Beauty and brains: How we supercharged the Audi premium 2015-2018

IPA Effectiveness Awards Case Study 2018

Audi’s UK growth had come from its less expensive cars. It aspired to sell more cars to higher value customers. Using a strategic idea of the ‘progressive premium’, Audi launched a programme to communicate the desirability and technical innovation of its cars to higher spending users across various channels. Following the activity, Audi became top for desirability among the prestige audience. Sales volumes grew three times faster than the UK market. Between 2015 and 2017, an estimated £1.78bn of incremental revenue was generated and the profit ROMI was £2.07 for every £1 invested.

Once upon a time, in a kingdom far far away, there was to be a frog race. The goal was to reach the top of a high castle tower. Many villagers gathered at the foot of the tower to see and support the frogs. The race began. But in reality, the villagers didn’t believe the frogs would succeed in reaching the top of the tower. The people started to say, “They’ll never make it!”. The frogs began to doubt themselves. “They’ll never make it!”. And the frogs, one by one, admitted defeat and dropped off the tower. Except for one little frog that continued to climb. At the end he, alone, and with and enormous effort, reached the top of the tower. One of the quitters approached him to ask him how he had done it, to finish the race. And discovered that he... was deaf. So what have I learnt? Dare to be different. Be true to the aspirations of your heart and be deaf. Don’t let the nay-sayers interrupt you. With 'Beautiful cars with amazing brains' we went a different way, we dared to be simpler and more emotional in our communications. And it worked.

Benjamin Braun, Marketing Director
Audi UK