Case Study
Lotus Evora GT Campaign
Kahn Media was selected as the agency of record for Lotus Cars in North America in 2019. That same year, Lotus launched the Evora GT model in the US. With new ownership under Geely, the brand needed to increase its share of voice within the media to set itself up for success with its upcoming Evija hypercar and future models. The GT was the final version of Lotus’ nearly decade-old Evora platform.
Client
Lotus Cars Limited
Type of Work
PR/Communications
Influencer Marketing
Dates
2019-present
01 / The Project
Enhance Brand Position
in North America
Kahn Media was responsible for managing the launch and press evaluation drives of the Evora GT, along with all Lotus media outreach within North America.
02 / The Tactic
The key with the entire campaign was to not only generate positive coverage within the automotive space, but to take the brand and its history to new audiences and into new mediums.
To kick off the launch of the Evora GT model, Kahn Media organized and executed a multi-day press event catering to everyone from traditional automotive outlets like Autoblog and Motor1 to luxury lifestyle outlets like Robb Report, Forbes, Bloomberg and tech sites like CNET.
Following this event, the fleet of press cars were put to work and loaned to key YouTube influencers and content creators, social media influencers, celebrities and traditional journalists for evaluation drives, instrumented testing and comparative analysis. Utilizing this strategy, the news about the driving joy of the Lotus Evora GT spread and the demand to drive these cars increased exponentially.
Convey the
‘Behind the Wheel’
Feel Through Media
Experience
Created unique opportunities for strategic groups
Convey
Supported media to convey their experience
Convert
Through brand loyalty, vehicle sales rose
03 / The Results
Increased Vehicle Sales
and Brand Loyalty
The reviews were overwhelmingly positive and were followed by many unique media features including a video by Motor Trend in its YouTube series “Head 2 Head,” where the Evora GT bested the 650 horsepower Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. 20 vs. 2019).
Once most of the traditional automotive media outlets had driven the car, the focus shifted to the new wave of media including comedians like Tom Segura, world-renowned car photographer, Larry Chen and young car enthusiasts like David Patterson also known as “That Dude In Blue,” which introduced the car and brand to their millions of subscribers and followers. Many of these personalities had never experienced the joy of driving an analog sports car like the Evora GT and the Lotus brand was being shared with millions of followers that may not have been exposed to the brand until then. Along with being featured on new mediums, the Evora GT was included in “The Best Driver’s Car” episode of the new Top Gear USA series which aired in April 2021.
Beyond the positive media attention, Lotus vehicle sales went up 32% in North America in 2020 and the United States became the second largest sales volume market after Germany. Beyond the sales growth, Lotus was also in the Top 3 most talked about OEM brands in terms of share of voice and coverage based on Vuelio reports throughout 2020.
Beyond the positive media attention, Lotus vehicle sales went up 32% in North America in 2020 and the United States became the second largest sales volume market after Germany. Beyond the sales growth, Lotus was also in the Top 3 most talked about OEM brands in terms of share of voice and coverage based on Vuelio reports throughout 2020.
Key Quotes from Media:
About the client:
Group Lotus is based in Hethel, Norfolk, UK – home to its sports and hypercar manufacturing operations, Lotus Advanced Performance Centre and the iconic 2.2-mile test track. It is part of Geely Automotive, the fastest growing automotive group in the world. Geely has a 51% controlling stake, with 49% owned by Etika Automotive, a Malaysian conglomerate.
Lotus Cars builds world-class, high-performance cars, born out of legendary successes on the race track including 13 FIA Formula 1 world titles and many other championship honours. In July 2021 it unveiled the all-new Lotus Emira, its last and best-of-breed petrol-powered sports car. The first customer cars will be delivered in 2022. In July 2019 it launched the Evija, the world’s first all-electric British hypercar.
Lotus Engineering provides a comprehensive consultancy service which works with many of the world’s OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers and other clients outside of the automotive sector. It is internationally recognised for its long-standing contribution to ground-breaking engineering and vehicle development. An international consultancy with offices around the world, Lotus Engineering is headquartered at the Lotus Advanced Technology Centre on the University of Warwick’s Wellesbourne Campus in the UK.
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