Volkswagen celebrated real drivers to reverse brand decline and generate substantial incremental revenue.
Volkswagen was facing a perfect storm of disruption from Electric Vehicles, new low-cost competitors, shrinking margins, and declining brand strength.
This case describes how by reframing Volkswagen’s heritage as ‘the people’s car’, Volkswagen messaging used real drivers to make the brand’s popularity visible and relatable. Media was invested in to balance scale and personal relevance and rebuild likeability and consideration.
As evidence that the strategy worked, this case includes data on a reversal in brand decline, record highs in key metrics, and 24,328 incremental car sales, generating over £900m in revenue.