The Opportunity

The fastest-growing automotive segment in Malaysia is the MPV or multi-purpose vehicle segment. As the name suggests, the MPV satisfies a broad range of uses - singles who need space for their friends, to families that have expanded a little. The introduction of the rear seat belt law also meant that any travelling group that made up of more than five people could no longer fit into a regular sedan. With that in mind, Perodua decided to introduce its own version of an MPV by the end of 2009.

The Challenge

Perodua has always made compact cars. So could the new Perodua MPV stay true to this, while going up againts much larger MPVs like the new Exora from Proton? The challenge for the agency was to come up with a differentiated and competitve positioning that would ensure Perodua remained the best-selling national automotive brand.

The Strategy

While most MPVs claimed to be 7-seaters, Perodua designed the new Alza to be a 5 + 2. This was based on the insight that most people did not need the MPV all the time, but only when the need arose. So for all intents and purposes, the new Alza could be a car one moment, an MPV next. It retained a car's characteristics of being nimble, economical and stylish, with the added functionality of being able to load up to 7 people, or provide significant cargo capacity with the rear seats folded down.

Since an MPV is not just about space, but about matching the ever-changing needs of modern consumer, an idea was conceived, best summed up in the campaign tagline "Versatile As You". The campain highlighted the Alza's ability to switch from being a "Car One Moment, MPV the Next", making it ideal for singles, couples and families.

Beyond traditional media, the campaign gamered interest for the Alza online. Facebook users engaged with the brand on the Alza fan page, where the main feature was a contest - fans uploaded photos and videos demonstrating the Alza's versatility using an origami version of the car.

The Results

Since the launch of the car on 23 November 2009, more than 18,000 units have been booked, a figures which matches that of Perodua's all-time best seller, the Perodua Myvi. The buzz generated online was exemplified by the success of the Facebook fan page: more than 27,000 direct and media interactions, 8,000 fans and 1,000 submissions were generated in just four weeks!