At the marketing trade conference #INREACH, Mercedes-Benz was recognised in the category Brand Awards “Best Strategy 2016”. The jury honoured the brand with the star’s content strategy, where 95 percent of content is user-generated. The Instagram presence of @mercedesbenz stood out for its high degree of authenticity and visual quality. Factors in its success included the interaction with fans and followers and the strong network of over 300 social media photographers and influencers.
In forming their assessment, the jury at the marketing conference also considered which strategy took the most effective and efficient approach in getting ahead in terms of content quality, content volume and target fulfilment. They also looked at which path went beyond the campaign targets to contribute to meeting marketing and communication goals.
“The significance of social media has increased dramatically in recent years,” explained Natanael Sijanta, Director of Global Marketing Communications for Mercedes-Benz Cars. “Mercedes-Benz pursues a cross-channel strategy which allows us to exploit the full potential, including range, recipients and contents, on our own channels. Our visually designed content strategy relies primarily on collaboration with influencers and enhancement through user-generated content.”
In addition to traditional marketing activities, involvement in social media is becoming more and more important for Mercedes-Benz. This is where user-generated content also becomes particularly interesting for Mercedes-Benz. Influencers and fans of the brand Mercedes-Benz are active around the world and around the clock on popular social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. Films, photos and posts about the products and about events like motorsport or classic car activities and fashion shows generate attention.
At the #INREACH Award 2016, the communications agency elbkind was honoured along with Mercedes-Benz. The agency elbkind manages the Stuttgart-based automobile brand’s social media channels.
eBench study ranks Mercedes-Benz at number one
A study recently published by eBench also demonstrates the significance of social media activities. In September 2016, Mercedes-Benz ranked in the top position over other world-famous brands like Victoria’s Secret, Red Bull, Adidas and Nike. Social media was used to expand an advantage over the direct premium competition. In its study, eBench analysed the social media involvement of over 15,000 brands around the world. They assessed activities on the platforms Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. Factors such as content, number of followers and visibility of hashtags were all taken into consideration. The study is available at: http://blog.ebench.com/2016/11/social-juggernauts-neck-and-neck-for.html
