HOW CARS PREDICTED DUTCH GENERAL ELECTIONS

HOW CARS PREDICTED DUTCH GENERAL ELECTIONS
September 2012, the media is heating up for the final stage of the Dutch elections. Public
conversations and media are centered around political parties, their key players and polls. The
amount of undecided voters never has been so high so close to election day and a great part of Dutch
citizens are looking for clues how to vote. We decided to give them a clue very close to election date
with a lighthearted angle from an unexpected source. Could we enter this very cluttered
conversation and make a commercial message relevant? The answer is yes! Here is how we made
cars part of everyday conversations and were able to ride the Dutch elections.

SITUATION
Marktplaats (part of eBay classifieds) is the biggest trade platform in the Netherlands for nearly every
product. With 6,5 million unique monthly visitors everybody knows Marktplaats. Based on visitors
and volume of cars, the used car section is the biggest car platform in the Netherlands but is not
always recognized as such by the market (potential buyers and sellers) and (trade) press.

The key message that Marktplaats has a car for everybody in every occasion needs to get more
attention with the different audiences. So far it has been difficult for Marktplaats to get this message
across mainly because Marktplaats is not recognized as a car platform. Specially the trade press has
been difficult so far.

STRATEGY
In order to create the stereotypes, we set‐up and executed quantitative consumer research (N=1000)
where we asked consumers to connect the different party leaders to cars. An important part of our
strategy was the decision to limit the amount of cars in the research and use these specific cars and
brands that are already seen as a stereotype. A fundamental choice to make sure outcomes are
meeting expectations. To translate the raw data and visualize the stereotypes with a maximum
effect, we created a strong visual cue through an infographic as a campaign carrier.

The infographic is used to carry the key message and to procreate an extra proof point to support
that message. By adding monthly search volumes of the different (stereotyped) cars, we were able to
tell a corporate story and predict the Dutch elections.

The infographic is not only used to aim directly at consumers via social media but is also used to
enforce traditional media outreach and could be added to on‐ and offline publications as well. The
infographic therefore was the perfect bridge between traditional outreach and consumer activation.
Online conversations driving publications and publications driving social conversations.

To launch the research and infographic we aimed at traditional press and a careful selected group of
influential Twitter users.

EXECUTION
Although we knew that all key elements were in place to make this campaign a success, (a campaign
built on a strong insight, consumer research that created the desired stereotypes and a strong
creative execution) , it was still a huge challenge to become part of the daily conversations on a day
like this: the day before the actual election.

On this one day, we took our one shot and pitched the research to several news media and launched
the infographic via several social platforms. Soon the first print titles and blogs picked up the
research, but we knew we hit the jackpot when both the most influential Dutch pollster and the
Minister of Education started tweeting about the research. This was the boost we needed. We used
the right combination of a nice news angle and a commercial (key)message and made it relevant to a
major conversation. By using car volumes and stereotypes we triggered common conversations
where people referred to Marktplaats and available cars in order to discuss voting behavior. The key
message (a car for everybody in every occasion) has never been so relevant, visible and much
anticipated as during Dutch elections last September.

After we had set‐up the research with the outcome of the desired stereotypes we created
illustrations of all leaders:

COMBINING ALL ELEMENS INTO ONE INFOGRAPHIC

                                                 Adding monthly search volumes
                                                  for stereotypes cars to make a
                                                 relevant link to car volumes on
                                                           Marktplaats

                                                Additional elements for the
                                             infographic have been created to
                                              enforrce the stereotyping with a
                                             tong in cheek. Horse and carriage
                                                    was used to illustrate
                                                conservative attributes to a
                                              political party and a mouse was
                                                    designed to illustrate
                                             inconspicuous attributes (being a
                                             grey mouse is a Dutch expression
                                                 for being inconspicuous).

                                                     Based on monthly search
                                                  volumes Marktplaats predicted.
                                                   PVDA would win the campaign
                                                      (which they actually did)

                                                      Key message inclusion

COVERAGE

On and offline coverage examples

                                                       Car titles (trade press)

                           Leading and influential blogs

                                                           Marketing blogs

                           National dailies (print)

Quotes and samples from people reacting to the campaign

Complimenting Marktplaats:

Public endorsements from key players:

Dutch most known pollster and public figure Maurice de Hond

Minister of Education Ronald Plasterk

Car related

General conversations