Range Rover recruits stars for Twitter campaign
Share
Range Rover has launched a social media campaign that features celebrities tweeting about its new car.
The car company has recruited the likes of model Daisy Lowe and TV presenter Ben Shepherd to drive its new Evoque 4x4 and tweet about their journeys and experiences on the social networking site.
Lowe and Shepherd are among 40 “influential City Shapers”, who will collaborate with Range Rover over the next 12 months as part of its “Pulse of the City” project.
The City Shapers journeys can be tracked on the Helloevoque.com website and through a specially launched iPhone app.
In the US, celebrities are now making up to £32,000 a month from being paid to promote brands and products on Twitter.
There promoted tweets have to be preceded by the words “ad” or “spon,” but there are no rules in the UK that mean celebrities will have to highlight messages are paid-for promoted tweets.
The likes of Snoop Dog and 50 Cent have already been utilised by a number brands through sites like Ad.Ly, a social media advertising portal which matches celebrities with brands for Promoted Tweets.
The site claims to have 5,000 celebrities on its register, with a collective reach of 100 million people.
Readers' comments (9)
Anonymous | Mon, 25 Oct 2010 11:22 am
Celebrity product endorsement or influence really only works when it is seen as being authentic and natural. Ad.Ly comes across contrived and fake, hence the audience are not really captivated by this.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
David Hassell | Mon, 25 Oct 2010 12:20 pm
As long as you are not telling absolute lies anyone would endorse the car for that money. The buying public are little more savy these days and certainly more cynical.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Jason Edge | Mon, 25 Oct 2010 12:30 pm
Using celebrity tweeting to get the message out makes perfect sense but I can't help thinking that the demographic of Daisy Lowe & Ben Shepherd's followers is unlikely to be the same as the target demographic for Range Rover product.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Sarah James | Mon, 25 Oct 2010 1:01 pm
This is sad PR tactics. So FAKE. And just why would anyone buy a Range Rover based on the Tweets of some B rated celebrity you know is doing it just for the money.
In an age when people are looking for more HONESTY (latest consumer research from Mintel) and true values this is so outdated in thinking.
Check out the Hate Fake campaign.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Denise | Mon, 25 Oct 2010 5:21 pm
>> but there are no rules in the UK that mean celebrities have to highlight messages are paid-for promoted tweets.
I think this would be covered under EU Unfair Commercial Practices? At least if the tweeter were based in the EU. Not convinced we're going to see a police raid and seizure of Daisy Lowes laptop if she doesn't disclose it though.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Anonymous | Tue, 26 Oct 2010 10:31 am
I agree that people are more savvy and now tend to see through the smoke and mirrors some marketers attempt to create.
Having said that, Range Rover will have a chance to build their Twitter following and engage a wider audience than they might previously have had access to. Yes, they produce mass media adverts, but do people actually stop and pay attention?
Promoting tweets would give you access to people who might have previously ignored your marketing efforts - however transparent and fake that may be.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Anonymous | Thu, 28 Oct 2010 2:57 pm
Who are Daisy Lowe and Ben Shepard? I am in the target market, but have no idea who they are; conversly I predict those that know who they are, aren't in the market for a Range Rover. The brand manager needs firing - know your target market!
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Anonymous | Mon, 1 Nov 2010 4:09 pm
Does anyone else think this is using technology for technologies sake?
If you want to use Twitter to engage your target market, make sure you're a.) speaking to them, and b.) doing it in a way that people will buy into.
I'm not even a manager and I can think of a million better ways of using technology to support the launch of a new Range Rover.
Poor marketing like this gives us all a bad name!
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Anonymous | Tue, 14 Dec 2010 2:44 pm
This would be less laughable if Daisy Lowe actually held a driving licence.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment