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# Social Good Test Drives
This Volkswagen Test Drive Does Good and Shows Off the Rugged Vehicle

By Laura McQuarrie | Published 2016-06-17 | Autos
Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/volkswagen-test-drive
References: [socialtestdrive.co.za](https://socialtestdrive.co.za/) & [prweek](http://www.prweek.com/article/1392411/volkswagen-south-africa-campaign-proves-amaroks-toughness)

This [Volkswagen](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/id-buzz-virtual-auction) test drive is designed to give prospective car owners a better understanding of the [Amarok's](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/black-sheep-rear-light-drawers) capabilities, while also helping drivers to do some good in the world.

Rather than having people test drive the Volkswagen Amarok on a tar road, the company set up a competition to find five Social Test Drivers who would be willing to make very special deliveries to small cities throughout South Africa. These rural communities are often extremely hard to get to, which is why there is such a high demand for everything from school supplies to fresh drinking water.

While the Social Test Drive could have operated as a one-off stunt, this is now an ongoing initiative from Volkswagen that has seen over 4,600 kilometers driven and 14,000 kilograms of goods delivered.

## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter)

- Score: 0.6/10
- Popularity: 4% | Activity: 7% | Freshness: 8%
- Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women
- Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X
- Top markets: Africa

## Categories

[Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Autos](https://www.trendhunter.com/autos)

## Key Themes

### What's Driving This Trend

- **Social Test Drives:** Creating socially responsible test drives to enhance brand reputation and give back to communities.
- **Rural Distribution:** Developing new, efficient distribution networks to reach hard-to-access rural communities.
- **Community Engagement:** Fostering goodwill and brand loyalty through community engagement initiatives like the Social Test Drive.

### Who This Affects Most

- **Automotive:** Automakers can adopt similar socially-responsible initiatives to drive sales and enhance brand image.
- **Logistics:** Logistics companies can create new partnerships to facilitate delivery of goods to remote and under-served communities.
- **Corporate Social Responsibility:** CSR departments can develop impactful programs to support social and environmental causes while promoting brand values.

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