If You Think the “Voltswagen” Joke Failed, You Don’t Understand PR

Amidst a mostly forgettable April Fool’s Day of brand jokes this year, Volkswagen announced they would be changing their name to Voltswagen to celebrate their commitment to electric vehicles. Soon after, they backtracked and declared it an ill-advised joke ... which predictably global media covered as a “debacle.” Those declaring it a failure don’t really understand how PR works. Not only did the move signal VW would be committed to electric vehicles in a big way, it helped them rise above other competitors also investing heavily in electric vehicles in the race to catch up to Tesla.

As proof their strategy is working, there was an article in BusinessWeek the same week focused on “The End of Tesla’s Dominance” of the electric vehicle category. Guess which brand was shown in the rear view mirror illustration as a top emerging competitor? Yup, VW.

So let’s break down this PR strategy. You make a bold statement, maybe as a joke. Stoke some outrage, get a few “experts” to condemn your strategy ... and generate coverage. Meanwhile, the people who actually matter (ie - dealers and consumers) are either indifferent or thrilled at the results. This is what a great PR strategy looks like.

Fittingly, the article referenced above ended with this line: “VW vowed to tighten internal marketing controls but stopped short of removing executives and severing ties with agencies.”

Removing them? Actually, they should give them all a raise.