Juffali Automotive Co (Jaco), the exclusive distributor and dealer for Mercedes-Benz passenger cars in Saudi Arabia, has won two Gold Mercedes-Benz Star Awards for marketing.

One is for building an exclusive C-Class showroom on Tahlia Street in Jeddah and the other for its entire C-Class launch campaign, said an official spokesman.

The annual global 'Star Awards' acknowledge outstanding marketing communication achievements at the different Mercedes-Benz markets around the world, on the basis of  "brand fit", "creativity", "execution", "corporate design" and "results".

The award aims to encourage forms of communication which are both creative and consistent with corporate strategies.

"This award is testimony to the level of thinking that we went into the C-Class launch," said general manager of Juffali Automotive Co Safi Kobaissi.

"Jaco built a separate temporary showroom just for the C-Class and we built it right where the target market wouldn't miss it - on Tahliah Street in Jeddah."

From design to construction and approvals from local authorities, the temporary showroom was completed in only 33 days, just in time for the worldwide launch. Lasting six months, the showroom became the in-place on the Tahliah Street, Jeddahs' premium upmarket shopping area.

"At the end of the day, it's impossible to predict whether you are going to see a return in your investment when you do such a big event," said Kubaisi.

Not only did the C-Class showroom create credible top-of-mind awareness on the new model, it actually translated the impression into sales - the new C-Class was sold out in the first few months.

Total C-Class sales increased by 30 per cent in 2007 and a further 45 per cent in 2008. – TradeArabia News Service