After more than a century of being humble, SAE International is starting to brag a bit by launching a “Meet SAE” ad campaign.
SAE hopes the campaign will help increase membership and participation in events and on technical committees. The target market for these ads includes people working on advanced mobility technologies such as electrification and autonomous driving.
“We’re trying to reach a broader audience, reach new people to become members and become interested in SAE … new, younger members, people who don’t associate us with electrification or zero emissions,” Frank Menchaca, chief growth officer for the nonprofit in Warrendale, Pa., told Automotive News. SAE’s goal is “to reach those new mobility professionals and younger people to say there’s real value in working with us.”
To accomplish that goal, SAE created four ads with a focus on technologies’ end consumers. SAE has about 130,000 members who are engineers, technical experts and volunteers in the automotive and aerospace industries. The ads highlight how its members’ efforts help provide mobility standards, research and educational support that impact people’s everyday lives.
A brand campaign, which Menchaca said is a “several hundred thousand dollar” investment, started with the four ads, which launched Nov. 1 and will run through 2022. SAE also plans to improve its Web page and create email and social media campaigns on LinkedIn.
The spots will air on Hulu, YouTube TV, Facebook and Instagram and also are on sae.org. They will be served to people whose viewing choices on those channels include automotive or aerospace-related content.
One spot features expectant parents Pete and Abby, who can sleep soundly without worrying about their EV having enough battery charge to get them to the hospital when it’s time for their baby’s arrival, thanks to SAE’s work on establishing charging standards.
