Buyer Behaviour regarding Volkswagen Beetle - Think Small Campaign - Essay Example

? Buyer Behavior- Volkswagen Beetle inserts his/her s Department’s Volkswagenemployed a radical ad campaign to sell Beetle to the U.S market. The reason for this aggressive strategy was that World War II had recently taken place and this model had been built in Germany which could easily account for its failure in the U.S. Therefore, the think small campaign was launched to counter this and to differentiate the product from competitors who, at that time, were selling larger cars for families and baby boomers. A plain, economical, basic German car was, in effect, being sold to a Jewish market that was used to sophisticated technology and was tech-savvy (Burrus, 2011). This campaign came at a time when American customers were being enticed to ‘think big’ and flaunt their status by owning big possessions. This ad stood out from the rest simply because it had sufficient white space and was colored black and white deliberately to differentiate it from other ads in U.S which used exotic colors, pleasant visuals, large logos, and huge illustrations. Although the black and white ads may have been disappointing for some customers; they created a high level of contrast owing to the use of white space that allowed visuals to pop from the sheet. Headlines that were hand-lettered were also common (Einstein, 2010) (Appendix 1). Furthermore, photography was at an infancy level and majority of the ads employed illustrations or artwork to convey the message to the intended audience (Batra, 2004). This ad, however, appeared to be realistic during such times when other ads were overly fantasized. Furthermore, at that time cars were not just used as a means of family transport (such as dropping children to school) but as a status symbol and fashion statement. Hence, the product attributes shown did not pertain to lifestyle. It has not been portrayed as a vital object in the everyday life of a smiling, happy and middle class family. The “masculine” persona associated with cars meant that they had to be stylish and “muscles on wheels” (Holt, 2004). The brand “Beetle” however was just the opposite. The name had been inspired from a bug and the size was tiny compared with other cars- both these factors shunned the masculine identity that had since long been attached to cars. Yet the clever use of contrast (black and white) along with sophisticated and a persuasive ad copy did the task of making Beetle a matter of American pride. Rather than positioning the product against a colorful backdrop with a high dose of colors, the car (in black) stands out against the plain white background which creates the perception of customers seeing the product in a new light. This allowed buyers to evaluate the product against other alternatives. Furthermore, the underdog attitude of talking to people by not talking them not won the hearts of several customers (Prell, 2011). This ad was different from its predecessors in that it is neither overloaded with information nor does it rely on recurring exposure for persuading the audience. The ad incorporates an emotional appeal and at the same time conveys the benefit of the product of being compact rather than oversized as well as affordable. Affordability, however, was not a concern for customers in America at that time since all their purchases had been halted during the WWII which led to increased spending after the war. The need that the product catered to was the small parking space it would take along with fewer repair and insurance bills (McQueen, 2012) (Bergh, 1992). The ad compares Beetle- the ‘small’ car with other big cars. The ad copy accompanying Lemon- the ‘big’ car reveals the need replace the chrome strip on the glove compartment because it was flawed (Appendix 2). Through this, the company intended to show that if this is what Volkswagen thinks of a lemon, the Beetle must be created with perfection that this ‘lemon’ car lacked. The law of candor was used by the company in this ad as it used self-deprecating phrases such as think small, lemon, and “ugly is only skin deep” (Mills, 2000). This was used appropriately as the content shifted quickly from the negative statements to positive ones. The tag line “Think Small” was concise which conveyed Beetle’s brand persona of self-assurance and confidence. It emerged as a light of individuality and “personal mobility” (Hiott, 2012)during an age marked by the concept of the family car. There is little doubt in the fact that these ads reinforced the idea that ‘simple is beautiful’ and that simplicity wins over complexity. The white space used in most ads goes hand in hand with the simplistic and minimalistic image of the Beetle brand. Furthermore, the ad copy not just explains the advantages of owning a small car per se but explains how small cars are preferable over large ones which, in short, urge customers to buy Beetle rather than other big cars. Compact size as opposed to a luxurious size and affordability as opposed to luxury were the product attributes emphasized in the ad. Moreover, one of the ads under the Think Small campaign emphasized on product features such as the high quality of engine which was made from Magnesium Alloy rather than aluminum used in other cars. The ad also states the company’s concern with detail which meant rejecting “one out of a fifty” Volkswagen models upon safety inspection. It clearly states how the model required less maintenance and depreciates less which demonstrates how the company genuinely cares for its customers. This caters to the “evaluation of alternatives” aspect of the buyer decision process as it shows how Volkswagen is better than its counterparts. This stage of buyer process is also aimed at in one of the ads which states the attributes of an ideal car and then claims that Beetle was not anywhere near it which was in the best interests of the consumer because the fast speed (which Beetle lacked) would compromise on customer’s safety in the form on burnt tires, missed destination targets and breaking traffic laws. Durability, steadiness, safety, sharpness, smartness and sturdiness were in sync with the brand persona of Beetle. Reliability is an essential element of brand trust and the Beetle was able to foster just that. At the same time, its “humble” brand persona made it appeal to just about everyone living in urban and suburban areas (McQueen, 2012). At a time where conformity was being practiced by American carmakers (who were replicating the same strategy of showing colorful illustrations and dreamy ads), this made a statement to customers and others to “go their own way” (Holt, 2004). In other words, it appeals to customers to be different and be self-confident. By reinforcing the “think small” mentality, the company was, in effect, rejecting the American culture of consumerism and materialism that prevailed at that time. Furthermore, the ad copy makes extensive use of “Volkswagen” and “VW” rather than Beetle so that customers associate the product with the company rather than the model. VW is also frequently used to make it sound American as opposed to “Volkswagen” that may sound German. The use of semiotics is also apparent as the white space used acts as a mode of boldness. The question that arises is why would an advertiser leave space empty for which it has paid (Goodson, 2012)? The answer lies in that this space has been used to convey a powerful message to the target audience- one that could not be conveyed through words or graphics. The ad was not just selling the product but a whole new culture to the Americans. Those who followed the philosophy embedded in the “think small” campaign were, in fact, “true believers” of this cultural movement (Goodson, 2012). It gave customers a sense of belonging to a revolutionary culture that was unconventional and bold. Target audience who would end up buying the car would not just become customers of that car but advocates who were part of a larger cause. Through the ad the company was not just creating potential customers for itself but “loyal” customers who would not switch to other car brands once they used this model (Goodson, 2012). To conclude, the “think small” campaign of Volkswagen has been one of the most successful campaigns of its times. By breaking through conventional wisdom, VW created a market of loyal customers for itself that do not prefer to switch to other brands to date. References Batra, R., 2004. Advertising Management. 5th ed. New Delhi: Dorley Kindersley Pvt. Ltd. Bergh, B. G., 1992. Volkswagen as “Little Man”. Journal of American Culture, 15(4), pp. 95-119. Burrus, D., 2011. Flash Foresight: See the Invisible to Do the Impossible. New York : Harper Collins . Einstein, A. W., 2010. Ask the Man Who Owns One: An Illustrated History of Packard Advertising. North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc.. Goodson, S., 2012. Uprising: How to Build a Brand--and Change the World--By Sparking Cultural Movements. New York: Mc Graw-Hill. Hiott, A., 2012. Thinking Small: The Long, Strange Trip of the Volkswagen Beetle. New York: Ballantine Books . Holt, D. B., 2004. How brands become icons: the principles of cultural branding. Massachusetts: Harvard Business School. McQueen, J., 2012. Building Brand Trust: Discovering the Advertising Insights Behind Great Brands. Indiana: Xlibris Corporation. Mills, H., 2000. Artful persuasion: how to command attention, change minds, and influence people. New York: American Management Association. n.d [image online] Available at: [Accessed 29 May 2013]. Prell, M. J., 2011. Underdogma: How America's Enemies Use Our Love for the Underdog to Trash American Power. Dallas: BenBella books. Appendix 1 Appendix 2 Read More