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Audi promotes Le Mans race involvement through branded iPad content

Audi of America is using the iPad platform to share its performance story and brand momentum during the 24 Hours of Le Mans race.

Audi streamed video footage of the race through the iPad application in order to highlight the quality of its line of motor vehicles. The automaker has teamed with news aggregator SkyGrid for this initiative.

?Audi saw this partnership as an innovative way to build engagement and knowledge about the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the U.S., as well as underlining the Audi performance story,? said Doug Clark, general manager of customer strategy and engagement for Audi, Auburn Hills, MI. ?We see the iPad, with its unique interface, as an important platform for users to consume information about such events at their own pace and interest levels.

?SkyGrid is an ideal partner here with its high user ratings on iPad and popularity as one of its leading news aggregators,? he said.

Sunnyvale, CA-based SkyGrid produces an application for the iPad that allows users to stream aggregated content from across the Web. The application features text, photo and video content across a broad swath of categories, including news, sports and entertainment.

24 Hours of Le Mans, often called the ?Grand Prix of Endurance,? is the world?s oldest motorsport endurance race, held annually in France.

Audi?s Strategy
When iPad users open up the SkyGrid application, a column generates on the left side of the screen where they can choose content categories and select content from a variety of mobile Web sources.

When 24 Hours of Les Mans ran last weekend, an option appeared under the Sports category of the application that allowed interested users to click and view live video of the event.

A category called ?Le Mans Live? contained more Audi content from the race, streaming live news updates in addition to the video feed.

Here is a screen grab of the application in action:

Audi also created additional content accessible through its Web site as an extentsion of the SkyGrid campaign.

?People who enjoyed the experience at SkyGrid could connect to the Audi at Le Mans experience which is hosted on http://www.audiusa.com and links to many motorsports resources as well as the rest of the overall website which does include a dealer locator.?

Audi saw marketing potential in the iPad, and aimed to use the application to reach its upscale consumer base.

?Audi buyers are highly educated and are information seekers,? Mr. Clark said. ?They also appreciate good design. We see a great overlap with these qualities and iPad users.

?[We focused on] bringing Audi performance and the excitement of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a race Audi has won nine times, to a select group of consumers that is in line with our buyer demographic,? he said.

The campaign and the SkyGrid platform meshed well with Audi?s foreward thinking marketing initiatives, per Mr. Clark.

?At Audi we are always seeking innovative ways to demonstrate our brand?s progressive, sporty and sophisticated DNA,? he said. ?To the extent that this [campaign] fits these [characteristics] very well, it integrates with our overall marketing approach.?