Tales of the Touareg.... Marketing Articles | May 23 Wholesale Warriors Jerseys , 2004 Tales of the Touareg and other ... in branding By Charles ... not likely to see a ... in the winner?s circle at Daytona or ... But if there were a ... called
Tales of the Touareg and other adventures in branding
By Charles Warnock
You?re not likely to see a Volkswagen in the winner?s circle at Daytona or Indianapolis. But if there were a competition called the Brand-Building 500, you would find a VW in the winner?s circle, year after year. Everyone knows the touchstones of branding ? visibility, value Cheap Warriors Jerseys , consistency and loyalty. But few companies are more skilled than VW at putting these pieces together.
VW owners become emotionally invested in their cars, invent pet names for them and treat them like extended family members. In addition to automobile enthusiasts, many marketing professionals are fans of the brand. VW?s irreverent image and clever television ad campaigns speak to young buyers today with a message that?s consistent with the one that spoke to their parents 30 years ago. If you?re a free-spirited kind of person who wants a car with personality, come join us. Among marketers Damian Jones Jersey , the company?s promotional prowess is legendary:
The final VW Bug, forerunner of today?s Beetle, rolled off the production line in 2003 ? the last of more than 21 million sold worldwide since the 1930s. In addition to dozens of books about the Bug, several compilations of VW?s award-winning print ad campaigns have been published.
A ?Transparent Factory? in Dresden Kevon Looney Jersey , Germany features glass walls that enable residents to see firsthand how VW luxury sedans are manufactured. Finished vehicles are displayed in a glass tower before being delivered to their new owners.
In 1973-74, the company sold 30,000 VW ?Things? ? a re-badged German military vehicle that looks very much like the love child of a jeep and a dumpster ? to enthusiastic U.S. buyers.
And now comes the Touareg, VW?s entry into the luxury SUV market. The Touareg is apparently a first-rate SUV with what USA Today calls ?style Nate Thurmond Jersey , grace and growl.? But Touareg? Come on. Passat is an odd name, but ?Touareg? sounds like something that needs calamine lotion.
Worship me or die
Perhaps Americans will appreciate that the Touareg gets its name from colorful bands of Saharan nomads known for their endurance and striking appearance. On the plus side, it?s a pretty safe bet that Touareg doesn?t mean ?won?t go? in Spanish. Perhaps Volkswagen thought that all the rugged-sounding regional names, like Tahoe and the Santa Fe Mitch Richmond Jersey , were taken. The VW ?Peoria? or ?Levittowner? just doesn?t have the same caché.
It?s a good bet that if you looked through enough sci-fi novels, you would encounter an evil warlord called Touareg the Terrible who aims to enslave a galaxy or kidnap a lovely Empress. What?s next? Ming the Mercury? The Plymouth Vader? On the other hand, a ?Worship Me or Die!? ad campaign for the Touareg would be a refreshing change of pace from those friendly, self-deprecating Beetle commercials.
Or perhaps the industry is simply running out of good car names. Most of the good predatory animal names are already taken [url=http://www.cheapnbawarri Charles Warnock is a South-Florida based editor and Webmaster specializing in marketing communications and online content. He can be reached at cw@businesstechknowledge.