Allow me to flog my favorite automotive fetish for a little while… one that hails all the way from the days my father got a Horch (before Audi was Audi) for their wedding… 😉
Audi used to be the ‘third German luxury car you can’t quite remember’… the also-ran, the ‘yes it’s quite good maybe even superior but why would you get it over a BMW or Mercedes’?
With BMW being the sporty one and Mercedes the traditional ‘old money’ luxury car…
Audi was the classy one you’d get if you didn’t want to show off, or otherwise show your comfort for reason.
CONSERVATIVE… was the operative word. And proud of it, evidently.
Heck, they used to be so invisible even their global slogan was in German! -Vorsprung durch technik (I suppose it still is but less used)
But all that changed a few short years ago.
Audi decided they didn’t want to play the third fiddle anymore.
=> Goodbye non-inspiring design, goodbye invisible looks, goodbye lukewarm sales…
To compete with BMW and other sporty offerings, they added a more intimidating look: (grille and headlights)
To compete with Mercedes, they added a long-delayed SUV line and a coupé model.
To get the attention of sports cars fans, they finally introduced their supercar: the R8.
And look at Audi now! Behold the result…
- They’re routinely beating BMW in head-to-head reviews…
- The A6 is now the most popular business car all over the European home turf…
- They’re about to overtake Mercedes in global sales…
AND they’re one of the frontrunners with electric cars too, with their Tesla competitor R4 just announced…
Think all that is just coincidence?
They just started to build SO MUCH BETTER cars all of a sudden?
I don’t think so… because listen up:
It PAYS to be visible.
It PAYS to go all out with your best stuff out there.
It PAYS to be just a little outrageous when it matters.
Keep that in mind the next time you think about your ‘corporate image’ or ‘personal brand’ or what have you.
Yes, be yourself, but be your BEST self… hang it all out there!
And this concludes today’s “with both funs blazing” marketing lesson.
See you next time! 🙂
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