The Old Shanghai MD, Sandra McDiarmid attributes the agency’s re-appointment to the fact that The Old Shanghai understands Mercedes-Benz After Sales’ business objectives and challenges, and has had a long and close relationship with the Mercedes-Benz Group, and produces great creative campaigns that range from small and quick turnaround, to large and multi-pronged.

“Mercedes-Benz After Sales chose us as their advertising partner because we are a local boutique agency offering top strategic and creative skills and we understand the intricacies of Mercedes-Benz After Sales’ business, both locally and globally,” she says. “The Old Shanghai has been partnering with various divisions of Mercedes-Benz SA for the last 12 years, and so we really know the business as a whole. Our various contracts allow us the opportunity to cross-pollinate and understand the business challenges of our clients from the inside.”

The Old Shanghai, which had to re-pitch for the business as per company compliance procurement rules, has been Mercedes-Benz After Sales’ full service agency for the last three years.

“The last 3 years have been an organic partnering process with the whole team finding ways to drive the brand awareness of the After Sales business as well as grow revenues,” says McDiarmid. “As the through-the-line agency, we develop communication strategies and creative work for touch points in both retail and business-to-business dealership advertising. Although Mercedes-Benz is a global business, we are fortunate to have the opportunity to create original campaigns and creative work for the local market that Mercedes-Benz After Sales services.”

The Old Shanghai has a reputation for maintaining successful long-term client relationships evident by its AdReview Baobab award win last year for its client-agency partnership with Tempest Car Hire, which they have had as a client for the last 19 years.

The Mercedes-Benz After Sales division is responsible for the After-Sales elements of all vehicles sold by MBSA including passenger cars, commercial vehicles, and managed brands like Fuso, Freightliner and Western Star trucks. After Sales includes all servicing, parts sales and procurement, maintenance plans, workshops, repair centres and so on. The After Sales division interacts with, and is an integral part of, all the divisions within MBSA, from finance to insurance to pre owned sales and functionality of dealerships.