Volvo wanted to position itself as the pioneer of electrified driving at the 2019 Brussels Motor Show. But with many competitors stealing the attention with new electric models, Volvo needed a big statement of another level. They had to compete against Audi who was launching the e-tron and against Mercedes and BMW who also launched new electrified models. Volvo Belgium felt the need to change the conversation and not only talk about electric models, but about the global package comprising both “driving green” and “charging green”.

The idea also had to fit Volvo’s global mission to become a 100% climate-neutral car manufacturer by 2025. Therefore Volvo is taking real initiatives towards reaching that goal, both from the brand’s perspective as the consumer’s perspective. For instance, Volvo is the first major car manufacturer that is offering an electrified plug-in hybrid as an option for all its models. Every model will be available as a full-electric version in the future as well.

Volvo believes in driving electrified, but it also wants people to charge sustainably. Because what’s the point of driving electric, if your energy comes from coal fuelled power stations? That’s why Volvo wanted to make electrified driving not only about cars. We made drivers aware that they should not only drive green, but also charge green. We enabled them to do so by launching Volts by Volvo, a green energy contract for their house, completely Volvo branded and powered by green energy provider Eneco.

With a national survey and PR we educated the general public about the paradox of driving electrified and helped Volvo position itself as a pioneer within the automotive electric revolution. With a targeted campaign we invited electrified drivers to switch to VoltsbyVolvo. On the Q3 brand tracker, Volvo Belgium rose to the second most sustainable car brand, right behind Tesla. With Volts by Volvo we also brought Volvo from people’s garages into their homes, creating a greater brand significance.