6th Mar 2009

Award for Nationwide campaign

Nationwide Autocentres 'fuel service' campaign has scooped the Best Marketing Programme accolade at the AM Awards 2009.

The company beat short-listed competitors Group Lotus, Norton way Motors and G&M motors to the coveted award at the ICC in Birmingham.

The annual awards find the best companies within the automotive sector and highlight their achievements, and Nationwide Autocentres was recognised for its fuel economy campaign.

The campaign - devised by WAA - was launched in conjunction with The Sun in September 2008, with the promise to lower the fuel burning efficiency of a car, in turn improving the miles per gallon performance; or the customer wouldn't pay for the service. 

To date, more than 2,500 customers have had the fuel service completed with a 100 per cent success rate of improving fuel burning efficiency of every car.

Stephen Briers, editor of the automotive industry's leading publication AM Magazine, sat on the judging panel and said of the Nationwide Autocentres campaign: "Its programme is the very definition of marketing: Nationwide identified a need and devised a solution to fulfil that need which encompassed every aspect of the marketing mix, including upsell, promotional campaign and measurement of success."

Mark Taylor, commercial director at Nationwide Autocentres, said:  "I am absolutely delighted. This was the first campaign we'd done with WAA and for it to be declared an award winner within six months is a massive achievement and demonstrates how well we work together as a team.

"The campaign involved all facets of the business and it worked so well, everyone bought into it, which is vital for a campaign to be successful.

"More than anything else, it is a great endorsement that you don't have to be a heavyweight automotive brand within the industry, or have an extensive in-house marketing department to stand out.

"We're often perceived as being at the dull end of the automotive sector, and I'm pleased that the campaign has redressed that balance and made people realise that you don't have to be Lotus to win this - you just have to have a great team and great ideas," he added.