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Business Platform

Arabian Automobiles Company

Improving lead generation with ads that click to WhatsApp

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2
X

More leads compared to usual approach*

56
%

Lower cost per lead compared to usual approach*

4
%

Lower cost per link click compared to usual approach (Source: A/B test)

Their Story

 

Bringing Nissan to Dubai and Northern Emirates

Arabian Automobiles Company (AAC), part of the AW Rostamani Group, is the exclusive distributor of Nissan vehicles and genuine parts in Dubai and the Northern Emirates. As of June 2025, AAC operated nine new car showrooms, 10 service centers, 13 parts outlets and four certified pre-owned showrooms, reinforcing its strong presence in the UAE automotive market.

Their Goal

 

___

Maximizing lead opportunities

AAC wanted to determine if a multi-channel approach of combining ads that click to WhatsApp with ads that click to its website would help generate more business leads than running ads that direct people to only one destination.

The interior of a Nissan vehicle

“Leveraging ads that click to WhatsApp during Ramadan allowed us to craft a seamless customer experience that significantly enhanced our digital performance. Our eagerness to experiment with new technologies has been central to driving impactful results and fueling our growth.”

Raghu Rangaswamy
Digital Marketing Manager

Their Solution

 

____

Combining new and traditional ads

AAC adopted ads that click to WhatsApp in hopes of streamlining its test drive booking experience. AAC’s approach made it convenient for consumers to schedule test drives on WhatsApp after clicking an ad by giving them a quick and seamless way to engage with the Nissan brand. To ensure that it maximised lead opportunities during its April 17-30, 2025 campaign, AAC decided to run these ads in tandem with ads that click to its website. Then it ran an A/B test in Meta Ads Manager to determine if the combined approach was more effective than running ads that click to one destination alone.

AAC partnered with Omnicom Media Group and 360Dialog to use the companies’ joint Omni Contact solution to run ads that click to WhatsApp and manage AAC’s WhatsApp channel. Ads were delivered to English- and Arabic-speaking adults in the UAE (excluding Abu Dhabi) who were interested in buying a new car from Nissan Dubai or a competing automaker. After viewing an ad and clicking the Chat on WhatsApp button, potential customers were prompted to send a prefilled message to AAC on WhatsApp.

“This campaign was a great example of what’s possible when innovation meets the right partners. Meta, 360dialog and our agency worked as one team to drive exceptional value across the customer funnel.”

Nizar Malaeb
Director, Marketing, Arabian Automobiles Company

AAC followed up with automated messages to determine the person’s location, then entered the person into a test drive booking experience designed with WhatsApp Flows. Customers could choose the Nissan model they were interested in, select their nearest dealership and provide their information to schedule a test drive. Customers who didn’t complete the experience were sent a reminder message 24 hours later.

The team continually optimised the experience based on performance data provided by Omni Contact, powered by 360Pilot measurement. It also integrated AAC’s customer relationship management platform with WhatsApp to determine the exact business impact of the new leads generated.

 

Their Success

 

More leads at a lower cost per lead

The A/B test showed that combining ads that click to WhatsApp with ads that click to AAC’s website outperformed ads that click to only one destination. Running both options in one campaign made it possible to maximise leads by giving customers the ability to choose the destination they preferred. In addition to generating increased leads at a lower cost, AAC reported that WhatsApp helped drive car sales too:

Two Nissan vehicles parked in the moonlight.
  • 2X more leads compared to usual approach*
  • 56% lower cost per lead compared to usual approach*
  • 4% lower cost per link click compared to usual approach (Source: A/B test)

*Results are self-reported and not identifiably repeatable. Generally expected individual results will differ.

“At Omnicom Media Group, we fully recognize the transformative power of WhatsApp as a performance marketing channel, particularly in the MENA region. The direct sales of vehicles generated through the platform are a clear testament to its ability to drive tangible business outcomes.”

David Barnes
Data and Tech Lead, Omnicom Media Group

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