Arabian Automobiles Company (AAC) – the exclusive distributor of Nissan vehicles in Dubai and the Northern Emirates – has revealed details about a campaign, which set out to improve the quality and efficiency of its lead generation by addressing the disconnect between reported campaign leads and CRM-verified leads.
During previous campaigns, AAC identified that 35 per cent to 45 per cent of platform reported leads were not entering its CRM, limiting retargeting effectiveness and impacting overall performance.
Working in partnership with Omnicom Media MENA and technology partner 360Dialog, the objective was to transition from a volume-driven website model towards a higher quality conversion-led and conversation-based approach that could deliver authenticated leads, stronger retargeting signals and measurable business outcomes.
The campaign was rolled out using Meta ads that click-to-WhatsApp (CTWA), alongside a structured test-and-learn framework against traditional click-to-site campaigns.
AAC adopted advertisements that click to WhatsApp to streamline its test drive booking experience. This made it far easier for consumers to schedule test drives and engage with the Nissan brand. The approach also allowed AAC to directly compare performance between conversation-led engagement and website-based lead generation, with a clear focus on CRM-verified outcomes.
Raghu Rangaswamy, Digital Marketing Manager at Arabian Automobiles Company said, “WhatsApp helped us transform our lead acquisition from anonymous form submissions to authenticated conversations. This improved CRM integrity, strengthened retargeting signals and ultimately translated into measurable vehicle sales.”
Bridging the gap in the WhatsApp marketing
Despite WhatsApp achieving more than 90 per cent penetration across major MENA markets, it remains under-utilised as a marketing channel and is often viewed as a messaging tool rather than a performance driver.
Overcoming barriers and unlocking WhatsApp’s full potential requires more than one-off activation tests and demands close collaboration between platform owners (Meta), the agency (Omnicom Media MENA) and technology partners across multiple BSP providers, each playing a distinct role in delivering a connected solution.
When aligned, these partnerships can move WhatsApp beyond fragmented execution and design seamless, conversation-led experiences that improve data integrity, strengthen retargeting signals and ultimately drive measurable business outcomes.
Commenting on the broader opportunity for brands, Yasser Noueiry, Head of Agency Partnerships MEA at Meta, said, “Activating business messaging at scale takes more than turning on Click-to-WhatsApp — it requires strong strategy, measurement and operational rigour. In MENA, WhatsApp is already the default channel for high-intent conversations, which is why brands should be leaning into it.”
The AAC campaign showed how moving from lead volume to CRM-verified, conversation-driven outcomes can improve lead quality and unlock smarter retargeting. In this instance, Omnicom Media MENA partnered with 360Dialog as part of its broader, tech-agnostic Omni Contact solution.
Crucially, this collaboration was grounded in a shared understanding of WhatsApp’s role within the customer journey and viewing it not as a standalone channel, but as a conversion environment where intent is captured, qualified and acted upon in real time.
David Barnes, Head of Product Solutions at Omnicom Media MENA, said: “Transforming WhatsApp into a performance messaging channel represents a step-change in how brands can capture and convert demand. By connecting media, data and conversation at the point of intent, we’re able to move from passive traffic to active, high-intent engagement, driving stronger lead quality and more efficient outcomes.”
Campaign rollout based on CRM-verified outcomes
AAC identified the need to move beyond traditional website forms to address the challenge of unverified and lower-quality leads.
The strategy centred on a shift towards conversation-led engagement via WhatsApp, powered by Omnicom Media’s Omni Contact solution, a tech-agnostic framework designed to connect media, data and conversation across partners and platforms.
After clicking an ad, users entered an automated WhatsApp journey tailored to specific Nissan models, enabling real-time interaction, guided decision-making and immediate data capture.
This approach ensured that lead data was authenticated, seamlessly integrated into AAC’s CRM and supported more effective retargeting, directly aligning with the objective of improving lead quality, data integrity and measurable sales outcomes.
Omnicom Media MENA deployed full-funnel WhatsApp measurement with 360Dialog‘s third-party tracking solution to ensure that proper performance messaging tactics could be utilised, meaning audience optimisation was in place throughout the campaign.
Mohammad Mansour, Regional Executive Director of Commercials at Omnicom Media MENA, explained, “Unlocking WhatsApp isn’t just about activation, it’s about orchestrating an ecosystem. When platform, agency and tech partners align, conversations become a powerful source of data. That’s when WhatsApp starts driving real business outcomes, not just engagement.”
For this campaign, AAC targeted adults aged 25 and older in the UAE, in both Arabic and English.
Audience strategy was developed alongside Omnicom Media MENA, using a mix of automotive interest signals, competitor brand affinity and behavioural data to identify and reach high-intent prospects.
The agency ensured that effective performance messaging tactics could be utilised, meaning audience optimisation was in place throughout the campaign.
Results of the campaign
AAC defined success based on CRM-verified performance and business impact, rather than platform-reported metrics alone.
*Key results included:
- 75 per cent higher revenue from ads that click to WhatsApp compared with usual approach.
- 55 per cent higher return on investment from ads that click to WhatsApp.
- 45-point improvement in quality lead rate.
- 23 per cent lower cost per lead recorded in CRM.
*Results are self-reported and may vary.
CREDITS:
Client – Arabian Automobiles Company (AAC)
Media agency – OMD, an Omnicom Media agency
Tech partner – 360 Dialog (one of Omnicom Media’s integrated solution partners)
Media owner – Meta
