Rolls-Royce celebrates color via Instagram to popularize bespoke services
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Rolls-Royce color options
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is familiarizing fans with the scope of its bespoke services through an Instagram contest that asks fans to submit pictures of vibrant colors that would look good on Rolls-Royce vehicles.
The “#RollsRoyceInColour” campaign aims to instill in consumers the idea that Rolls-Royce vehicles are commissioned rather than bought. The winner of the contest will receive a scale model of a vehicle painted in the color of the submission.
“The inspiration for the campaign is our bespoke capabilities, specifically with regards to paint color and our ability to color match anything to a Rolls-Royce,” said Henry Harris-Burland, a member of the corporate communications team at Rolls-Royce, Goodwood, Britain.
“The competition is an impactful, visual way to connect with the social audience as color is globally understood, and Instagram and Pinterest are key social growth platforms for us,” he said.
Colorful worldFans can post photos to @rollsroycecars on Twitter or Instagram with the name of the featured color and the hashtag #RollsRoyceInColour. Rolls-Royce points out that it offers customers a choice of 44,000 color options, so virtually any color can be submitted.
The BMW-owned automaker is posting sample images to a Pinterest page. Some examples include a Mediterranean blue door knob, a silver laptop, a cinder red runway, a serene blue pond, red lips, peacock gold and a lava brown jacket.
#RollsRoyceInColour Pinterest pageOn Dec. 20 the winning submission will be selected followed by a message to the entrant on either Twitter or Instragram. Two runner-up prizes of framed prints of Rolls-Royce cars inspired by the submitted color will also be awarded.
By asking fans to imagine their favorite color on a Rolls-Royce model, the brand implicitly associates itself with an important part of their fans’ lives. Potentially, when participants look at that same color in the future, it could evoke a memory of a Rolls-Royce vehicle.
Bijan yellow Phantom Drophead CoupéFurthermore, the automaker manages to convey the sheer volume of its bespoke options without hectoring consumers.
In addition to commissioning individual vehicles, the brand also assembles bespoke lines for specific markets.
For instance, Rolls-Royce is celebrating the Chinese Zodiac Year of the Horse in 2014 with a bespoke “Majestic Horse Collection” that features Ghost models and draws on traditional art.
Although the collection will be available to consumers around the world, it is hard to imagine that the demand from other countries will match the demand brewing in China. The collection is also emblematic of a 103 percent surge in bespoke commissions from the year-ago period in China and likely indicates that these numbers will continue to rise (see story).
“It’s interesting that an old school car company is now utilizing younger-targeting social channels like Instagram and Twitter to reach the next generation of Rolls Royce enthusiasts,” said Raquel V. Cadourcy, senior account director at ePrize, New York. ”And because these platforms are mobile, they’re able to cast a much wider net.
“Another thing that will be effective is something we believe in when educating luxury brands with their audience: provide personalization,” she said.
“Creating a reward that’s driven by the consumer’s custom color is an interesting tactic to try to drive an emotional connection with the brand. It also allows participants to creatively express their personality using the campaign as a vehicle, but always makes the brand the hero.”
Setting the parametersThe broad yet precise parameters that Rolls-Royce has set for its contest will likely attract a vast number of submissions.
Some contests are ultra-precise to give fans a clear idea of what is expected.
For example, department store chain Bloomingdale’s let fans determine the best selfie shot from its #BloomieSelfie Instagram contest to increase participation and spread awareness of the campaign.
The #BloomieSelfie contest asked fans to submit a selfie that details a favorite beauty or styling tip that enhances their snapshot. By aggregating a diverse range of interpretations, the retailer not only boosts the reputation of its social media pages but also gets a clean insight into what consumers want (see story).
Other contests are very broad, letting enthusiasts express themselves around a broad theme.
For instance, Four Seasons Toronto enacted a month-long birthday campaign with a social media contest that asked fans and followers to post celebratory images for a chance to win a Toronto and New York trip for two.
The #FSCelebrate campaign commemorated the reopening of the property last October and involved a host of events for guests throughout the month. Although many of Four Seasons’ social media contests involve numerous areas and properties, they are generally triggered by an individual hotel’s gumption (see story).
Competitions that pad existing value stories will ensure that the consumer’s focus does not stray too far from what the brand stands for.
“With contests such as this, the brand is likely seeking quality over quantity,” Ms. Cadourcy said. “Generally speaking, contest-driven promotions have a lower participation rate because of the higher barrier to entry.
“Participants typically have to hunt down or create or capture a photo and edit it to fit the requirements of the campaign,” she said. “Those who are willing to go through the effort, however, are likely more engaged with the brand overall.
“To broaden their reach, they could consider a chance-based incentive outside the contest. Offer all participants a chance to win a prize where the randomly selected contest winner receives an instant or grand prize.”
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