Title	SHELL DRIVES YOU
Brand	SHELL
Product/Service	ENERGY
Category	D01. Research, Data Analytics & Insight Generation
Entrant	EDELMAN London, UNITED KINGDOM
Idea Creation	EDELMAN London, UNITED KINGDOM
PR	EDELMAN London, UNITED KINGDOM

Name	Company	Position
James Ruane	Edelman	Managing Director
Nick Hamilton	Edelman	Associate Director
Jamie Cordwell	Edelman	Associate Creative Director
Rachel Winter	Edelman	Account Director
Ethan Tuxford	Edelman	Senior Account Manager
Kelly Scragg	Edelman	Account Executive

The Campaign

Now more than ever, new technologies are being used to understand the complexities of human behaviour. We created an in-depth experiment which used cutting edge methods to track cultural and emotional pressures on drivers in multiple countries across the world. The Shell Global Driving Experiment used a combination of biometric data from the latest in wearable technology combined with driving, traffic, weather data and a chatbot to truly understand the emotional and external forces that impact drivers on the road. Integral to the idea, was partnering with a world-renowned academic institution to tap into their specialised expertise and deliver an independent experiment – the world’s largest driving study of this kind. The results were then used to initiate conversations with influencers, media and consumers to open a new kind of dialogue for the Shell brand, smashing through the traditional media limits of fuels technology.

Execution

We created the first emotion-tracking technology for drivers, monitoring over 10,000 journeys in 11 countries worldwide. With over one million data points captured, we explored the link between driver emotions and performance and truly got to know the person behind the wheel. The findings were launched around the world through immersive launch events and digitally-led campaigns, infiltrating even the most sceptical of media and putting Shell at the heart of the conversation. From brief to final execution, the Shell Global Driving Experiment has involved an array of experts from creative, design, tech, legal and more over a 12-month period, with additional markets to be added to the study in 2018.

Tier 1: Media Outputs The research results enabled us to create content for news and lifestyle media and influencers, generating a worldwide reach over 100 million across 200 media outlets, with earned social reach of 7.7million across four markets, equivalent to 10.5% engagement rate. 73% of coverage achieved positive tone with 27% being neutral and 54% including Shell in the headline. Tier 2: Target Audience Outcomes Feedback from influencers demonstrated the campaign pushed boundaries for Shell and made the brand more relatable. The findings in the Netherlands inspired an immersive launch event with zones designed around hydration, nutrition and even scent and comedy, shifting sceptical Dutch media and influencer’s perceptions and attitudes towards Shell. Popular Dutch TV personality deemed the launch “Cool & Different event than usual” with a famous comedian and musician stating, “I thought there would be only corporate people here, but I see influencers!”. Tier 3: Business Outcomes The campaign approach drove a 14% sales uplift for Shell V-Power and 8.4% penetration increase in the Netherlands with other markets currently evaluating its performance versus business and brand preference metrics. The campaign has set new benchmarks for PR activity across all participating markets and is the most successful earned media campaign delivered around a fuels launch in

The Situation

The Shell Global Driving Experiment shifted the brand’s global PR strategy from generating a handful of product stories around the launch of its new fuels formulation to driving conversations around driver well-being and their performance. Using the latest in technology to track human emotions, the study showed drivers how Shell understands them and how it can make every day driving a better experience, whilst putting the new Shell fuels on the radar. The study was integral to establishing a longer-term narrative with motorists, demonstrating Shell cares beyond fuel and technology, to the person behind the wheel.

The Strategy

The Shell Global Driving Experiment put the driver at the heart of the campaign, demonstrating Shell understands the range of influences which impact drivers every day. Investing in world-first research, Shell discovered how it can make a difference to journeys of drivers across the world. Detailed media strategy for each market were developed, with the research findings and analysis allowing us to take Shell fuels out of the motoring pages and into lifestyle media for the first time. 400 influencers were identified across the globe and market-specific influencer strategies were tailored to bring the fuels launch to a whole new audience. The traditional target audience for Shell fuels is middle income families who are considered brand switchers and Shell loyalists. The aim of this campaign was to reach the core audience as well as going above and beyond to reach those who would not normally read a product a story.