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Final Project for Communications Planning Crash Course

Skillshare

Joan Collado (@joancollado)

Tutor: Julian Cole

May 2013

Volkswagen Golf is the classic VW car. It means youth, power and freedom. It’s always been so.

Every few years a new version is released presenting new innovations, but the brand meaning keeps untouched.

This presentation will talk about doing a Communications Planning for Spanish Market.

Business goals & strategy

Volkswagen wants to introduce in the Spanish Market the brand new 2013 Golf edition.

Communications goal

To create a full Customer Journey Map where the Volkswagen brand is always in touch with the consumer via cross-channel touchpoints.

COLLECTING

CLIENT

INFORMATION

Volkswagen Spain has a huge communications structure: from classic TV, radio or print to 2.0 world: Website, Google Search, Social Media and E-mail.

In Spain, the key touchpoints for consumers are auto dealerships, search engines and friends & family opinions.

When it comes to communication channels, the challenge right now for VW is definitely Mobile.

Volkswagen as a brand as well as car market in general represent the “HIGH INVOLVEMENT - HIGH FEEL” quadrant in FCB Grid.

When we communicate we talk about sensations, symbols and aspirations. Brand meaning is crucial in this case, because people not only buy a car: they also buy a concrete lifestyle.

Thus, car market is not only about selling a machine. It’s about playing with momentums.

FCB Grid

Researching customers

Quantitative tools

Tools used: Quantcast, Google Consumer Barometer, Google Consumer Survey, Google Search Trends, Think With Google.

Some intesresting info:

- Google Search results (100 = maximum interest):

- SPAIN: 1 – Ford (90), 2 – Toyota (50), 3 – Volkswagen (45)

- USA: 1 – Ford (95), 2 – Toyota (58), 3 – Volkswagen (10)

- Think with Google:

- 3 key touchpoints in Spain:

- Auto dealerships: 67%

- Search Engines: 63%

- Friends and colleagues: 41%

- With 63 percent of new vehicle purchasers beginning their search with a specific brand in mind,

but only 20 percent purchasing the vehicle they first researched online, it’s clear that brand

consideration can be won or lost at any point throughout this loop.

- Over the course of in-market research, search data suggests that 73 percent of in-market activity

involves cross-shopping.

Tools used: Quantcast, Google Consumer Barometer, Google Consumer Survey, Google Search Trends, Think With Google.

- Mobile and video are changing the shopping ecosystem as it's being built.

- “Potential auto customers aren’t ‘shoppers,’ they are owners that bring with them strong brand notions

based on their experiences before, during, and after their last vehicle purchase."

- As the buyer drives off the lot, what is often considered the end of the process is actually just the

beginning of the next sale. Only 56 percent end up as repeat purchasers. What happens to that

missing third and how can you get them back?

- Question: How can we use social, review, and maps channels to get consumers talking about their

experiences?

Tools used: Quantcast, Google Consumer Barometer, Google Consumer Survey, Google Search Trends, Think With Google.

- Google Consumer Barometer:

- Spain does more online research before purchasing than USA (72% VS 58%).

- Spain uses more search engine research before purchasing than USA (60% VS 41%).

- US does more online car purchasing than Spain (12% VS 5%).

- Quantcast (US only):

- Key gender and age: male, 25 – 34.

- VW is famous between hispanic people, as well as Toyota is famous between asian people.

- Ford doesn’t stand out particularly in any feature.

You can check out some screenshots in the .rar archive attached at my Skillshare post.

Qualitative tools

Tools used:Topsy, Twitter Adv.Search, Blog/Forums active listening.

Other tools used*: Beer drinking with friends, Playstation gaming, WhatsApp talking, car riding.

Some intesresting info from Spanish market:

- The most RELIABLE cars are asian (japanese & korean) and romanian. Most valuable brands are Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, Kia, and Dacia. Reliable means low quantity of repairs and car materials at low prices.

- DESIGN and QUALITY are European brands territory. However, brands like Opel are rejected for his low reliability, just the opposite as asian brands.

- European cars are also known for their “fun” attractive. People have a better time driving them than asian ones.

- Volkswagen Golf is seen as an expensive car, but it is also true that the “extra” in the price is worth paying: Golf means power and quality. It meant it since today’s consumers were children.

- In Spain cars are very important for people’s image. Curiously, until reaching top brands like Mercedes-Benz or BMW, consumer, instead of selecting a brand for their social image attractives, rules them by its social “negative” aspects. It is normal to hear people rejecting Ford Focus or Seat León because “trashy” people (“cholos”, in Spanish) purchases them.

- Spanish people aren’t loyal to their previous brands. They are very sensitive to new trends.

*: Thanks Rob Campbell for the inspiration.

You can check out some screenshots in the .rar archive attached at my Skillshare post.

OUR MAIN TARGET

Patricia Hernandez (24 years)

Patricia is a Master’s Degree in Marketing student from University of Barcelona (UB). Since she is now finishing her studies, she has begun working part-time at an important organization. Her problem is that she lives and studies far from her workplace (because it’s located outside Barcelona) so she is thinking about getting a car to move faster.

She doesn’t know much about cars, but he remembers their old family Seat Málaga. It was a slow, loudy and smelly one Finally, the car broke up and she had no one to go to class. It hasn’t been a problem until now because there is the metro.

Now, she wants a good one. Definitely not classic. She wants it to last years and to make her feel confortable, because from now on she will have to drive a lot of hours each week. It’s no problem if it’s not the cheapest one.

She asked her friends and her boyfriend for advice, but it hasn’t helped too much. Everyone reccomended her different cars because there are a lot of things one can look for.

It seems Patricia is going to begin a long and personal journey until discover the car of her dreams…

CREATIVE BRIEF

CREATIVE BRIEF Strategy:

To communicate, through a Customer Journey Map, the new Golf 2013 and transmit the values that have made it unique.

Insight:

Golf means fun. Other cars can approach it in performance, but Golf has always been the quintessential compact when it comes to driving.

Brand truth:

Golf is the truly and classic brand compact that combines best quality and power.

Proposition:

“Golf: history, youth and technology”.

MAP THE JOURNEY VISUALLY

Key performance indicators

UNAIDED BRAND AWARENESS

AIDED BRAND AWARENESS

KEY IMAGE ATTRIBUTE

KEY BRAND IMAGE ATTRIBUTES

PURCHASE INTENT

PURCHASE