Volkswagen South Africa: VW up! Marketing

Description

Volkswagen South Africa: VW up! Marketing: Abstract

At the beginning of August 2016, Bridget Harpur, marketing brand manager for Volkswagen Group SA (VWSA) and national sales manager, Mark Handley were debating how to grow sales of the entry-level VW up! that VWSA had launched in February 2015. The entry-level passenger car category was relatively small and highly competitive. The VW up! was VWSA’s first car ever to target this market category. The car had maintained an average of 8.5% market share since its launch. Handley and Harpur believed it had potential to build share, especially among young, urban drivers. The question was how to adjust the communication strategy to capture the attention of this market.

Teaching objectives

The purpose of this case is to provide a platform for discussion on the concepts of integrated marketing communication and online advertising including social media. The case discussion covers the whole mix of promotional activities:

• Advertising
• Sales promotions
• Public relations
• Personal selling
• Word of mouth
• Events and sponsorships
• Direct marketing