Good!?

Dude, they are circulating the internet like crazy. Costs "air time" --Next to nothing.

yeah, that goes down as "good" in my book.

After being in the US market for 50 some odd years, if VW doesn't have brand awareness, they should quit.

Likewise, one of their BIGGEST problems of late has been the lack of quality and dealer service.

The ads don't address any of those.

"Tuned by German Engineers" means...what?

I mean what does it mean? I say it means nothing. "Tuning" is something you do to individualize. Just like it sounds...on a radio, you fine tune the station to bring in a channel YOU want. Not what somebody else wants. Not what a German engineer wants.

I have three german engineered machines in the garage. They were DESIGNED by German engineers, but they were tuned BY ME.

As somebody once said: "Nothing happens until somebody makes a sale."

If these ads don't generate sales....they weren't any good. Despite all the free airtime.

Do you really expect these ad's won't help sales?

I can't explain it any further - take a Marketing Psychology class and you'll see that this technique DOES work. It WILL increase their awareness and sales.

I'm thinking back to the pic of the Bettle (way back) that had one big bold word above it -LEMON

Just because some don't get it, doesn't mean it's not effective.

The ads were awesome. The market for the GTI is for 16-30 years olds as Ralph said, however the new Jetta market is targetting the 16-30 year olds of old (so to speak), those that owned the cars in their twenties and want a more sophisticated car with the same badging (non Audi).

I walked into the dealership to buy a GTI a few years ago and saw a better deal with the GLI and my financial sense kicked in and I bought the GLI. The new GTI, after seeing in at the LA Autoshow, still has me thinking about a trade in.

Ralph, whenever you get the Autotech VW back together again, I would love a ride.

Well condenscending answer aside, I will summarize my points.

1. The ad is funny....

2. ...But it goes against a lot of the tenants of traditionally owning a VW...like customizing. Pick up any issue of Euro-tuner and you'll see what I mean.

I am a bewildered that on a board from a PARTS company, where people apparently like to tinker with their German machines, that people don't find the notion of NOT tuning a vehicle to be strange.

2. Product substance. The ad says nothing about it. Again, this is a sports car board right? And this is a sports car ad, right? I am interested in the numbers as anyone who is into a performance machine would be. Aren't YOU interested in the numbers?

It made me laugh, but it's not making me walk to a dealership, or even go to their website. If the cross comparison tests in the magazines turn out favorably, then maybe.

I thought the theme, of the ad's, was 'UnPimp your Auto'. . . .. not 'Untune your Auto.'

"vhat iz dis for?
"it'z fo suck'n in air
"Ya, iz definitely zucking :D

Read what you wrote. Sounds condescending. Maybe that wasn't your intention, but that is the way it came across. : "I know and you don't and I won't spend my time explaining it to you."

"Pre-tuned by German Engineers" Sounds rather un-tune-ish to me.

Well condenscending answer aside, I will summarize my points.

Asking you to consider basic marketing concepts is not condescending.....


I am a bewildered that on a board from a PARTS company, where people apparently like to tinker with their German machines, that people don't find the notion of NOT tuning a vehicle to be strange.

The general population does not tune their cars. This ad isn't aimed at us, it's aimed at everyone.


2. Product substance. The ad says nothing about it. Again, this is a sports car board right? And this is a sports car ad, right? I am interested in the numbers as anyone who is into a performance machine would be. Aren't YOU interested in the numbers?

See above.


It made me laugh, but it's not making me walk to a dealership, or even go to their website. If the cross comparison tests in the magazines turn out favorably, then maybe.

You and I are a lot alike - I'd look at the reviews too. But most people wouldn't, and don't. We're car nuts, but most people aren't.

un-tune-ish ! ?
 

I think they are saying;

"here; we put our engineers on task of making an econ-box perform. (so you won't have to . .. but we know you will anyway. .. but this is much better place to start.) "

Then consider this: In Olgilvy on Advertising, one of the basic tomes of the advertising field, the tenant was laid out that: "Nobody ever bought anything from a clown".

What does that mean? Humor alone is not enough to make a sale. Although they admit that things have somewhat oved away from that, I believe this still holds true.

Nobody will buy this because they think it is funny and then get down to brass tacks only to be disappointed.

Re: un-tune-ish ! ?
 

Maybe... but I asked my girlfriend (not all that into wrenching) what she thought the ad said and she said

"We tune it so that you don't have to."

Hi Chris,

Come down as soon as you can, the car has been put back together (stock seats are back in but engine mods, suspension, brakes, wheels/tires are still on the car). I have tentatively sold the car to a customer in Mexico City (with a couple of guys in Canada and one in Taiwan interested as well) rather than return it completely to stock for shipment back to Germany at the end of March. He is supposed to be wiring the funds and arranging for transport and this should happen by the end of the week.:)

VW fired their long-time ad agency in late summer, if this is the best the new agency can do than VW is in trouble. I think the new ads are stupid. The GTI 2.0T commercials that are airing right now with the "FAST" are much, much better and I predict VW will have have a hard time keeping "FASTS" in stock at local dealerships. They should stick with and expand that theme.;)

BTW, SEMA market research indicates that less than 1% of car owners modify their cars.;) The Jetta & Passat aren't even marketed as sporty cars any longer, instead their "safety" is touted. VW has to try harder with the new GTI, they had the original "pocket rocket" with the '83 GTI and dropped the ball and let Honda run with it with the Civic & Integra for so many years.

Ralph

yeah, but there is also the sub-text. VW is mocking the MTV Pimp my ride people. They are putting themselves above the other econ-boxes, even after they have been ehem "tuned."

They are indeed going to appeal to people, the same way the EVO appeals to the same crowd. (hot, outta da box )

CF to be added later.

out east the typical vw owner is two fold...pimp daddies tend to go jetta, most gti people are traditional VW , they aren't the flash types...I think that this will be a great car, I am actually trying to move my tundra out to get one...anyone want a 05 tundra 4x4 with 2100 miles for 26k? If i can't sell it i will wait for the r36. Ralph, Autotech is a great VW place but you guys haven't a clue about the east coast market...never did..glad things stay the same there.:D (jk)

Thats it.

I think some of you guys have the age groups wrong here. 16-30? I think part of the reason they are making fun of these kids is to tap into an older demographic.

As for the quality issues? Oh please....long time VW owners know they are not buying a Toyota. I'm not saying that its an issue, but I think that is something that is hurting Passat/Jetta sales.

That may be true I guess, but with gross sales reaching almost $5 million annually we must be doing something right, eh?:) I seriously doubt that Peter is anywhere remotely close to that figure, but than again I don't ever see Rapid Parts anything out here, but than again they are just a reseller of others products which is different from us.

The East Coast & West Coast markets are entirely different, no doubt and you're right on that account, you see much more quality cars IMO on the East Coast than here out West. Waterfest is always an eye opener, but than again everything is centralized back East so its easier to bring large groups together.

We private label for MANY companies (it always makes me smile when someone says company A's product is garbage and company b's product is superlative when in reality its the same thing) and we sell alot of our products to Central & South America and the Far East. These customers aren't into "bling" but rather performance parts that actually work at prices that won't break the bank, which suits us perfect.;)

The 1% figure is taken as a market whole, one can safely assume that a large percentage of owner's of new GTI's will not be leaving them stock. How many stock Corrado G60's and more recently R32's are actually out there?:)

Please PM me with the company you now work for if you would like, I would be interested to know.

Ralph