Marketing cars to women in Saudi Arabia
This June, the ban on women driving in Saudi Arabia will be lifted. The move is said to be part of the Crown Prince’s efforts to get more women in the workplace to help build the private sector and steer dependence away from oil.
Not only is this a new opportunity for women in Saudi Arabia, but it’s also one for all the car dealerships who now have a much bigger customer base in the country.
They still have a challenge ahead though – how to get the marketing right.
Ford is already sending a clear message by saying that it will not be launching female only dealerships, with the marketing director for the Middle East and African region saying:
“What this is supposed to be doing, and what government has said is the goal, is more integration of society, not necessarily separation.”
But getting it spot on around how to appeal to women drivers is unlikely to be easy. Here in the UK, for example, few would say that the car industry’s efforts have managed it.
A quick straw poll in an office of six females – do today’s car adverts speak to you? – reveals an overwhelming response that they er, don’t.
“Every advert has a man driver,” was one response, while another, “women are putting make-up on in the car or driving a family, where are the business women?”.
It’s not a surprising reaction as a survey carried out by the Daily Mail last year, revealed that 71% of women in the UK didn’t feel that car adverts spoke to them, with 46% saying that they didn’t provide the information they wanted to know.
The adverts didn’t focus on the details that the women were interested in, and ranked more important than male buyers, such as insurance, servicing and tax.
And it seems that already, this is the avenue that car dealerships in Saudi Arabia are going down. In a recent article in the Independent, a women from Saudi Arabia gave her opinion on a Kia advert that showed a women’s hand holding a make-up power compact – the women’s nails were painted red, matching the colour of the car.
“What are you offering me? It’s not an emotional purchase, it’s a functional thing. Give me information. Tell me why I should buy your car.”
Perhaps it’s time to think about the practicalities after all.
Not only is this a new opportunity for women in Saudi Arabia, but it’s also one for all the car dealerships who now have a much bigger customer base in the country.
They still have a challenge ahead though – how to get the marketing right.
Ford is already sending a clear message by saying that it will not be launching female only dealerships, with the marketing director for the Middle East and African region saying:
“What this is supposed to be doing, and what government has said is the goal, is more integration of society, not necessarily separation.”
But getting it spot on around how to appeal to women drivers is unlikely to be easy. Here in the UK, for example, few would say that the car industry’s efforts have managed it.
A quick straw poll in an office of six females – do today’s car adverts speak to you? – reveals an overwhelming response that they er, don’t.
“Every advert has a man driver,” was one response, while another, “women are putting make-up on in the car or driving a family, where are the business women?”.
It’s not a surprising reaction as a survey carried out by the Daily Mail last year, revealed that 71% of women in the UK didn’t feel that car adverts spoke to them, with 46% saying that they didn’t provide the information they wanted to know.
The adverts didn’t focus on the details that the women were interested in, and ranked more important than male buyers, such as insurance, servicing and tax.
And it seems that already, this is the avenue that car dealerships in Saudi Arabia are going down. In a recent article in the Independent, a women from Saudi Arabia gave her opinion on a Kia advert that showed a women’s hand holding a make-up power compact – the women’s nails were painted red, matching the colour of the car.
“What are you offering me? It’s not an emotional purchase, it’s a functional thing. Give me information. Tell me why I should buy your car.”
Perhaps it’s time to think about the practicalities after all.
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