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Caselet

#VolvoBusTribe: Decoding the community-building attempt

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#VolvoBusTribe

Here's a detailed case study on Volvo Buses leveraged user-generated content via Facebook and Instagram to create their #VolvoBusTribe, an engaged community.

Category: Passenger Buses and Coaches

Brand Introduction:

Volvo Buses are the world’s biggest manufacturers of luxury buses and coaches. As a socially responsible Bus service, Volvo Buses India is based on the core values of Quality, Safety, and Environmental Care.

Volvo Buses India believes in innovative solutions that improve everyday life for people and entire cities, today and tomorrow. As a provider of sturdy, comfortable coaches, Volvo has become popular among Indians who love traveling in it especially for long-distance road journeys.

https://www.facebook.com/VolvoBusesInOfficial/photos/a.1789261817763933/2328876223802487/?type=3&xts%5B0%5D=68.ARAiPeQG8MMuyRKPHtKJn0DGqCnnvj65HP0tYJpNvQS1Es2DKkbGna3wcxy-XWsBQxPgGrFML5GmYjup0CaiQY_k8ifOVD6enlW_OZq5-6i5V86ReJH6XEPFHfpUroopD5HOBfOM7KqHsMkMhJcIIK_MB5oilZX4flL9qAF_UvZwftFviUT9x-7GwNxgH6JWpvBofNpxWxtwUAKfpVVefOFzuuGLA74H2f193OO6WFn7oqh0qepvaDeUCKvOci0jl6T6cPHzLr4dviNv9hrBmm1I4y1x3e-_mZwWC8gxBosMP095yStGQwxeYgsLFhgSCOAccRhtz0Bvrtd4UXjA-qocuCjY&tn=-R

Summary:

Volvo Buses India decided to leverage their fan following with the Indian audience to create heartwarming content that would click with them.

https://www.facebook.com/VolvoBusesInOfficial/photos/a.1789261817763933/2300611933295583/?type=3&xts%5B0%5D=68.ARCLOO3zrCudXoBhMYzzz_oh-nVFRc51hAe-Ufs77X0bKD_-WRN3bg2ktAUziEU4NvLo-BubLhqvdus5DL_vv9VBHU7wtbj6E0_Q4PdYg_1t7dPs2HQC0MA0LKwjhuqmbW4Feb2N2vDwXvcdodunc9Keo9Xw9Dp876vY-FpSp34Ps_kAi1ovFbvmYY5yynKtUjlar7T3107z2ETrKNg_ViFVZQmHKYlFYg8Mx6z9ETTBlfjm6DsQfCBRIdf54_C_uI3w_pp90NyUHxuaUnnUtbbP-oDL55hMHCdHI6oRCrhxfJahjRsuJOBLiUlBIOB6oIFWvjjFu3j3GjH86LSpKEP5_z1H&tn=-R

Objective

  1. To increase Volvo Buses India’s presence on Instagram and Facebook
  2. To use sentiments of bus fans positively so that they feel acknowledged
  3. To leverage user-generated content to gain more followers

Campaign Strategy

The basic idea was to use fan messages on Instagram and Facebook positively and feature interesting experiences of people all around the country. #VolvoBusTribe enabled the brand to hear them out, interact with them as brand representatives and make them feel acknowledged and appreciated.

Volvo Busses used content and images from normal people across India (mostly from remote parts of the country) and created an image which went along with their story of admiration for Volvo Buses India.  

Also read: Case Study: How KFC used drone to popularize their new Smoky Grilled wings

Execution

A questionnaire was sent to every bus fan who messaged/tagged Volvo. The messages also asked them if they would be interested in getting featured on the brand's social media handles and are open to sharing personal information like name, city, age, etc. with us.

View this post on Instagram

Volvo buses have excited me from time immemorial. I have always been a diehard fan be it trucks or buses. According to me, Volvo entering the India market was a revolutionary move for the bus industry in India. The comfort reaches a new level altogether and as a bus enthusiast, it has been absolutely blissful to see how drivers tame these beasts (buses) flawlessly.  The drivers are given appropriate training and safety is a prime focus with Volvo. Needless to mention, it looks classy too. I have travelled in Volvo buses countless times, be it Shivneri buses that exclusively service the Mumbai-Pune route, KSRTC, Shivneri and SRS that run along the Bengaluru-Pune route (during my 2-year stay in Bengaluru, I would shuffle between the two cities on weekends), or the Vayu Vajra from KAIL to Bengaluru city or within Bengaluru city. My overall experience has always been exceptional. Volvos are always well-maintained and I have never had any complaints. Comfort, safety and speed, it is all a joyous combination with Volvo. During my stay in Bengaluru when I used to travel to Pune/Mumbai over the weekends, I had become a regular shuffling between MSRTC, KSRTC (multiple schedules) and SRS (multiple schedules). I would always look for seats in the first row which is why the crew had begun to recognize me by face and would exchange pleasantries. It felt wonderful, almost like home. #VolvoBusTribe #Stories #TravelWithVolvo #VolvoBusesIndia #TravelTales #TravelStories #VolvoJourney #Pune #Maharashtra

A post shared by Volvo Buses India (@volvobusesin) on

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Volvo journeys are super smooth and comfortable. Volvo buses meet all the standards of a luxury AC bus and are a pleasure to travel by. I don’t remember how many journeys I have taken in Volvo buses, but I do know that they have all been pleasurable. In fact, I only prefer Volvo buses for travelling intracity or intercity and my overall experience has been amazing. My longest Volvo journey was from New Delhi to Manali (and return) and it was a very scenic drive. I’ve also met some interesting people on my journeys. Once, while traveling to Hyderabad for work, I met an IT engineer and we really hit it off as I am a Project Lead Consultant with well-known company and our conversations were never-ending. One of my most memorable Volvo journeys has been the one where I was travelling from Vashi to Dombivali (approximately 24 km) in Mumbai and I reached in less than 30 minutes. It is unbelievable but that was the best journey I have had in a Volvo bus. #VolvoBusTribe #Stories #TravelWithVolvo #VolvoBusesIndia #TravelTales #TravelStories #VolvoJourney #Mumbai #Maharashtra

A post shared by Volvo Buses India (@volvobusesin) on

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The reason I love travelling in Volvo buses is its world-class safety features, the high rate of comfort and its exceptional performance. I have travelled in Volvo buses many times and in Assam, there are Volvo B7R 8400 Low Floor coaches that do intercity duties of over 500 km in a day on some routes. Apart from that, I have also travelled in Volvo B7R 9400, Volvo B8R 9400, Volvo B9R 9400 and Volvo B11R 9400 coaches several times and I know many more journeys are yet to come. Overall my experience in all the above-mentioned buses has always been good and I really enjoy travelling in these beautiful machines. Being a bus enthusiast, I mostly shoot videos of the journey from the front seats and while doing so, the funniest things happen. There are curious onlookers and co-passengers who ask why I am taking photos and videos of these buses. My reply to them is always same “These buses are beautiful and I love them.” #VolvoBusTribe #Stories #TravelWithVolvo #VolvoBusesIndia #TravelTales #TravelStories #VolvoJourney #Nagaon #Assam

A post shared by Volvo Buses India (@volvobusesin) on

These answers were polished to create a post that went along with their images. When the first from this on-going series went live, more and more people began to write in with requests to be featured. 

New
stories of people’s Volvo Bus experiences are being continuously published as
an ode to their loyalty for the brand.  An exclusive hashtag #VolvoBusTribe was created and was used along with all these story features.

View this post on Instagram

Only a bus-enthusiast like me will know the true worth of Volvo buses. I’ve always had a fascination for buses and Volvo has been one of my favourites. I live in Assam and Volvo buses entered the market here pretty late. However, I am thankful to all the operators and Volvo India for making its facilities available to us. I’ve always been a big fan of clicking and capturing photos of buses that are used for commute here. In fact, I am also part of a Facebook group called Buses of Assam, a bus-enthusiasts’ fan club. This group has like-minded people share their love for buses and has made it possible for me to chase buses and click fascinating photos of them - most of which are of Volvo buses. I keep most of my morning schedule free to take pictures of various buses which cruise through my town. I wait for long hours on the highway (from 5 am to 8 am) just to get a photo of Chartered, ASTC low floor 8400 and John Volvo Buses. My all-time favourite is the Chartered Volvo that runs across the Guwahati to Tezpur/Shillong route. The comfort and safety which I feel in the Volvo buses are one of the best and I wish to see more Volvo coaches in my state in the future. Volvo’s service and its comfort keep the passengers happy. My love for Volvo buses is only growing every day as people are more willing to travel in these coaches. If someday I would get a chance to visit the Volvo factory, it would be a dream come true. #VolvoBusTribe #Stories #TravelWithVolvo #VolvoBusesIndia #TravelTales #TravelStories #VolvoJourney #Nagaon #Assam

A post shared by Volvo Buses India (@volvobusesin) on

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“Volvo has always been special to me. If I ever have an option between Bus and Train travel, I always vote for Volvo. I have noticed that Volvo always offers a smooth ride in whatever condition it may be. I am a bus fan and I like sitting in the driver’s cabin. I feel superior when I travel in Volvo because even in terms of safety, Volvo is amazing. I have travelled in Volvo several times and my overall experience has always been brilliant. It’s always a comforting drive with Volvo. There have been many journeys that had aggressive roads but brilliant Volvo drivers and their excellent road judgments have made these comfortable. One such ride I recall was when I was sitting in the No.3 seat, so I could see the driver and observed that he was very punctual and always departed on time. However, an auto-rickshaw came in front of the bus and blocked the bus’s departure so the driver kept honking until the auto driver came out of his vehicle and asked what the matter was. At this point, the cleaner, conductor and driver everyone collectively revolted against the auto driver for blocking the bus. This made for a really funny incident.” #VolvoBusTribe #Stories #TravelWithVolvo #VolvoBusesIndia #TravelTales #TravelStories #VolvoJourney

A post shared by Volvo Buses India (@volvobusesin) on

Results:

  1. Fans began to take notice of this campaign. Many wrote in with requests to be featured, increasing brand engagement.
  2. People who were featured also shared the story on their Instagram/Facebook feeds thus creating more brand awareness.
  3. Every post has received over 400 organic Likes on Instagram.
  4. 8 posts have been shared so far, which generated a total of over 80,000 impressions on Facebook and Instagram.
  5. The posts also garnered over 6,000 engagements on both the platforms.
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