4A’s MAIP Strategy Internship at Venables Bell & Partners
Introduction During my strategy internship at Venables Bell & Partners in San Francisco, CA., I was put on the creative shop's biggest account, Audi, and worked alongside other creative strategists to redefine Audi’s position in the luxury vehicle category.
Initially, it was a bit daunting being assigned to Audi, a luxury car known for its technological innovations. Additionally, I’ve never been into all the bells & whistles a fancy car provides—so long as I can get from point A to point B, I am content. But this account forced me to put my strategist hat on. I dug deep into consumer research and social listening, visited the Audi dealership after work to creep on potential consumers, assisted in developing a questionnaire for focus groups across the U.S., and truly empathized with luxury car consumers and what they appreciate in a vehicle. I had a hoopla of fun and more importantly, learned from some of the most talented people in the biz. I also know way too much about luxury brands now, which is an added bonus.
Problem • Within 8 key U.S. markets, Audi is seen as a brand that brings exhilarating performance, stunning design, and innovative technology. • These are all great attributes that have been reflected in the brand’s communications over the past 2 years (A4, Q7, e-tron, R8, RS7+, retail work, etc.). • However, the more luxurious attributes of the brand have begun to dip. • Descriptors like “luxurious”, “prestigious”, “confident”, and “willing to pay more for the product” are no longer being equated with the Four Rings.[1] • In other words, the Audi brand hasn’t maintained its luxury touch in these markets.
[1] Data from the Audi GfK Brand Tracker and In-Market Dealership Interviews
Key Insight Audi is viewed as an expensive brand, but not a luxury brand.
INNOVATION + TECHNOLOGY
2016 was a year of innovation & performance messaging—not luxury
Q7 – Higher Intelligence
Retail Modular Work
RS7 – Teardrop
E-tron – Plug In and Take Names
PERFORMANCE
A4 – Technology is the New Rock and Roll
R8 – Commander
Repositioning Audi as “luxurious” • Audi emerged into the brand it is today through conquesting—asserting itself as what it’s not. • Some of the key messaging we made sure to avoid was: • Relying on the four rings logo alone to carry the message of prestige and luxury as Mercedes-Benz does • Relying on close ups of the delicate stitching and craftsmanship as Mazda does • Showcasing a luxurious lifestyle to match the luxury car as Lexus does
• As someone who initially knew very little about Audi and luxury car brands in general, I relied a lot on pop culture context clues to help me distinguish Audi’s luxury from the competition. Prior to meeting with the team, I created a mini thought starter to help us tackle down how Audi is luxurious. Feel free to keep reading to check it out.
Audi’s Take on Luxury
Luxury cars are a self-indulgent purchase for people that want to project a certain image[2]
[2] Data from Mintel’s Luxury Cars – US – October 2016 report
So what image does Audi project?
Audi puts old luxury on notice • Audi rejects the notion of fitting into the “classic” mold. •
“The Godfather” 2008 Super Bowl spot positioned Audi as new luxury.
New Luxury vs. Old Luxury
Innovating a classic
OLD LUXURY
MODERNIZED
NEW LUXURY Sleeker, innovative, fearlessly breaks away from what others have done
If Mercedes-Benz was a house‌
But if Audi was a house…
Tony Stark, new luxury fanatic • While Tony Stark is a fictional character, I couldn’t imagine a better representation of “new luxury”. • Tony Stark is a man of sophistication, innovation and someone who appreciates the ease that emerging technologies can offer.
Thank you! As you can see from the tweet on the right, VB&P and Audi are still killin’ it. I learned a lot during my internship and this deck is only a small testament to that.