Honda Perfect Ride, Perfect Bike

Challenge

With a market-leading 20% share, Honda wanted to engage new audiences – using three hero bikes to highlight the breadth of its model line-up, while also positioning itself as the one-stop source for bike expertise and experiences with budding or lapsed riders.

Challenge

With a market-leading 20% share, Honda wanted to engage new audiences – using three hero bikes to highlight the breadth of its model line-up, while also positioning itself as the one-stop source for bike expertise and experiences with budding or lapsed riders.

Idea

Bikes may feel an odd fit for four-wheel- focused Autocar and What Car? readers, but through in-depth audience insight we knew they over-index as bike fans. This would let Honda reach a new community they hadn’t spoken to before – but one that we knew would respond to great bike content.

Our idea was rooted in a simple story – riding experiences that would chime with our readers’ passion for track days, off-roading and scenic road trips, letting us demonstrate and differentiate each bike’s core USPs.

We also recruited well-known bike presenter Matt Roberts, and interviewed Honda biking legends Ron Haslam and Dave Thorpe, to lend expert validity to our content.

Idea

Bikes may feel an odd fit for four-wheel- focused Autocar and What Car? readers, but through in-depth audience insight we knew they over-index as bike fans. This would let Honda reach a new community they hadn’t spoken to before – but one that we knew would respond to great bike content.

Our idea was rooted in a simple story – riding experiences that would chime with our readers’ passion for track days, off-roading and scenic road trips, letting us demonstrate and differentiate each bike’s core USPs.

We also recruited well-known bike presenter Matt Roberts, and interviewed Honda biking legends Ron Haslam and Dave Thorpe, to lend expert validity to our content.

Honda CBR650R: Born On The Track

Take six decades of experience honed in the heat of racing and the race-bred style and technology of Honda’s legendary CBR1000RR Fireblade, and place it all in a compact package that is even more refined and user-friendly. The result is the Honda CBR650R: the perfect performance bike for everyday commuting, weekend blasts and track day thrills.

We wanted to find out what it was like to ride so we handed it to Isle of Man TT and Superbike presenter Matt Roberts. And where better to try it out than Donington Park? It’s a circuit on which Honda has experienced countless MotoGP and Superbike wins, and which now plays host to the Ron Haslam Race School – the academy run by renowned bike racing legend Ron Haslam, where riders of all experience and abilities can test their skills.

Honda CB650R: Performance meets style

With a head-turning look that offers a modern take on the classically stripped-back retro café racer, allied to a race-bred chassis and engine that blends track-friendly power with road-friendly cruising, the Honda CB650R is the latest star of Honda’s Neo Sports line-up.

It’s the perfect bike for riders looking for both city-friendly urban commuting style and road-honed performance that is perfect for long weekend blasts. We wanted to give it a real workout, so we handed the keys to Isle of Man TT and Superbike presenter Matt Roberts and let him loose on the stunning roads of Exmoor.

Honda CB500X: Ready For The Rough Stuff

The new CB500X is the latest addition to Honda’s modern Adventure range, offering an even more practical and rider-friendly take on Honda’s world-conquering formula. It blends the refinement and practicality you need for everyday commuting and longer weekend journeys, with the rugged flexibility that allows you to venture off the beaten path.

We wanted to find out just how capable the new CB500X is, both on-road and off. So, we gave the keys to Isle of Man TT and Superbike presenter Matt Roberts and invited him to the wonderful roads of Exmoor and the off-road trails of the Honda Adventure Centre run by three-times world motocross champion Dave Thorpe.

Results

Our Honda Bikes campaign smashed its KPIs for video views by 56% during the promotion, and continues to perform well organically today (over 2.5x our initial KPI at last count).

It also ignited the desired response within our audience. Overall familiarity with Honda bikes increased by 60% and positivity increased by 35%, with consideration and recommendation both doubling.

All three Honda bikes also experienced significant up-ticks in attribute perception, well in line with each bike’s target audience and brand values.

Ultimately, 56% of readers took some form of action – whether researching Honda online or at a dealer, or talking with friends and family.