Saudi Women Take the Wheel: A Content Analysis of How Saudi Arabian Car Companies Reached Women on Social Media

Abstract Using a mixed-methods approach, this study explored how automobile companies in Saudi Arabia used Twitter to market to women after the Saudi Arabian government lifted its ban on women driving. All tweets from auto companies posted between September 26, 2017, and June 30, 2018, were examined. While a total of 11,028 tweets were targeted toward Saudi citizens during this historic period, only 184 tweets (less than 2 percent of the total sample) were found to be targeted toward women. The study further examined these 184 tweets and the 92 advertisements embedded in them using both quantitative and qualitative methodology. Using the lens of social learning theory, results suggest that auto companies were supportive of women and presented them as more independent and authoritative than has historically been considered typical for Saudi Arabia. This study offers some practical implications for professionals in the advertising industry.