Since Volkswagen makes a point to develop cars that are simple, urban and convenient, it knew that its target customer isn't the type to go out of their way to book a vehicle test drive at a dealership. Rather than having people come to the cars, Volkswagen brought cars to the people in partnership with Uber.
Just like summoning a regular ride on Uber, drivers were able to give the 'Volkswagen up!' a spin just by specifying so on the app.
To truly pump up the campaign, the automotive brand made sure to invite media personnel and celebrities to ensure that these efforts really took off in South Africa. Although this was designed as a one-off campaign, it's not far-fetched to see this as the way to book a vehicle test drive of the future.
Ridesharing Test Drives
Volkswagen's Vehicle Test Drive Can Be Ordered Through Uber
Trend Themes
1. Convenient Test Drives - Volkswagen's partnership with Uber demonstrates the trend of bringing the test drive experience directly to customers, making it more convenient and accessible.
2. On-demand Test Drives - The collaboration between Volkswagen and Uber highlights the trend of on-demand services extending beyond transportation, allowing customers to request test drives at their convenience.
3. Influencer Marketing for Test Drives - By including media personnel and celebrities in their test drive campaign, Volkswagen showcases the trend of leveraging influencers to generate buzz and maximize exposure.
Industry Implications
1. Automotive - The automotive industry has the opportunity to adopt on-demand test drive models, partnering with ride-sharing services to improve the customer experience and increase vehicle exposure.
2. Ride-sharing - Ride-sharing companies like Uber can explore partnerships with automotive brands to offer on-demand test drives as an additional service for their users.
3. Marketing and Advertising - The marketing and advertising industry can adopt influencer marketing strategies like Volkswagen, using celebrities and media personnel to promote test drive experiences and create viral campaigns.