Volkswagen Beetle Media Strategy Profile

ADV 846 Qiang Zhang

Brand Introduction

• 1933 Launched in in German

A family-sized, low-cost “people’s car”

• 1949 First arrival in the United States

The culture of Beetle has been associated with cult, fashion, and every owner’s own story

• The No.4 of Top 10 Best Selling Cars of All Time

• Sold in over 50 countries

• Only in the U.S., there are about 590 dealers

• Price $20,000 to $30,000.

• Have 3 different models : Original, Lifestyle, Freedom

• Have 6 different products: The Beetle, Beetle Fender, Beetle Carbriolet, Beetle Carbriolet 50s edition; Beetle Carbriolet 60s edition, and Beetle Carbriolet 70s edition

Media Strategy Analysis

ANNUAL MEASURED U.S. MEDIA SPEND $540,568,869

TARGET MARKET & MARKETING MESSAGE

• Original consumer who had owned one (especially baby boomers)

• First-time car buyer who barely has memory about history of VW Beetle

“Engineering, humor and price”

Mass Media Strategy

Tag line—“The Power of German Engineering ”

Mass Media Strategy

Nostalgia & Humor

“ Punch Dub”

Online Advertising Strategy

Organic List

Paid List

Paid Media

Online Advertising Strategy

www.vw.com/beetle

Owned Media

Social Media Strategy

1,576,018

86,747

1,792,312

4,334 

3,035

144,442,159

7,756 Tweets and 94,277 Followers

Social Media Strategy

AS SUN AS POSSIBLE

Social Media Strategy

AS SUN AS POSSIBLE

Mobile Media Strategy

Mobile Site vs Website

Mobile Media Strategy

Mobile Apps

Overall Assessment

• Most strategy is under the influence of parent brand-Volkswagen Heavy investment on mass media, especially on TV

More attention to the online media and social media

• Different channels is one voice The affordable German Engineering with sense of humor.

Problems

• Whether let the most iconic product under the protection of parent brand is a perfect choice for all the media channels?

• The immature in mobile channels

The End