Video case study: Toyota USA makes 100,000 versions of same Facebook ad

Car maker Toyota worked with agency Saatchi & Saatchi LA to take its digital marketing up a gear by creating 100,000 video adverts for its new RAV4 Hybrid campaign, each personalised to the Facebook viewers taste.

Case study summary

• Toyota USA created 100,000 different possible video adverts personalised to the viewers taste

• Toyota USA used Facebook insight to customise the adverts for each individual

• Personalised marketing means creating content for an individual rather than sending the same content to everybody

The challenge

Personalised marketing is about reaching consumers with different creative messages, opposed to having one message that everyone sees. Brands can personalise content based on a range of factors for example demographics, location, interests or purchase history; reaching many consumers but each with a message that seems personally relevant and interesting.

“Everybody is unique, so why tell everybody the exact same thing? Personalising material is essential to creating marketing that people react to, and there’s no social platform that comprehends their customers much better than Facebook.” Chris Pierantozzi, Imaginative Director at Saachi & Saachi LA.

In order to achieve cut through when marketing on Facebook, Toyota decided to scale its marketing personalisation.

The solution

Toyota created a campaign which used 100 interchangeable video clips; each advert was constructed from three video clips based on a Facebook user’s particular interests whilst also highlighting the RAV4 Hybrid’s product qualities, resulting in the viewer seeing one of 100,000 different possible video ads.

In addition to creating personalised video content on Facebook, Toyota took into account that most of Facebook usage takes place on a mobile device, so ensured that the campaign delivery was mobile first.

To bring this technology to life, Saatchi LA developed a proprietary methodology dubbed “multi-point storytelling” which takes the most unique aspects of the RAV4 Hybrid and reverse engineers them based on each individual’s likings.

Results

This initial video amassed 3.5 million views on YouTube over a three month period. The campaign is an example of marketers creating content which is inherently social and mobile.

Producing material that appeals to the individual rather than everybody offers a greater ROMI as marketing personalisation drives:

• An increase in customer retention
• An increase in brand awareness
• An increase in customer engagement
• An increase in customer spend