Integrated Marketing Communications

Project Re: Brief on Volkswagen

(Divorced): 1993
Introduction
Volkswagen Group, as well recognized as Volkswagen AG, is a German car manufacturer, and
was instituted by the government of Germany in 1937 to manufacture a low-priced
“people’s car.” The commercial car brands for the company are Audi, Skoda, Bentley, Porsche,
Lamborghini and Volkswagen.

Production of the company extended swiftly during 1950s. VW introduced Transporter van in
1950. Sales overseas were mostly strong in furthermost nations of export, but, due to the
insignificant size of a car, uncommon rounded shape, and past link with Nazi Germany, sales in
the United States were primarily inactive. Car started to get acknowledgement there as the 1950s
developed, and Volkswagen of America was well-known in 1955. American advertising
company named Doyle Dane Bernbach was appointed to characterize the product in 1959, and
outcome was a revolutionary advertising campaign which assisted to popularize the car as the
“Beetle” and promoted its size and unconventional design as an advantage to the consumer. The
campaign became successful, and for many years, Beetle was the most-popular imported
automobile in the USA. Even though Volkswagen made plentiful variations to the Beetle, the
basic rear-engine design and rounded shape remained the similar. Volkswagen established more
rear-engine models with more-modern styling and improved engineering, but none were as
successful as compared to the Beetle (Canning, 2017).

Marketing Strategy
Every car of Volkswagen automotive is segmented with commitment to a specific type of buyer.
The models are segmented according to development and the prices range according to how
exclusive and the amount of feature each car has. Each product line is inclined with different
engines, which influence the price. Volkswagen has setup a Product Market Matrix which means
that the entire product lines of Volkswagen are committed to consumers aged 18-49 years old
(Doyle & Saunders, 1985). Most of the cars offered by Volkswagen are classified as economical
and efficient for a person and for a business activity.

Positioning
Volkswagen is the group of business which owns and functions many other automotive arms
such as Audi together with Lamborghini. Volkswagen’s tries to preserve and protect the
environment. The principal strategy of the company is sustainability and responsibility over their
manufacturing, products and in the support in educating societies on the guard of environment.
Separately from these initiatives, Volkswagen varies from its rival car manufacturers in the
technique where the automotive are more energy efficient and thus reduces the need for more
fuel burning. Blue Motion is a expertise used by Volkswagen that decreases the sizes of the
engine that runs on either petrol or diesel. A smaller engine compared to the conventional
engines but runs better with improved performance and reduced emission of carbon dioxide.
Volkswagen is recognized for their high-quality finishes that guarantees durability, luxury and
ergonomic design with attractive appearance.

The same is explained with the help of Keller’s Brand Equity Model

1. Salience: Volkswagen is also known for its strong brand awareness. The company is one
of the first brand to be correlated with automotive segment. However consumers are not
aware about the brand’s parental companies like Skoda, Bugatti, and Lamborghini, it
ranks at top in the mind of the customers. This is due to the cognitive associations
encouraged by brand. Though, there is an interesting trend in the dynamics of VW brand
awareness, it tends go upwards in segment associations: VW is gradually observed as
luxurious car, rather than “Volk’s”. It’s a vector company took in late 90s and still
continues to follow.

2. Performance: Volkswagen is able to launch one of the utmost effective cross-platform

systems in the world. Similar components can be found in Skoda, Volkswagen, Audi and
Porsche. It means that luxury-segment quality standards are applied to those elements,
which contributes to general quality of vehicles throughout all classes.

3. Imagery: Volkswagen aims to build its marketing campaigns around technical features
of vehicles. Even the slogan of company states so: Das Auto — The Car. VW targets
those customers who prefers mostly technology, accuracy and quality.

4. Judgements: Volkswagen is mainly known for its quality. At present, VW admitted that
they have complications related to the vision of a car and that of a customer. To put it in
alternative way, they started to have complications with aesthetics, utility and design
aspects of their vehicles. But the issue was fixed by implementing more consumer-based
approach in designing new vehicles.
5. Feelings: The products of VW are firmly linked with security and self-respect. Quality
and upper-mid price targeting mainly contribute to those feelings. But certain products of
Volkswagen, especially those deep in middle-class segment tend to be associated with
Fun. Many adverts for Polo, Golf and Up are built around that feeling.

6. Resonance: Volkswagen normally faces the similar problems as Renault. It’s hard for the
company to hold its customers for long. Though, being positioned higher in budget
segmentation, cars of Volkswagen are more than just product. Many consumers owing
Golf seems to be trustworthy towards the brand and are ready to invest in updated
versions and facelifts of the same model. In the sports division of Volkswagen, condition
is similar to Renault. Sport models of company have become a center of gravity for
several communities of owners. Volkswagen has one more thing, which adds
significantly to its insight as a Love mark; creating resonance powerful heritage of
models, which have very strong cultural influence on numerous cultures around the
world.

Original Message Consideration

Volkswagen made a commercial in related to divorce presenting the next generation Golf in
1993.

However, they weren't so delicate and further humorous with this commercial when it came to
making light of the problem. The company was perhaps making a joke on how many weddings
end in divorce.

With the Bluebells' song, Young at Heart, on the advertisement it mainly emphasized on the
woman celebrating her new freedom along with the car being what she needs and can depend on.
Here, the woman realized that the Volkswagen Golf was to some extent worth hanging onto as it
could give her relaxation and an excessive deal of pleasure. That is what she can hang on, and
this is what she desires right now.

VW unmistakably presented self-assurance in their cars. For years, their advertisements had the
renowned tagline, 'If only things in life were as reliable as a Volkswagen'.
Evaluation of some current IMC campaigns
1. Humor by Gucci

Gucci’s March campaign is a best instance of successfully skipping on a tendency to tap into a
specific demographic. Gucci was observing to increase awareness among a group
characteristically on those who are able to afford their products to create a zeal around the brand.
The campaign was created mainly on Instagram, with a supporting micro site that included
supplementary evidence, creating a fuller, richer digital world. It centered on hash tag
#TFWGucci (That Feeling When Gucci), which was built on the infamous internet-born
catchphrase “that feeling when …” and accompanied by humorous image that interrelated back
to a Gucci product.

By duplicating memes, Gucci commissioned into a powerful internet tendency that reverberated
with its customers. The memes combined almost 2 million likes and over 21,000 comments on
Instagram. Every post accrued an average of 67,000 likes and 768 comments creating a buzz
around the brand.

2. Multichannel & VR- Ted Baker

Ted Baker used extremely original, multichannel method to revive the brand and produce a
curiosity between its followers. It attained this by emerging a comedy sitcom named ‘Keeping up
with the Bakers’, that played occasionally on Instagram Stories over an eight-day period.

Instagram promotion eventually led to a 360-degree movie where the substances owned by the
characters could be bought. The sitcom shows the story of the Baker family who appears to be
the image of suburban utopia, yet beneath the airs and graces the family aren't quite what they
seem. Attaching the customers with a narrative, the Bakers’ takeover on social also stimulated
supporters to get involved, determine their own conclusions and win prizes. With 55% of 18 to
29-year-olds in the US using Instagram, and the next largest group at 30 to 49 years (28%), the
brand used Instagram Stories to attract the younger audience to great success. The movie’s trailer
was viewed 1.9m times with 19,000 likes on its social campaign.

The shoppable film, inclusive with VR element allowed audience to be entirely engaged into the
Bakers’ world. Therefore, original and hi-tech marketing campaigns really pays off, with
Google Analytics showing that 360-degree video typically resulting in a higher click-through
rate, as well as improved engagement with the help of social shares.
Communication Strategies
Businesses these days are challenged with many communication networks that can be made in
use to reach the targeted customers. Somewhere traditional businesses are depended only on
offline communications approaches to reach their probable customers, many organizations
nowadays depend heavily on online approaches so that they are able to reach a more digitally
confident audience.

As neither technique is unsuitable, organizations should not restrict themselves to one or the
other. To change an effective communications policy, it is useful to employ the time integrating
both online and offline communication approaches.

Illustrations of online as well as offline communication approaches that are active in building the
profile and status for the business are as follows:

Online Communication Strategies

1. Investing in social media: Several organizations are able to identify the consequences
of social media. In social media, business is required to act like a real-life networking
event, needs to listen, respond, scrutinize what public like, provide content people like
and most significantly be themselves and infuse a personality.

2. Blogging: Blogs are splendid proposal to comprise in the businesses communication

policy. Blogs are an effective means which helps the company to communicate directly
with its customers, share insights into business, be known as an industry expert and build
relations with the customers. It is fundamental to manufacture quality and motivating
content to engage the readers. The business should research their target audience and try
to determine their interests.

Offline Communication Strategies

1. Speak at events: Speaking at conferences and other related an event is a best plan for
VW to include in its communication policy. This will position the company in front of an
audience that is interested in the company’s blogs, and are those that could potentially
become their new customers, clients or brand advocates. It is significant to take the time
to choose who should present the business on behalf. Public speaking is a nerve-racking
task and many feel uncomfortable and worried at the thought of it.

2. Networking opportunities: Networking opportunities is a policy which should not be

ignored. It helps the organizations to contacts, explore new customers, and help to
endorse the business. Networking is an excessive marketing means for organizations with
 a tight budget, as they can give the company direct access to a room full of influential
people in the company.

Creative Proposals
The advertising will influence Hipster Honeys that Volkswagen will provide GTi in the UK that
will perform better than competing GTi’s. The support will be that Volkswagen’s GTi’s are
concurrently desirable and ethical through design that marries form and function. Further support
will be that the Golf GTi is a high-performance vehicle. The tone will be intriguing, evocative,
and sensual.

This Integrated Creative Strategy Statement (ICSS) statement gives Volkswagen the prospect to
open conversations with the public about things they are doing to better the world. This shifts the
discussion to be about the people and how the people are connected to the Volkswagen brand.
The set of connections of people will add value to Volkswagen’s brand. This marketing strategy
combines the multisided platform (MSP) structure with a socially responsible brand point of
view. The MSP approach empowers consumers to have a greater impact on brand development
and increases consumer-to-consumer communication about brands via multiple media channels
which will support the lack of knowledge about Volkswagen’s GTi. Companies such as
Alibaba.com, Facebook, and TripAdvisor, are examples of MSP success stories.

FM Tactics: On FM radio the 15 second announcement will play ten times daily per station
during the morning and evenings commutes on one Alternative Rock and one Pop station for the
fourth and eleventh week of each quarter from 6am-10am and 4pm 7pm.

Tactical Rationale: Radio is effective because, for every dollar spent on radio, the average sales
return is $6 (Nielson, 2014). We plan to pulse the radio ads in weekly increments because the
effectiveness of the exposure stagnates after seven days (Nielson, 2014). 95% of GenXers use
radio each week, totaling almost 58 million GenXers reached (News Generation, 2017). Estimate
that 5% of these radio listening GenXers are Hipster Honeys and Techy Toms.
Mobile Marketing Strategy

Game App: Use mobile marketing by creating a game app to shape viewpoints and drive traffic
of Hipster Honeys and Techy Toms early in the buying process to VW. The game will use paid
promotions that will increase monthly on Google Play and the Apple Store. It will have a VR
download option for Oculus. The app will be cross-promoted in other media including TV,
events, promotional materials, content marketing, and owned media.
Micro moments and SEO: Use mobile marketing SEO with Google with a steady stream. Paid
search will drive website traffic and respond to the target audiences’ zero moments of truth.

Strategic Rationale: These strategies will successfully meet the objectives because mobile is
one of the largest markets that reach nearly three-quarters of the globe’s population (GSMA,
2016). “Between 50-80% of web traffic or content consumption in our consumer business is now
mobile” (Cahill, 2017,). Mobile will also offer geo-targeting opportunities that can push ads
when players are near VW dealerships.
Billboard Advertisement
Billboards will also be used as it allows the company to reach more citizens and is economical
than any other mass marketing media. The company using this type of advertisement will have
full control over the ad space as no other media allows company to display its messages 24 hrs a
day, 7 days a week.
Personal Reflection
This project re: brief of the module Integrated Marketing Communication was very challenging
and motivating. As working on re briefing the topic Volkswagen (Divorced) 1993, I realized that
marketing effort and strategies of an organization can be effective only if the workers working in
the organizations are effectively involved and are focused towards such strategies.

This module has changed my view on the marketing. I thought that marketing is a responsibility
of only one department, but this research made me realized that it is a cross- functional activity
which is facilitated by a teamwork between the different departments of an organization. This re
briefing helped me to know about the importance of ambient media as well as social media. This
also helped me to gain knowledge about how the company can convince its target audience about
its products through using different communication strategies. In other word, it can be said that
this research helped me to improve my overall creative skills. This research helped me to
improve my persuasion skills as well.
References
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Doyle, P. and Saunders, J. (1985). Market Segmentation and Positioning in Specialized

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Mofid, K. (2015). “If only everything in life was as reliable as a Volkswagen”. [online]

Globalization for the Common Good. Available at: https://www.gcgi.info/index.php/blog/726-if-
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764843cbe82f/katie-shupe-capstone-project.pdf [Accessed 30 Apr. 2019].

Canning, S. (2017). VW heads into future with interactive Golf campaign. [online] Mumbrella.
Available at: https://mumbrella.com.au/vw-golf-goes-interactive-phd-ddb-460068 [Accessed 30
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Digital Marketing Institute. (n.d.). 7 of the Most Impactful Digital Campaigns of 2017… So Far.
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