Carmaker Peugeot rolls out hyper-local mobile ad campaign

By Giselle Tsirulnik

April 19, 2011

European carmaker Peugeot is using mobile to target on-the-go consumers with a geographic segmentation advertising campaign.

Ads are running via Nokia's Navteq mobile ad network in France. The ads are location-based, asking pedestrians to visit Peugeot dealerships when they approach one of them.

“Mobile has become central to how people live, work and play every day. As an ad medium, it allows brands to connect with on-the-go consumers in a personal—and therefore—very compelling way,” said Bruno Bourguet, senior vice president of EMEA sales at Navteq, Chicago. “LocationPoint advertising leverages this personal connection and makes it more relevant still by adding location and context to the mix.

“In this instance, Peugeot used LocationPoint advertising to invite customers to visit a local dealership to take advantage of special lease offers,” he said. 

“By its nature, the ad feels personal, makes the consumer feel like a VIP, and helps both promote the brand in general and the call to action specifically.”

Peugeot test drives
Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.

The ads invite mobile users to visit their local Peugeot dealer to test drive the RCZ model—enticing them with a special lease deal of 299 Euros per month.

The campaign targets users as they approach one of 428 Peugeot dealers across France.

Ads feature built-in calls to action such as "click to map" to guide users step by step to the retailer's location.



The Peugeot ad

Location-based advertising
In its 2011 Mobile Trends study, Forrester Research predicts a surge in mobile ad spending in 2011, surpassing $1 billion.

“So the big news is that location-based advertising is very much ready for prime time,” Mr. Bourguet said. “Here at Navteq, where we have a unparalleled understanding of location, we’ve been running location-based mobile campaigns longer than anyone in the business—more than two years—and our customers are some of the world’s biggest brands.

“We’ve grown our network of publishers worldwide and we’re aggregating inventory among major players such as RIM, Samsung, and Nokia and many others to provide the reach and return on investment proposition that advertisers need to see to include LBA in general and LocationPoint specifically into their ad mix,” he said.