Renault-OMD-Publicis Conseil interview
Laure Grégoire-Braems, Marketing Strategy supervisor, Renault
Cyril Forget, Media Analyst for Communicatons Director of models & brands at Renault
Sophie Benkemoun and Hélène Duvoux-Mauguet, strategic planners at Publicis Conseil
Maria de Saint Roman, Strategic Director at OMD
Elisabeth Tran, Insight Director at OMD
Stéphanie Duhamel, international advertising sales director and Carole Barkatz, marketing strategy director at aufeminin.com
20th December 2011
Agence L / Womenology
What percentage of your consumers and shoppers are female?
Renault – OMD – Publicis Conseil
In the studies that we have available to us and that are based on the main driver of the car (i.e. the registered keeper of the vehicle), 1/3 of new car buyers are women. In the small car segments (Twingo, Clio, etc.), this reaches 50%.
But these studies tend to underestimate the weight of women as secondary drivers (i.e. not the registered keeper of the vehicle), such as mothers, for example.
Agence L / Womenology
Have you noticed a change in these figures over the last 10 years?
Renault – OMD – Publicis Conseil
For Europe and the West, it’s remained quite stable bearing in mind the penetration of new vehicles in these markets. We’re certainly seeing bigger shifts in emerging countries.
Agence L / Womenology
Which models are preferred by women?
Renault – OMD – Publicis Conseil
50% of “city car” purchases are made by women: Twingo, Clio and their competitors. This often corresponds to the family’s second car (which is driven by the woman) or the main car of single car households that are older and without children.
Agence L / Womenology
What are women’s selection criteria?
Renault – OMD – Publicis Conseil
The 3 main selection criteria for women when buying a vehicle are:
- the style (32% for women, 27% for men)
- the price (27% for women, 24% for men)
- the brand (21% for women, 22% for men)
Furthermore, it’s because women tend to buy small cars that we see manoeuvrability as an important criterion.
Agence L / Womenology
Does the choice of model vary with age?
Renault – OMD – Publicis Conseil
The choice of model varies according to age and family situation. The expression of gender is heightened between 20 and 30 years age, when people are shaping their identity: they feel the need to be independent and to appeal to others. The chosen model must reflect the driver’s personality, the “status symbol” aspect is considerable.
Between 30 and 45 years of age, when people have started a family, the car personifies the driver’s personality to a lesser extent; it corresponds more to a compromise motivated by the functional need to transport the family around.
After 50, there’s a choice: people either return to a more “status symbol” car because they want to enjoy themselves again and “make the most of it”, or on the contrary they feel that they have nothing more to prove…
Agence L / Womenology
What is women’s place in Renault’s advertising history?
Renault – OMD – Publicis Conseil
The place of women has always been very important at Renault. There have been great moments in Renault’s advertising history that were very directed towards women, like in the 1960s with the advert for the Floride in which Brigitte Bardot was the icon and also the advertising emblem.
Their place developed in the 80s and especially in the 90s with “cars to experience”.
If we were talking specifically about women at the time, it’s because it corresponded socially to major moments in female emancipation or, in any case, to the affirmation of women’s place in our society. And that’s where Renault is different: the ability to understand and anticipate the evolutions of society and to offer automotive solutions to everyone, or more precisely to every individual; and it illustrates this through advertising as a “brainshaker” brand that pre-empts the modernity of the era, even if it means shaking up commonly held views, prejudices and facts that take time to become rooted in mentalities.
Agence L / Womenology
Is Renault perceived more as a feminine or masculine brand?
Renault – OMD – Publicis Conseil
The important thing is to deliver, through advertising, an advanced vision of society that’s in phase with Renault’s DNA rather than specifically in terms of gender. In terms of identity, women’s place in society is important but in the image that’s perceived of our models nowadays, it appears more asexual, more mixed. These days when we speak of women, it’s not necessarily to speak about women, it’s because they have a role or a place in society that deserves to be highlighted, particularly in advertising.
Agence L / Womenology
Concretely, which of Renault’s advertising campaigns depict a feminisation of values?
Renault – OMD – Publicis Conseil
We can quote the “voitures à vivre” (“cars to experience”) advert that stood out because it was so different to the other adverts of the time: the claim was a lot less aggressive than those of competitors’. Another example is the 1993 Twingo ad: “It’s up to you to invent the life that goes with it – Drive optimistically”. The claim nicely summarises what the car is: an “antidepressant” sounding the death knell of white, grey and black cars. This claim was in response to a very dark period; Renault wanted to invent a car that put some colour back into the gloominess.
Agence L / Womenology
What initiatives do your competitors have regarding the female market?
Renault – OMD – Publicis Conseil
The brand that positions itself the most towards women is Lancia even though their last advertisement with Vincent Cassel reversed the trend a little…
The Giuletta campaign from Alfa Romeo is quite interesting: its new punchy ambassador (Uma Thurman) is at the wheel of the car. She personifies a woman who loves cars and doesn’t just give her opinion on the colour of the vehicle. It’s quite rare in car adverts, although this initiative was already tried out in the 90s with Safrane and by Audi at the end of the 80s.
The Fiat 500 is also a good example of marketing to women; the brand distinguishes itself through the development of limited series (Gucci, Barbie and also the involvement of Jennifer Lopez for one of its adverts).
Another interesting example is that of the Megane Coupé Cabriolet which portrays a “cougar” woman. This advert addresses a more mature woman who assumes her character as a seducer.
At the other extreme, the Audi “He will get the woman” advert caused an outcry and was taken off air as it was considered misogynistic.
Agence L / Womenology
What male/female differences are there in terms of purchase behaviour?
Renault – OMD – Publicis Conseil
Our segmentations of the purchasing process don’t reveal any significant differences between men and women. Beyond the purchasing process, it’s the relationship with the car itself that differs and that can explain the value that’s given to different criteria:
- Men tend to associate their vehicle with the world of work: they want a serious, stable, controlled vehicle, it’s the imagination of the Office Manager (value given to connectivity and technology), of the beautiful work (value given to the quality of finishes) or of the good manager (value given to consumption).
- Women tend to associate their vehicle with the domestic world: they want a protected, protective, warm, smooth-running vehicle, it’s the imagination of the House (value given to safety, spaciousness), of the Spa (value given to comfort, wellbeing and the environment), or of the Games Room (value given to adjustability, entertainment features).
Agence L / Womenology
When do you talk directly to women?
Renault – OMD – Publicis Conseil
Only with limited edition models, like with Miss Sixty or Mauboussin, it’s a way for us to speak directly to women. However, studies show that having a vehicle with a very distinctive touch can be quite dividing and excessive for certain targets, but it can also create partiality, attachment and emotion.
Agence L / Womenology
Have you noticed real differences between the way men and women perceive messages?
Renault – OMD – Publicis Conseil
When we pre-test films with consumers, we realise that there are subjects or approaches that can be badly perceived. It’s not so much linked to the product but to the manner in which men and women are depicted. We therefore pay a lot of attention to clichés, to a depiction of men and women that’s not adapted to the era.
In terms of advertising, Renault has always been a step ahead by showing society how it is becoming, and not how all the other companies show it.
Agence L / Womenology
Have you identified points of contact where women are particularly receptive to messages, more so than men?
Renault – OMD – Publicis Conseil
If we decide to target women specifically, we’ll look for points of contact (websites, press, TV programmes, etc.) in the media that are more in tune with this target market.
Generally speaking, the sources of information acclaimed by women are those that are clearly less technical and less expert-led in relation to the car itself.
Recommendations are also very important, especially for women who buy their car on their own, they will in most cases ask for advice from people they know (whether it be their partner, family, friends, etc.)
Finally, one last source of information that is typically feminine is the soft spot for a car they’ve seen in the street.
Agence L / Womenology
Beyond the products, what is the place of women within the Renault organisation?
Renault – OMD – Publicis Conseil
As part of its diversity policy, Renault has launched a specific approach concerning the positioning of women within the company, which has resulted in better representation of women in the highest instances of the company and the launch of a Women@Renault plan.
The fact that there are women who find themselves in positions of responsibility in what was initially an engineer-based company, and therefore very masculine, is not insignificant. We think that it will have an influence on our product targeting strategy and beyond that, certainly on our communication messages.
There’s also a real wish to make the sales teams in dealerships more feminine in order to better meet the needs of our female customers.
And with all the themes related to electric cars, like the Twizzy, and the commitment to causes such as the environment, we’re turning towards cars that uphold new values which aren’t the same as those of the early motor cars. And maybe these values emerge because of women. In any case, we’re less about domination and competition. We can really talk about there being a woman’s touch at Renault!
Agence L / Womenology
Merci
Contact Agence L : Marie-Estelle Wittersheim / mewittersheim@agencel.fr
Contact aufeminin.com / Womenology: Benjamin Smadja / benjamin.smadja@aufeminin.com
Website agency : Agence L
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