CASE STUDY: Using national pride to sell Malaysia's first homegrown MPV

Background
Against the backdrop of a global recession, category decline, rising inflation, cautious consumer spending and mounting competitive pressure in the auto industry in Malaysia, national automaker Proton launched its latest product, the first ever Malaysian-made MPV, Exora, in the market.

With a pocket of ‘quiet’ time between the announcement and the official launch date of the Exora in April, there was a critical need for Proton to maintain the interest of its target audience as well as build awareness and brand engagement that would convert into sales for the vehicle during the launch.

Aim
The campaign sought to create awareness and engagement with the Exora brand among Malaysians and to drive home the proposition of offering ‘the right car, at the right time, at the right price’.

Execution
Alongside creative agency McCann Worldgroup Malaysia, Proton developed an integrated campaign that was rolled out over two phases (pre-launch and launch) to introduce the first Malaysian-made MPV. Beginning with a contest to ‘Name Malysia’s first homegrown MPV’, the strategy was to motivate locals to become part of Malaysian history. A total of 251,763 entries were received, beating the target of 100,000 by 151 per cent. The end of the contest saw ‘Exora’ being chosen as the name of Proton’s first MPV.

To sustain the momentum from the contest and continue to drive interest and bookings, a campaign was rolled out in late February as a lead up to the launch of Proton Exora in April. Telling the public ‘You will be amazed to know it’s a Proton', the initial campaign was created around the concept of a well-designed, feature-packed MPV built with everyday people’s needs in mind. It also reinforced the fact that the vehicle was made by Malaysians for Malaysians.

The launch campaign was subsequently rolled out across TV, radio, press, online and outdoor on 16 April. Continuing the theme of the pre-launch campaign, the creative idea revolved around the features offered by the Exora. By this point, there was a significant amount of interest and discussion surrounding the Exora from potential consumers on- and offline. The activity was harnessed through testimonial press ads that featured feedback from customers following test drives of the Exora. The endorsements served as a powerful testament to the car’s quality.

Results
Three days into the official launch of the Proton Exora in Malaysia, bookings surged to over 4,200 units from around 2,000 units received during the pre-launch period. By early May, the booking rate had more than doubled from the third week of April to reach 9,100. By June, it had become the best-selling MPV in Malaysia, boasting a 31 per cent market share. As of 15 October, bookings for the vehicle stood at 21,000.




Credits
Project: 'You’ll be amazed'
Client: Proton Holdings Berhad
Product: Proton Exora
Creative agency: McCann Erickson Malaysia
ECD: Huang Ean Hwa
CD: Christie Herman
Creative group head: Hans Lee
Account servicing: Choo Lee Peng, Navin Rajaratnam, Priscilla Wong, Zekry Mohd Nor
Media agency: Universal McCann
Media planner: Tammy Lim
Production house: A Plus Film
Exposure: TV, radio, press, online and outdoor
Duration: February 2009 to April 2009.