With a 1979 Ford Bronco.
In 2022, eBay Motors had a question. With an abundance of high quality off-roading parts and vehicle modifications available on their website, why weren’t they able to reach relevant consumers effectively?
Off-roading has become very popular over the recent decades. Whether it be for viewing nature otherwise unreachable, searching for a feeling of freedom, or pushing both the driver’s and their vehicle’s abilities to the limit, there are communities around the United States that love to participate. Many such communities, such as those interested in vehicle modifications, enjoy their fill of related content on YouTube
With this in mind, eBay Motors and advertising agency The Many, sought out a way that they could benefit both eBay Motors and the members of these communities.
In steps the Modathon. 122 million parts. 3 content creators. One 1979 Ford Bronco.
The premise was simple. The creators had six days and whichever parts they want from the millions available at eBay Motors to turn a stock 1979 Ford Bronco into a car worthy of conquering some of the toughest terrain in the country. Each step from the build to the final test was recorded and compiled together to create a YouTube web series meant to reach those communities that the company had been struggling to.
In the end, the series was an incredible success, smashing expectations and becoming one of the most popular series in the channel’s history. It earned eBay Motors over 49,000 YouTube subscribers, nearly 9 million views, and an average view time of almost six and a half minutes per episode, all much higher than benchmarks.
So why was this so successful and how can marketers learn from it?
For starters, they had a good grasp of the target audience. They knew their interests and how they pursued them. The campaign was tailored towards YouTube because that was the primary channel many of those in these communities got their content from. They also had the challenge focused around multiple activities that the community participates in regularly such as modding cars and running trails.
Second, they utilized well known creators. Within a niche space like off-roading and vehicle modifying, there can only be so many creators that most in the space would know. And even fewer probably have the personality needed to carry a series like this. Selecting the best influencer for this series was essential and they knocked it out of the park.
Third, they emphasize the brand in the series. Within the first minute of the first video, one of the stars mentions how they received an enormous amount of help on the project from eBay Motors. The camera then swings to show a stack of boxes from the service, complete with branded tape in full view on every box. The creators also wore brand apparel throughout like a highly visible hat.
The series was a massive success for many reasons, but these few highlight very important ideas for reaching audiences that may not otherwise see one’s branding and can be used in a variety of campaigns, not just those in this industry.
Sources:
https://www.themany.com/projects/modathon
https://www.searchenginejournal.com/social-media-marketing-examples/380202