Helping Auto Brands Fuel Their Digital Campaigns with Effective Creative

Discover how Shuttlerock supports automotive marketers with tailored creative solutions. From content personalization across the three tiers, to remixing existing assets for social – read on to learn how you can drive campaign success with more effective creative.

Today’s automotive marketing is all about digital touchpoints. Buyer journeys that once began in the dealership have changed lanes into the digital sphere, with 95% of vehicle buyers using online sources to determine which car is right for them.

The equation is simple: to move metal, you need strong digital touchpoints. And to have strong digital touchpoints, you need effective creative. This is where Shuttlerock can help. We offer tailored creative solutions that help auto marketers shift their digital campaigns into a higher gear. 

I’m already nearing my acceptable quota of car-related puns, so let’s get started and take a look at these creative solutions in action.  

1. Automate content personalization across the three advertising tiers

Buying a car is one of the most complex purchase decisions a consumer can make. People spend hours upon hours researching which make, model, and trim will best meet their specific wants and needs. For this reason, automotive marketing works best when content is personalized to the individual consumer. 

Content personalization, however, can prove complex for auto brands. There are countless buyer personas to speak to, along with a myriad of models and trims to showcase. You then also have to throw in the added layers that come from the three tiers of automotive marketing: OEM, Regional Dealer Groups, and Local Dealerships. Each of which has its own content considerations and requirements based on stock, pricing, and language. 

While the rise of Dynamic Creative Optimization (DCO) platforms has been a huge step in the right direction, the actual creative workflows behind these platforms are often cookie-cutter in nature and struggle to deliver truly engaging content.

At Shuttlerock, our 'Amplify' content automation solutions put the creative back in Dynamic Creative Optimization. Our solution combines our in-house creative studio with proprietary automation technology. This helps auto marketers produce geo-targeted content right down to the local dealership and individual store level. They can also create dynamic catalog-based videos based on factors such as price, offer, model, and trim. 

The solution works by taking a new or existing “hero” asset and transforming it into a custom template with editable/dynamic elements. We then connect the template to the auto brand’s catalog/database. Content is then automatically produced based on the assets/information in the catalog/database. This mass personalization of content enables auto marketers to serve audiences the right ad at the right time – unlocking higher engagement and higher quality leads.

2. Leverage interactivity to improve lead quality

Lead quality is always going to be one of the main KPIs for auto marketers. High-quality, qualified leads result in sales, whereas low-quality leads waste time and money. 

Improving lead quality requires auto marketers to think outside the box and experiment with innovative ad formats. In line with this, one of our key creative recommendations when working with auto brands is for them to leverage interactivity. Interactive ad formats are inherently immersive. They bring audiences into the ad experience as active participants, as opposed to passive viewers. This means that the leads that come out the other end of an interactive experience are going to have a higher intent, as they have been nurtured within the ad itself.

An example of an interactive format that we’ve seen a lot of success with auto brands is Meta’s Instant Experience. The format has a variety of auto applications, but using it to create a Car Configurator experience has proven to be particularly effective. This format sees audiences configure their ideal car by making selections based on factors such as model, trim, and color. After they’ve configured their perfect car, the ad directs them to a relevant landing page where they can learn more and take action, e.g. book a test drive. 

With Shuttlerock, Instant Experiences – like the ones we created for Peugeot and Ford above – are both quick and easy to create. They are made entirely by remixing existing assets, with no need to shoot new content. This makes it possible to scale the format out to different makes and models. 

3. Produce cost-effective social creative by remixing existing assets

Another challenge faced by auto marketers is scaling and optimizing existing assets for use across social. In order to run campaigns across multiple social platforms, auto brands require high volumes of creative assets. And to be effective, these assets need to be optimized to meet the specifications and best practices of each platform/placement.

To keep up with the high volume and diversity of creative, auto marketers need streamlined and scalable creative production workflows. Shuttlerock delivers this. 

We specialize in helping auto brands remix their existing assets for use across social placements. An example of this can be seen below in our work for Nissan. They had already shot an OLV asset, but needed it optimized for a variety of social platforms. Our design team got to work remixing the existing asset to create optimized creative variations for various Meta placements. Three different creative concepts were created, each of which had three copy variations. In total, 144 videos were delivered – a full tank of optimized assets!

We also help auto brands remix images. Our designers use animation and motion graphics to bring statics to life, transforming them into high-impact video. The BMW example below shows how you can transform a single image into an effective video ad. This is a great way for auto brands to get more life out of the image assets that have been produced for other marketing collateral and helps them to keep up with ever-increasing video requirements. 

4. Use Generative AI to unlock creative freedom

It’s common for auto marketers to hit roadblocks with their creative, making it difficult to execute their vision. This can stem from a lack of budget, time, or resources. 

Generative AI is a game-changer for helping avoid these roadblocks. They expand your creative abilities, unlocking more freedom and flexibility. At Shuttlerock, we offer a range of generative AI tools, such as AI imagery, voice-overs, and music. 

An example of Mitsubishi’s use of our AI imagery solution in action can be seen below. They were looking to create a range of lifestyle photography assets featuring their Outlander PHEV model in a range of outdoor settings. AI made this quick and easy, with our design team refining the AI generations to ensure each asset met Mitsubishi’s quality standards and brand guidelines.

Ready to take Shuttlerock for a spin? 

If you would like to learn more about Shuttlerock and how our solutions can help fuel your brand's digital campaigns with more personalized, interactive, and scalable creative, please get in touch with one of our crew members.