Bapcor’s Autobarn has launched a brand refresh and new campaign that aims to position the business as the go-to destination for all drivers.
Coinciding with the retailer’s 40th anniversary, the campaign is less of a brand overhaul than it is a brand realignment. After extensive customer research, Autobarn discovered it had a 50-50 gender split in its customer base and was the inclusive retailer of choice.
The campaign tagline, “all for the drivers,” aims to highlight the unique relationships people have with their cars and the importance of approachable, expert service.
“In a highly competitive marketplace, every brand is always looking to carve out their own unique space,” Simon Davenport, Bapcor’s general marketing manager, told Inside Retail.
“At Autobarn, we feel like our friendly, passionate, expert team members are at the forefront of our brand, are well placed to support all different kinds of drivers, and are the best representation of our overall offering to market,” he continued.
The retailer worked with the Melbourne-based agency Spinach Advertising on the brand refresh and campaign.
Eyes on the road
While most brands in the automotive sector call on their vintage or heritage in campaigns, Autobarn has taken the path less trodden and is speaking to its future.
“Our previous brand positioning had probably run its course. It had played an important role, which was more centred around price and the value that we can bring to customers,” Davenport explained.
“But we wanted to look at our customer research and dive into it, to see what our customers really think about us and what they want from us,” he added.
Autobarn considered several taglines but landed on “all for the drivers” because it brought to life the idea that it is here to serve all kinds of automotive shoppers – not just the rev heads, hardcore enthusiasts or DIY shoppers.
“We are seated as a brand that provides fantastic customer service to our customers,” Davenport said.
“We wanted to refresh and relaunch our brand around that premise and really hero that service offering and that inclusiveness that we can offer our customers and set ourselves up for success for the next 40 years.”
The brief for the Autobarn brand refresh and campaign reflected what its customers were saying: that everyone has a unique relationship with their car, and it’s about more than just a means of transportation.
“It is quite an emotional relationship that people have with their cars. We wanted to show that we are the inclusive retailer of choice,” Davenport elaborated.
Sending a new message
The “all for the drivers” campaign will funnel through all of Autobarn’s digital channels, including its social media accounts, its loyalty club ‘Accelerate Rewards’, its website and its upcoming partnerships with influencers.
“It was clear that customers like to come in and have a conversation with us about what they’re trying to achieve with their vehicle,” Davenport said.
“People feel comfortable coming to us and having a conversation with our team members – we didn’t see that across all of the competitive set,” he added.
Davenport described the underlying strategy as championing Autobarn’s customer service credentials.
“We really want to champion and hero that through our marketing, which I don’t think we have really previously done before,” Davenport said.
While its tagline has evolved, Autobarn’s purpose has stayed the same – to serve automotive customers, but now it’s looking to excite the category.
“We want to make a splash and excite the automotive category that there’s a retailer out there that understands that they have unique needs and that they can get the level of service that they require for what those unique needs are,” Davenport stated.
“We want customers to be more excited in general about shopping for automobiles. It shouldn’t be a begrudge purchase – it should be a fun purchase,” he continued.
The target audience of the campaign extends beyond Autobarn’s current and potential customer base to its employees, many of whom star in the campaign.
“We’re hoping to see some new faces, and hoping to be able to support more people,” he concluded. “But it is also a call to arms as well, for not only our store team members but our support team as well.
