Preview

Volkswagens' Management Strategies

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1554 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Volkswagens' Management Strategies
Executive Summary

Volkswagen has been one of the leading motor vehicle manufacturer for a long time. With all the competition in the automotive industry, it has been challenging for Volkswagen to get into the position that they are in now. They are involved in almost every type of car market out. Teenagers can enjoy the Volkswagen Jetta, while parents would love the Tourareg. Volkswagen has even put a foot into the exotic car industry with expensive automobiles such as the Bentleys and Lamborghinis.

The management of Volkswagen is responsible for turning Volkswagen into a global manufacturer. Dr. Bernd Pischetsrieder, former CEO of Volkswagen, implemented his model strategy and with their various business strategies, the management team was able to find ways to please all types of consumers in the huge automotive market. Everyone needs a car and Volkswagen has been able to offer cars to fit every category.

Volkswagen was an important innovative company, because they introduced their multi-brand strategy to a new level, getting a piece of every market. If one market did not do as well as projected, Volkswagens ' brand popularity and quality has been able to perform in other car markets.

Introduction

Volkswagen AG (VW) is the largest motor vehicle manufacturer in Europe, and the fourth largest in the world. Volkswagen manufacturers economic and luxury automobiles, sports cars, light trucks and commercial vehicles through nine independent brands that include Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Seat, Skoda and Rolls-Royce (until finalization of sale to BMW). These brands originate in six different European countries, and span customer base, cost and function. Each brand has a 'distinct personality ', yet is unified under the parent Volkswagen Group that consists of all of Volkswagen 's individual brands and subsidiary divisions. The Volkswagen Group 's activities primarily focus on the automotive market in which they offer products and services along the entire

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    The Volkswagen Group is a company headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. Along with being the biggest carmaker in Europe, they are one of the leading automobile manufacturers in the world offering motorcycles, low consumption small cars and luxury cars as…

    • 1484 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Positioning the New Beetle

    • 1171 Words
    • 5 Pages

    2) VW current strategy is to be an affordable brand that provides an unique driving experience through connecting the driver to the road and to the world. This predefined goal was achieved by the Drivers Wanted campaign. This campaign was part of the…

    • 1171 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Volkswagen of America

    • 1561 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Ferdinand Porsche designed the Volkswagen automobiles during the 1930 in Germany. The original vehicles, targeted at the mass market. Were intended to transport a family of five at highway speeds, use modest amount of fuel, and remain within financial reach for most people. The company’s signature platform by the late 1940s was the Beetle, which with its rounded styling and reliable air-cooled engine, became internationally popular. For about 20 years, sales of the Beetle hurtled skyward, propelling the company’s total worldwide vehicle sales past a million in 1955 and to high point in 1969. Although popularity of the Beetle declined throughout in the 1970s and its importation was discontinued in the U.S late in that decade, production of Beetles in Latin America continued in the U.S late in that decade, production of Beetle in Latin America continued into the 1990s. It remains the best selling car of all time.…

    • 1561 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Porsche short squeeze

    • 1753 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Porsche, a luxury automobiles manufacturer, announced in 2005 that the company had intention to purchase 20% Volkswagen shares to support German politician’s plan of reducing foreign ownership and improve domestic investment as Volkswagen’s shares were majorly held by Lower Saxony (just over 20%) and the rest were freely traded in the market.…

    • 1753 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The main idea of this case evaluated the prioritization process as to whether it was the right process for VWoA. In this case, VWoA introduced a new prioritization process with three phases. But in the running the new process, VWoA have met many problem. All the problems can be regrouped in a major issue: How to find the right prioritization process.…

    • 1299 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Although Piëch was basically a one man band having control of the R & D, Quality, Production and Purchasing departments, his direction has left the incoming CEO with a solid base to further develop and grow the VW group. His vision and drive have placed VW in the position of number one automaker in Europe with market share well ahead of the nearest competitor. He has also globalised the brand with construction of plants in Asia, South America and Eastern Europe. These strategies have helped reduce labour costs at home and develop a more flexible work force.…

    • 3288 Words
    • 14 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Volkswagen Case Analysis

    • 5492 Words
    • 22 Pages

    After the conclusion of WWII, Volkswagen with the help of the Allies was set on a path to help revive the country of Germany and their broken auto industry. In 1948, Volkswagen "...reorganized as a trust under West German control." (Wilson) A year after reorganization, the company exhibited the Volkswagen Type 1 Beetle, the company's most recognizable design, in the United States selling only two units. This disappointing year in sales would however, not be an indicator of the future. With growing fondness of the car in the US came the formation of the Volkswagen Group of America in 1955 which boosted production of the Type 1 Beetle to an impressive one-million units. On February 17, 1972, the 15,007,034th Type 1 Beetle was produced effectively exceeding the single most produced model in history, previously owned by Ford's Model T. In 1978, Volkswagen effectively opened its first factory in the U.S. in New Stanton,…

    • 5492 Words
    • 22 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION & THE VOLKSWAGEN GROUP INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL STATEMENT ANALYSIS Group Members Jose Cervantes Hilda Patricia Moreno Aracelis Nass Keila Urdaneta Florida International University ACG 6255 International Accounting Professor Leonardo Rodriguez Summer 2008 TABLE OF CONTENTS Objectives ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………3 The Automotive Industry ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… .4 The Automotive Industry in the United States …………………………………………………………………………………..…

    • 7190 Words
    • 29 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Beetle Case Study

    • 1508 Words
    • 7 Pages

    The research of VW within the industry showed how the brand was perceived. It was appealing for its affordability and approachability versus other European car brands and for its…

    • 1508 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    b) Effects and Consequences. A research conducted showed mixed reviews and opinions about the car. The target market encompassed Volkswagen's core audience of 18 - 34 years olds and baby boomers. Buyer's characteristics were identified as confident, individualistic, and a desire to be the center of attention. In addition, Volkswagen felt it could leverage the nostalgia surrounding the car. However, appealing to young adventurous individuals and nostalgic baby boomers seems to be contradictory. If the company is not able to target the market appropriately, the brand will be inconsistent, misleading customers. Volkswagen is aiming to make its brand relevant. To achieve this, they have to align with market conditions and trends. An improper segmentation would result in an inadequate association of characteristics of the car, with the target market destroying brand equity. In addition, the company has to decide the media required to publicize the car. Utilizing TV campaigns they will certainly reach a broader customer base. Utilizing print advertising they will reach more specific and demographic segmented customers. The issue is to adequately balance the media channels to be used to target the right market. On the other hand, price will be one of the most important variables that will determine segmentation used. If the company overprices the New Beetle, the young segment of customers associated with the car would be discarded because they would not afford it, but if they underprice it, uniqueness characteristics would be deteriorated, and…

    • 1423 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    In order to solve management problems, there are few objectives that Volkswagen’s managements need to focus on when they doing their marketing research. To Begin with they need to (1) Identify the target market, (2) Find out what the target market’s preference of small car, (3) Find out customer expectations from new Beetle, (4) Know what the reasons are that people want to buy New Beetle. The Volkswagen New Beetle was introduced to U.S market in 1998 (Wikipedia.org). Before launching the New Beetle, the team needed to design New Beetle to look like the original Beetle in order to bring back people’s memory about one of the most successful cars in the world. The New Beetle takes style and shape of the original Beetle to become a stylish and fashionable compact car.…

    • 1195 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    This case study discusses the history of Volkswagen (VW) in America and in particular the launch and relaunch of one of the most successful VW models, the Beetle. 1. Why would positioning the New Beetle be considered Mission Impossible? Volkswagen (VW) started their business in the US in 1949 with the very successful Type 1 or as it was know, Beetle. In the 80’s, due to several reasons from legislation to Japanese competition, VW had to stop its production. In 1994, began the idea of re-launching the once brand’s icon. But this time, the New Beetle was envisioned at first as “the bug of the new millennium”, aligning the tradition and nostalgia of the past with the new technological advances and design trends of the present and also matching the consumer’s needs. All this under 4 main values: Honesty, Simplicity, Reliability and Originality. Also, it would have the goal of constituting >25% of VW’s 1998’s selling goal. This showed to be a big challenge for the marketing team. Marketing Research analysis had identified VW’s a new kind of consumer set. Young, affluent and educated 1 individuals but also adventurous and thrill seekers who liked to have a more active role in driving, among 2 others . Supported by this information, VW created the “Drivers Wanted”, a value proposition of German quality allied to the dynamic and fun driving at affordable prices with the objective of targeting this young consumer and ultimately rebuild the brand equity and a sales boost, a “new generation of VW drivers”. Contrarily, the New Beetle revealed some ambiguity. On one hand there was the segment of Baby Boomers, 3 attracted by the heritage, tradition and emotional connection they had to the Beetle , being the natural segment to target but inconsistent with the adopted corporate strategy. On the other hand there was the potential customer revealed by marketing research and in line with corporate strategy, the so called Generation X,…

    • 1182 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Throughout the century the sector turned out to be the pillar of the national economy. Germany's famous premier brands such as Porsche, Audi, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and BMW are enviable all around the world (ACEA, European Automobile Manufacturers Association 2008).…

    • 2508 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Case Study Audi

    • 6513 Words
    • 27 Pages

    •The brand confusion: There is a risk that the different brands of the Volkswagen Group start to compete against each other since they are increasingly launching the same market segments. Our recommendation to avoid this issue is to stop the expansion of Volkswagen with…

    • 6513 Words
    • 27 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Best Essays

    Audi is under a parent company named Volkswagen Group which is a German automobile manufacturing company. Audi is a manufacturer of exquisite cars – beautiful, sophisticated machines that embody technological perfection. Audi is the Premium brand growing most rapidly and on course to become the world’s most successful…

    • 3111 Words
    • 13 Pages
    Best Essays