Volvo keys into 'Badass Women' for new video series sponsorship

Dive Brief:

Volvo signed on to sponsor the second season of InStyle's video series about "badass women." The six-episode series will be released weekly on InStyle's website, according to materials shared with Marketing Dive.
The media company launched the content as a "badass women" column two years ago, followed by a radio show last year. Like the print and online pieces, the video series features inspiring women who share stories of pushing the boundaries.
U.S. World Cup Champion Megan Rapinoe is among the women who will be featured in this year's series. Comedian Phoebe Robinson as well as models Tess Holiday and Halima Aden, newscaster Norah O'Donnell and chef Missy Robbins will also be spotlighted on the show.

Dive Insight:

Volvo's sponsorship of InStyle's "Badass Women" video series is another female-focused effort that demonstrates that the car industry's long-time strategy of marketing to men is beginning to change. Sponsoring video content that features figures like Rapinoe and Robinson allows the carmaker to tap into the trend of inclusion and diversity in marketing.

Earlier this year, Mercedes-Benz created a four-minute YouTube film to celebrate International Women's Day, while Land Rover's "Live for the City" effort targeted younger urban women. Like these carmakers, Volvo is looking to attract a more diverse customer base by running spots in female-targeted magazines that celebrate women breaking through glass ceilings.

By marketing to women, car companies can appeal to a larger group of potential buyers. Aston Martin created a female advisory board in 2015 to gain female perspectives that live in the luxury space, Carlee Hardaker, Aston Martin's senior manager of global customer and market intelligence, told Yahoo Finance, estimating that female buyers would potentially make up 27% of the luxury car market. Women are behind a boom in SUV sales and are responsible for 80% of global car buying decisions, Simon Sproule, Aston Martin's global marketing head, recently told Motor1.com.

Mirroring this video series sponsorship, Volvo has deployed several interesting marketing tactics that stray from traditional glossy-page car ads. During the Super Bowl, the carmaker ran an "anti-campaign" in which a mobile video game challenged viewers to keep their eyes on a video of a car for as long as possible. The company also ran a connected TV spot that helped consumers find dealers.

For InStyle, the evolution of the series from a column to a radio show to a video series shows the growing significance of digital video, especially when targeting millennials. Earlier this week, Volvo competitor Acura announced plans to include digital media programming on platforms Donut Media, PadSquad and Teads in addition to digital placements on Amazon, Bustle, ESPN and Thrillist.