“We’ve succeeded in reaching visitors who would not normally visit our website and got them to spread the news themselves. We created an entirely separate site called strongesttruck.com where you can compete with other visitors and download films, pictures and music. We want to offer a fun, interactive holistic experience of the world’s most powerful truck,” says Niclas Hermansson, communication strategist for digital media at Volvo Trucks.
10,000 visitors a day
The site, which is available in six languages, has about 10,000 unique visitors every day – and that’s without Volvo having invested a single krona in purchased advertising. The visitors find their way there anyway. Blogs and chat rooms have written a lot about the new truck and the specially designed game that can be found on the website. The game requires speed, safety and precision. Every two weeks a new winner is announced, and he or she receives a prize in the form of an exclusive leather jacket from Volvo’s own FH16 collection.
Visitors make their own versions
“Many visitors also download films, pictures and music from the site. By giving visitors the opportunity to be creative and to design their own versions of the material we provide, we promote involvement and participation and promote further distribution of the material. Some enthusiasts have even made their own film about the competition and placed it on YouTube,” relates Niclas Hermansson.
Important to reach a wide audience
So why is Volvo Trucks focusing on reaching out to more than just truck customers and drivers?
“As society changes, so too must we adapt our communication to suit. By embracing new ways of communicating we can create interest in our products and our brand not just among the already converted but also among the next generation’s drivers, mechanics, customers, employees and others,” explains Niclas Hermansson.
Anyone who wants to know what 700 hp sounds like and would like to check out the world’s strongest truck, the address to go to is http://www.strongesttruck.com/. The site will remain open until the end of May.