global and regional marketing efforts.

Results

The campaign beat almost all estimates in social media, indicating high quality content that resonates with the target audience.

• Facebook ads: Reach: 13,958,061 (82% over estimate). ThruPlays: 2,032,397 (65% over estimate)

• YouTube ads: Views: 2,840,019 (80% over estimate). TrueViews: 321,847

• LinkedIn ads: Video views 85,000 (155% over estimate)

• Impressions 177,167 (73% over estimate)

In addition, the initiative has reached a larger share of women (17%), than previous similar campaigns (8%)

Since the project launch was in fall 2020, it is too early to draw any conclusions about brand uplift. But content from the initiative has been shown on screens over 30 million times.

Over time, The Building Tomorrow Project will change people’s lives for the better, inspire others to take action, and position Volvo CE as a company that is truly contributing to its bold brand promise: to build a better tomorrow.