December 1, 2016
Her name was Stella. She seemed like a wise, trusted companion who had traveled the world. It was hard for me to imagine life without her.
Then my job put me on the road sometimes six hours a day, and I needed to talk with clients from the car. That’s when Stella, a 1968 Volkswagen Beetle, could no longer be my everyday ride. She was replaced by a newer vehicle with Bluetooth and a quiet engine. Eventually, Stella allowed me to start Clairemont Communications with the $5,000 I received from her sale.
That’s correct. I started a PR agency on just $5,000. That allowed for a couple of laptops, business cards and basic supplies. I sparingly sprinkled in my favorite color in these purchases.
Over time, I realized the traditionally feminine hue is a brand differentiator. Handing someone a pink business card is a conversation starter, for example. As Clairemont approaches its seventh anniversary in January, I’ve dropped my fear that pink is not a “business” color.
Imagine my excitement over Volkswagen’s new pink Beetle, equipped with everything I need to easily make hands-free calls! But getting behind the steering wheel was not as simple.
Volkswagen carefully devised a strategy to address a segment of its audience while ensuring a successful new product launch. As a consumer, some of the tactics were frustrating. But as a PR professional, I’m still in awe of the seamless blending of old-school, basic communications considerations and creative components that might break some traditional PR 101 rules.
It isn’t surprising that social media played a significant role in product development and introduction — that should be a given in 2016. VW lovers’ social posts asking for a pink Beetle led to manufacturing the 2017 Special Edition Volkswagen #PinkBeetle. Where the campaign falls off the page of a traditional PR strategy is in execution of proactive communications tactics. Or is it?
I’ll admit it. The fact there was so little information available about how to purchase the #PinkBeetle made me want it even more. Dealership calls confirmed a limited supply — only 1,500 were made. This seemed to be the only known fact. Do you have any? Do you know when you’ll get one? Can I order one? No.
I believe this is the first time a hashtag has been part of an automobile’s official name. That fueled additional discussion among VW enthusiasts. While I didn’t find hashtag searches helpful in how to purchase my dream car, it dramatically accelerated my purchasing decision.
Thanks to Gene at Leith Volkswagen of Raleigh, N.C., I am now one of the 1,500 owners of the special edition #PinkBeetle. Gene didn’t know if he would get another one after the first quickly sold, but he promised to call if so. He acted quickly to notify me upon its arrival. I dropped everything to drive to the dealership right then.
As my team builds client strategies in 2017, we’ll ask the following questions with Volkswagen’s launch of the #PinkBeetle as an inspirational case study:
In the meantime, I’ll be buzzing around town in my #PinkBeetle. If you see me, throw me a peace sign.
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