VW Marketing Strategy?

[sidepod]

Over the weekend we got into a debate about the marketing strategy of VW with regards to the Cali.

A good friend of mine prefers the vans produced by the many small companies who'll modify your donor van to your own spec thus giving you the interior/exterior finish you desire, as opposed to the limited, and fairly drab options VW offer.

To my mind there is no argument. One option has a massive depreciation curve, the other, virtually none but, I do agree on the colour/trim schemes.

Whilst at the dealer last week we spotted a new Transporter Sportline outside in a beautiful powder blue. That's the colour we want please? "Er no Sir, please choose from these few unexciting colours."

The conclusion of the debate was, VW should hire the marketing guys from Mini and roll out a huge options list to allow you to customise every knob, button, trim and colour to your hearts content. The result would be a much more vibrant, exciting, fun vehicle and each one almost unique. Oh, and drop the price by £10k and sell bucket loads.

I love the Cali but, lets face it, it's a bit dull?

Perhaps VW have selected their target market? Are we dull?

S.

 

[BerndRos]

Why do think the Cali does not depreciate....?

 

[sidepod]

....quite. Nothing like cheapening the brand to kill it but Mini have managed to maintain a quality high end brand with excellent residuals?

S.

 

[tomartinh]

Be careful what you ask for....

Supply chain issues aside, lets assume they take the mini model and they drop the base price by 10k. Then what you'll find is you'll pay 35k for a base van, where all currently included options would be an extra (including the pop up roof). I would be willing to bet to spec a vehicle to the existing SE standard you would end up paying the current price plus 20% or more easily.

Why, profiteering? - possibly but mainly you've now introduced a huge amount of complexity into the supply chain for VW for a niche vehicle (Mini is mainstream vehicle selling in millions), so their costs are going to escalate, which they naturally pass on to the customer.

So instead of a vehicle which has a marginal appeal due to its nature and cost, where a few idiots like us would trade a very nice BMW/Merc for, into a vehicle only a very few people with more money than sense would take it over a small house in the Cotswolds

 

[James]

Over the weekend we got into a debate about the marketing strategy of VW with regards to the Cali.

A good friend of mine prefers the vans produced by the many small companies who'll modify your donor van to your own spec thus giving you the interior/exterior finish you desire, as opposed to the limited, and fairly drab options VW offer.

To my mind there is no argument. One option has a massive depreciation curve, the other, virtually none but, I do agree on the colour/trim schemes.

Whilst at the dealer last week we spotted a new Transporter Sportline outside in a beautiful powder blue. That's the colour we want please? "Er no Sir, please choose from these few unexciting colours."

The conclusion of the debate was, VW should hire the marketing guys from Mini and roll out a huge options list to allow you to customise every knob, button, trim and colour to your hearts content. The result would be a much more vibrant, exciting, fun vehicle and each one almost unique. Oh, and drop the price by £10k and sell bucket loads.

I love the Cali but, lets face it, it's a bit dull?

Perhaps VW have selected their target market? Are we dull?

S.

The problem is the Mini is clever in that it is a mass produced vehicle designed and marketed to give the impression it was niche, done, as you said with an extensive options and personalisation list.

There isn't the volume sold to justify this from VW and to be blunt and I apologise for this generalisation most people who buy a Cali have passed the stage where they get excited about yellow leather trim, pink wheels and bonnet stripes (okay maybe not the bonnet stripes).

I guess over two tonnes of metal is no too exciting on it's own, although I do find my Beach reasonably exciting but the going away aspect, the usefulness of the vehicles is, and that is what people who buy Cali's value.

VW sell a steady stream of Cali's in the UK, personalisation is not really going to sell anymore, not compared to the price of offering it, because it costs.

The Mini is an illusion, configure one of their website, yes, there are a few options but there is not much you can do, it's just clever marketing that tries to convince you that you can. It's why you are seeing an ever increasing number of older Mini's with after market paint schemes and alloys.

As a car geek or if you like petrolhead, I find the Cali, the concept, the execution, the uniqueness of it very interesting.

James

 

[James]

....quite. Nothing like cheapening the brand to kill it but Mini have managed to maintain a quality high end brand with excellent residuals?

S.

Nearly new Mini's, yes... Older Mini's no.

By the way Mini did not create the brand BMW did, experts at creating a desirable brand.

Mini's for me fail on one simple level, pull into a car park, there will be a row of them...



James

 

[sidepod]

Good points and I agree with all but surely a few more trim options? And why on earth can't I have the paint I want? They all go throught the same panit shop after all?

VW are happy to offer lowered springs and 20" Carlos Fandango's so they obviously see the interest in that side of things?

We've all seen the concept van VW have (the retro splitty camper thing) and the marketroids generally get their way over engineering, so fingers crossed.

S.

 

[Hubert]

Agree with sidepod regarding the colour choices, the transporter is available in a lot more colours and if it suits the van shape should also suit the California.
To be honest I don't think VW / Audi have the best range of colours. Other manufacturers seem to have a wider choice and more daring options.

Hubert

 

[KernowLad]

The rather grey interior did initially put us off but it all works well which is what really matters.

Most California drivers do seem to be fairly senior!

 

[beardie]

The rather grey interior did initially put us off but it all works well which is what really matters.

Most California drivers do seem to be fairly senior!

But compared the the trim fabric options offered by the likes of autosleeper on their van conversions VW are 'right upto date'

 

[Freeley]

The rather grey interior did initially put us off but it all works well which is what really matters.

Most California drivers do seem to be fairly senior!

But compared the the trim fabric options offered by the likes of autosleeper on their van conversions VW are 'right upto date'

:laugh2 My mother in law has got an autosleeper trident on a T5 base - the seat fabrics look like the'y're from a 1960's 3 piece suite. Dreadful.
And the stick on fake walnut veneer looks almost as good!

 

[KernowLad]

I saw an Autosleeper Topaz today in Sainsburys - 12 plate and my word it looked AWFUL!

Had some bizarre bull bar on it, flower stickers, dog club stickers and generally looked wrong. Made our Cali look rather attractive!

But when we first looked at a Cali (earlier shape, silver) I was put off by the greyness inside - felt a bit clinical. Add some floor mats and a few extra bits and it becomes a bit more homely.

 

[MichaelB]

I can imagine the choice of colours is down to the production method. The roof sectors arrive from a supplier pre painted on pallets so I guess there is only so much stock thy can hold. To my mind one of the benefits of the Cali over some other options is that you don't have to have white with chintz.

I also suspect that vw have to protect the conversion market. If they undercut the cost base of companies like bilbo they would affect those van sales.