Showcase Case Studies Leading Automotive Brand

Leading Automotive Brand | Case Study

ford
the challenge
A leading automotive brand and its creative agency needed to ensure their new multi-million rand TV commercial (TVC) would land with the right audience, feel locally authentic and most importantly, drive purchase consideration, all before committing to a major national media rollout.
While the creative was developed with strong cultural cues and storytelling, the team wanted clear, data-backed validation that the TVC would:
  1. Resonate emotionally across diverse South African audiences
  2. Reflect local insight without alienating broader segments
  3. Prompt real movement down the purchase funnel
This research was critical to avoid assumptions, de-risk campaign investment and ensure the creative didn’t just “look good”, but actually worked.
our solution
theSalt Resourcing delivered rapid, affordable consumer insights in under 48 hours (39 hours and 20 minutes to be precise!), eliminating uncertainty. By tapping into our nationwide panel of over 560,000 South African adults, we recruited a representative sample matching the client’s aspirational HHI and 50/50 male-female split. We tested the finished TVC alongside 7 targeted questions touching on likability, freshness, purchase consideration and local authenticity.
methodology
  1. Target definition: with over 70+ datapoints on our members, we refined filters for socio-economic status and age (30+ broadened to include aspirational buyers) to maximise sample size while preserving relevance
  2. Survey design: we embedded the TVC and 7 short questions in an online survey, optimised for completion in under two minutes
  3. Turnaround: survey materials were supplied on a Tuesday morning, with initial findings delivered in the same week that Thursday morning - under 48 hours from launch to report
results
Quick turnaround time
  1. Delivered initial report and actionable insights within 48 hours of field launch (Tuesday to Thursday)
  2. Full dataset, including raw quantitative and qualitative outputs, was handed over that same week
Targeting (scale)
  1. 226 completed responses against a 200-respondent target within the first 24 hours of launch
  2. Maintained 100% adherence to the 50/50 gender split and aspirational HHI criteria throughout fieldwork
Pinpoint target market
  1. 27% of respondents fell into the top two income brackets defined for a premium-segment audience
  2. 81% met the age (30+) and socio-economic filters, ensuring data truly reflective of the desired aspirational cohort
Information-rich feedback
  1. Captured qualitative and quantitative metrics (likability, consideration, authenticity) as well as open-text verbatim comments
  2. Identified only 5% feature salience in spontaneous feedback, pinpointing an optimisation opportunity for creative assets
strategic insights
By combining rapid consumer data with precision targeting and deep quantitative and qualitative insights at a fraction of traditional costs, theSalt empowers brands to validate high-stakes media decisions confidently.
No guesswork, just clear insights delivered within days, not months.
channels used