Outstanding Digital Marketing Strategies of Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz generates a big plan and plays its own original marketing strategy while creating amazing campaigns all around the world.

Mercedes-Benz generates a big plan and plays its own original marketing strategy while creating amazing campaigns all around the world – in other words, they are mastering luxury brand strategies.

Mercedes-Benz’s marketing strategy had been centered on the safety, luxury, and precision engineering of its cars. But, due to increasing competition in the luxury car industry and changing consumer attitudes, the brand decided to follow a different path to evolve its marketing strategy. With these changes, Mercedes-Benz’s marketing strategy turned into a more lifestyle-oriented one highlighting the approachable, energetic, and fun sides of the brand.

In 1993, Rosemarie Totzauer reported in Brandweek about the brand’s presence:

Mercedes is attempting to reinvent itself, to evolve from a company long defined exclusively by its gas-guzzling luxury sedans and sports cars. The reborn Mercedes will offer a broader, more complete line of vehicles the rapidly changing, more complex, higher-risk luxury segment Mercedes-Benz, therefore, has to gear itself for a metamorphosis into a company known for value and diversity of vehicle concepts rather than for the prestige of the three-pointed star.

To provide superior customer value to its target market, Mercedes-Benz has found it necessary to diversify its product range to meet what the automotive industry needs.

Mercedes Benz Target Audience: Which One is for Whom?

First things first: (undoubtedly) Mercedes-Benz is a luxury car brand, so its target audience is naturally going to be people with the means to afford one. This includes individuals with successful careers in business, finance, law, medicine, and other high-paying professions.

Anyhow, the C class is a product for the low end of the market, the E class is a mid-size luxury car, the S class includes high-end luxury vehicles that had previously comprised the total of the company’s product, the T class is designed for big families, and the SL class is specialized for sports cars market. With such variety, the brand appeals to more people, and increases its brand awareness and sales.

What’s more?

We clearly say that the specific models & limited editions with unusual details are mostly for youngers. For instance: after the brand’s marketing team released an AI-generated video showing Mercedes-AMG SL, numerous people took the comments section and wrote that their “first” car would be a Mercedes. Check it out yourself:

In addition to these trend videos, we can see that Mercedes also has an advertising strategy targeting younger generations. Another TikTok video titled “137 Years of Class” sees a group of college students and highlights that the brand which is associated with high-class middle ages is also for youth.

Their collaboration with young social media influencers also supports that idea. As Mercedes fans may remember, the brand teamed up with German social media star Luis Freitag to promote their EQA series. Even though the model is an average electric SUV (a family car?), the brand collaborated with 24-year-old Freitag.

It’s also true for the Mercedes X Elevator Boys collaboration. The American boy hip-hop group teamed up with the brand to promote the Mercedes-Benz EQA, an electric vehicle. Can we say that electric cars are not solely for nature-conscious people?

It seems that Mercedes does not need to create a more “classy” image; it’s not surprising when considering that “being classy & bold” is accepted as a part of the brand.

However, the brand makes no bones about “#DefiningClass.” Remember the ad featuring Succession star Matthew Macfadyen?

“Driving theatre: your Mercedes-Benz. Enjoy the streaming of movies and shows you love. See for yourself who’s watching here.”

The ad, part of the “Defining Class since 1886” campaign, was launched in early 2024 and shows Macfadyen questioning what truly defines a car. He goes beyond mere transportation, highlighting the innovative technology, luxurious comfort, and unparalleled driving experience that Mercedes-Benz offers. It’s crystal clear that the ad & campaign overall targets affluent individuals between 35-65 years old, at the peak of their careers and financial success.