To improve its 'brand of choice' image rating last year, Caltex
Philippines needed to enhance its value proposition to motorists in
terms of products and total service offerings.
With deregulation, competition had become more intense and motorists
expected more from a gas station than just fuel.
The role of communication was to position Caltex as a customer-friendly,
one-stop-shop for motorists.
One of the tasks identified was to develop a media-based traffic
programme that would become an indispensable tool for drivers.
Metro Manila is infamous for its monumental traffic jams, leading to
unpredictable travel times. Research using McCann-Erickson's proprietary
tool, Cognito, revealed was that current traffic reports were not useful
to the car-owning and driving population because:
- Such programmes failed to provide real-time information, but were
rather updates of the past 30 minutes, obtained from traffic centres.
With traffic in Metro Manila being volatile, delays of even just a few
minutes could be misleading.
- The existing programmes did not accurately describe the traffic
situation, but used generic terms such as "light", "heavy" or "green and
go".
- None would say where the choke point was occurring or what was causing
it.
- None would offer alternative routes that motorists could take.
Thus, for the first time in the market, a helicopter named the Caltex
Power Chopper was used as the sole source of traffic information for the
programme Traffic Watch, therefore becoming an airborne solution to a
land-based problem.
Radio was a natural choice to deliver the traffic report, as 83.6 per
cent of motorists tune in to radio broadcasts while in transit between
the hours of 6-10am.
The Caltex Power Chopper flies non-stop around Metro Manila from 6-9am
during weekdays, with a highly experienced traffic reporter describing
traffic situations around the city as they happened and when they
happened.
Updates of two to three minutes were delivered seven times during the
three-hour period, covering accurate descriptions of traffic
descriptions; what was causing the jam and what, if anything, was being
done about it; alternative routes to take, using Caltex stations as
reference points; and how far motorists were from the nearest Caltex
station, where they could head to use the restroom or make purchases at
Starmart, the Caltex convenience store.
In addition, the Caltex Power Chopper would land to aid in emergency
situations, such as the airlifting of accident victims to hospital.
The reports were simulcast live over four FM stations, catering to
Caltex's target audience.
Print ads, merchandising plugs and a major press launch supported the
project.
In summary, the Caltex Power Chopper's timely and useful information
helped provide relief to harassed motorists from the daily aggravation
caused by traffic jams.
Caltex was therefore able to increase its relevance to motorists and
build goodwill for the brand.
The project was extremely successful in generating a positive image for
Caltex from its various audiences. The radio stations also received
positive feedback from motorists, listeners and clients.
Caltex considered the project a big success; the second phase commenced
last June.
* This ongoing National Geographic Showcase series features selected
material from winners and other entries in the Best Use of Media
category in MEDIA's Agency of the Year Awards 1999.
