Motoraddicts – a vibrant online social network for car lovers, was developed by headshift for Castrol as a way of reaching out to their most passionate customers. Conceived and developed by an international team, the project relied heavily on social tools for co-ordination and planning, and the resulting social network provided the basis for a new, conversational approach to marketing.

Marketing by listening
Traditional one-way marketing is increasingly felt by customers to be intrusive and unappealing. So how does one do marketing in a consumer environment that is super-saturated and highly sceptical?

The answer is to open up a conversation with passionate customers and let them tell you what they would like to see and hear more about.

Building a useful and entertaining experience for the fans
The Motoraddicts site covered all the thrills, spills and actions from major car events all over the world, as well as creating a thriving online community for car enthusiast from all walks of life.

Users could find advice and tips from leading racer and tuners, they could create their own online profile, form and join groups, show off their new ‘pimped up’ rides, share knowledge with friends and run their own blogs.

The whole experience of the site was designed to make the enthusiast feel welcome and appreciated, and to let them get involved in the ways they find the most rewarding.

How does Motoraddicts benefit Castrol?
Firstly Motoraddicts helped users understand the benefits of better performing products.

Secondly, it provided insights into trends for the future and technical needs which can be built into developing products and solutions.

And thirdly, it provided a forum for consumers to learn from each other and share their ideas.