VW Group launches information campaign
The German carmaker says it wants to “‘invite people to familiarise themselves with electric mobility through a cross-brand communication campaign’ in the coming weeks.”launch its first ever cross-brand communication campaign in the coming weeks and months to stimulate interest in finding out about electromobility.” The campaign is aimed at individual and fleet customers, employees, dealers, and the media.
The goal is “to refute common customer concerns with facts and arguments,” says Volkswagen Group. Although the project has been planned throughout Europe, the Group’s national companies and brands are free to participate. It is, therefore, not yet possible to estimate the exact scope of the programme.
There are three formats for the launch of the ‘Enter Electric!’ campaign, which will run for around six months, with more to follow. For example, the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand’s Product Communications department has produced a twelve-page special edition of the Volkswagen Magazine, which was distributed in November with a total circulation of 1.2 million copies via weekly newspapers, trade magazines and car dealers.
Volkswagen Group Technology and the battery subsidiary PowerCo have produced a mini-clip series, ‘Battery ABC,’ in social media format. These will be played out on various Group social media channels and contribute to “to share basic fact-based knowledge across brands.”
The central platform of the information campaign will be an ‘e-mobility info hub.’ This cross-brand portal, hosted by the Volkswagen Group itself, will bundle facts, stories, and interviews on the key topics of batteries, charging, maintenance, and sustainability. The content will be gradually expanded over the course of the campaign as it is published in other publications.
The awareness campaign comes at a time when the legacy carmaker is struggling with electric car sales while facing EU-stipulated CO2 fleet limits. From 2025 onwards, car manufacturers will have to achieve an electric share of around 25 per cent of their total sales – a figure VW will likely fall well short of in 2024.
In addition to “attractive entry-level prices” and “special leasing deals” announced with the campaign, ‘Enter Electric!’ is another element to try and increase public interest in electric cars. The aim is also to promote opportunities for first-hand experience, for example, at the brand level via test drive programmes and focussed dealer training courses. VW has already reduced the price of the ID.3 and launched a leasing offer for the sporty GTX models this week.
“I am confident that battery technology will gradually win over the hearts of our customers. Consistent cost work will enable us to hit the right price points even better,” said Marco Schubert, member of the Volkswagen Group Extended Executive Committee responsible for Sales. “At the same time, we are continuing to expand our model portfolio across all brands in a targeted manner, thereby reaching even broader customer groups, particularly in the entry-level segments.”
Sebastian Rudolph, Head of Global Group Communications, pointed out the importance of explaining the technological change and clarifying its advantages and counter prejudices. “This applies in particular to suitability for daily use, battery, charging convenience, and sustainability. With our cross-brand initiative, we want to make an informative contribution to this.”
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