INFINITI Cars: Dialogue Ad Case Study

We can all agree that people see Japanese automobiles as the gold standard for quality. And for years we have seen the advertising trope of powerful, Japanese sedans roaring around a high-performance track. What people don’t typically think about is an SUV with the performance and technology of a luxury car as well as the features and benefits that families rely on.

Infiniti’s family of SUVs and crossovers defy tradition. Infiniti is a company that espouses innovation in all areas, including brand communication. Recently, Instreamatic had the privilege of running a test utilizing Dialogue based ads with Infiniti.

In March, it was a treat to work with OMD and Infiniti Cars to launch a new dialogue-based ad campaign in select markets promoting the new Infiniti QX50 Crossover.

Here’s an example of the ad creative that ran with the campaign:

1. Audio tease:
— “Want to experience all the advantages of an ultramodern crossover and listen to this track on a Bose audio system in the impeccable comfortable seat behind the wheel of the new Infiniti QX50? If so, say “yes”.”

2. If listener expressed Interest:

— “Get ready to experience the power and dynamic responsiveness of the innovative VC-Turbo engine. Fill out the form on the page we opened for you and we’ll see you on your test drive! The Infiniti QX50 is waiting for you.”

3. No interest or silence:
— “You still have the opportunity to test drive a luxury Infiniti QX50. If you change your mind, go to Infiniti.ru. See you soon.”

4. Not clear:
— “I can’t hear you very well. If you want to feel the drive of the Infiniti QX50, say “Yes.”

Here’s what Polina Langbort, ATL Coordinator of INFINITI EAST, had to say about the brand’s approach and objectives:

Our task as a brand is to rethink communication with the audience, especially the constant monologues of classic advertising, when a potential client has no chance to speak with the brand, and sometimes there’s no way to decline to listen to the audio ad. Because of this, Infiniti became the first car brand to test dialogue interaction with a listener’s voice during a commercial break.

We prepared several narratives to work out different reactions to our proposal to familiarize the listener with the new car model. In the case of a positive response, the listener was redirected to our site, with two nuances worth noting. First, if the answer was “yes” — a more deliberate transition to the site than, say, a click on the banner (since it’s easy to miss). And second, the car model page was loaded to ongoing music playback, whereby the continuing playback in the app which created a friendly atmosphere to get familiar with the product. This format was clearly embraced by the audience, indicated by high-quality metrics comparable to banner placement in display. The audience took interest to the ad even though we did not articulate the car price, and over a 2-week test, we even collected reservations for a test drive.

The resulting engagement rates are off-the-scales compared to one-way audio ads. Instreamatic’s real time dashboard, which we provide to marketers and publishers, indicated the following campaign performance:

Recognized Engagement Rate: 13.2%

Total Voice Engagement Rate: 18.9%

We could not be more excited about these results and the folks at Infiniti feel the same. The level of engagement and commitment by listeners exposed to dialogue ads are driving extremely high levels of conversion as well as audience joining the purchase funnel of advertised brands.

The Voice First Era is here, and we’re excited to see what Infiniti and other major brands can achieve as well, now let’s rev that engine and hit the road together.

Visit our website or email us at go@instreamatic.com to learn more.