Tales of the Touareg and other adventures in branding

By Charles Warnock

You’re not likely to see a Volkswagen in the winner’s circle at Daytona or Indianapolis. But if there were a competition called the Brand-Building 500, you would find a VW in the winner’s circle, year after year. Everyone knows the touchstones of branding – visibility, value, consistency and loyalty. But few companies are more skilled than VW at putting these pieces together.

VW owners become emotionally invested in their cars, invent pet names for them and treat them like extended family members. In addition to automobile enthusiasts, many marketing professionals are fans of the brand. VW’s irreverent image and clever television ad campaigns speak to young buyers today with a message that’s consistent with the one that spoke to their parents 30 years ago. If you’re a free-spirited kind of person who wants a car with personality, come join us. Among marketers, the company’s promotional prowess is legendary:

The final VW Bug, forerunner of today’s Beetle, rolled off the production line in 2003 – the last of more than 21 million sold worldwide since the 1930s. In addition to dozens of books about the Bug, several compilations of VW’s award-winning print ad campaigns have been published.

A “Transparent Factory” in Dresden, Germany features glass walls that enable residents to see firsthand how VW luxury sedans are manufactured. Finished vehicles are displayed in a glass tower before being delivered to their new owners.

In 1973-74, the company sold 30,000 VW “Things” – a re-badged German military vehicle that looks very much like the love child of a jeep and a dumpster – to enthusiastic U.S. buyers.

And now comes the Touareg, VW’s entry into the luxury SUV market. The Touareg is apparently a first-rate SUV with what USA Today calls “style, grace and growl.” But Touareg? Come on. Passat is an odd name, but “Touareg” sounds like something that needs calamine lotion.

Worship me or die

Perhaps Americans will appreciate that the Touareg gets its name from colorful bands of Saharan nomads known for their endurance and striking appearance. On the plus side, it’s a pretty safe bet that Touareg doesn’t mean “won’t go” in Spanish. Perhaps Volkswagen thought that all the rugged-sounding regional names, like Tahoe and the Santa Fe, were taken. The VW “Peoria” or “Levittowner” just doesn’t have the same caché.

It’s a good bet that if you looked through enough sci-fi novels, you would encounter an evil warlord called Touareg the Terrible who aims to enslave a galaxy or kidnap a lovely Empress. What’s next? Ming the Mercury? The Plymouth Vader? On the other hand, a “Worship Me or Die!” ad campaign for the Touareg would be a refreshing change of pace from those friendly, self-deprecating Beetle commercials.

Or perhaps the industry is simply running out of good car names. Most of the good predatory animal names are already taken, along with mythical beasts like the Thunderbird and Phoenix. But will buyers spend their hard-earned cash on nameplates like the GMC Grackle, Mitsubishi Gerbil or Toyota Trout? Automakers might consider working with corporate sponsors who already have well-known brands. Can the Nissan Nike or Plymouth Viagra be far off?

Another option is for automakers to trade on the success of celebrities who already have winning brands. I would expect that the Cadillac Sinatra would be popular with both older buyers and younger fans of the legendary singer. The Mazda Beyonce would be sleek, fun to drive, have a great sound system and a built-in celebrity endorsement. And it’s hard to imagine that a limited Elvis edition of a luxury pickup or SUV wouldn’t drive sales in the South.

Whatever the approach, automakers will have to get creative or we’ll be seeing a spate of distinctly second-rate model names:

Volvo Vanilla Nissan Eeyore Oldsmobile Earlybird Lincoln Pimpmobile Chevrolet Groin Kia Uvula Pontiac Schmontiac BMW Strudel Subaru Musty Honda Pretense Isuzu Achoo VW Vin Diesel Mercury Mongrel Plymouth Scrota Hyundai Albundai (for drivers who are married with children)

Passat? Bless you!

Elvis and evil warlords aside, it probably doesn’t matter what the Touareg is called. Even if certain models have names that sound like a sneeze or a rash, VW owners seem remarkably loyal to the name and brand.

Mere marketing mortals should probably assume that VW’s positioning and promotion for the Touareg is right on target. The vehicle probably will garner its own cult following, and Touareg clubs, meetings and Web sites will follow.

But it’s not because of the name. It’s because the company has consistently excelled in creating the awareness, recognition and customer loyalty that makes a premium brand. After all, a company that can transform the purchasing decision from “Which car should I buy?” to “Which VW should I buy?” deserves the checkered flag.

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Charles Warnock is a South-Florida based editor and Webmaster specializing in marketing communications and online content. He can be reached at cw@businesstechknowledge.com.