Golf! The compact car has been on the market for almost half a century, and everyone has known it for almost that long. Therefore, no further specification is needed that the Golf is a VW. Everyone knows this. The situation is similar with the S-Class, Corolla, 3 Series or Mustang. Our brain immediately creates a link to the Mercedes, Toyota, BMW or Ford brands.
Such legendary model names are characteristic of an automaker. Johanna Gollnhofer, 35, marketing professor at the University of St. Gallen (HSG), knows that from a marketing standpoint, they are their own brand: “In the minds of consumers, Golf is their own brand that stands for something.” Compact bestsellers are considered affordable, reliable and family-friendly. is done. “In the best case for the brand, we establish a close and friendly relationship,” explains Gollnhofer. And make an example. “There are people who take their jar of Nutella with them on vacation and post pictures of themselves and Nutella by the pool.”
Full throttle to the name impasse
Cars, like the Nutella jar, are faithful companions in their own right. Many automakers have formed a number of logical names around their well-known models. In addition to Golf in VW, Polo, Passat, Sharan and formerly Scirocco are named after the winds. Mercedes has A, C or E class, BMW has 1 series, 5 series or 7 series. However, with the advent of electromobility and the associated Stromer model attack, a sudden chaos of terminology ensued. Mercedes and Audi in particular are in a naming stalemate right now.
The electric Mercedes EQ continued to run smoothly, from the first Stromer EQC to the van EQV and compact SUVs EQA and EQB. But then came the sedan EQS and EQE – and these also offer crossover variants. With the addition of an SUV, the solution may not be as elegant as some Mercedes interiors, but still simple and straightforward. Audi’s first electric SUV, the E-Tron, was also running smoothly when it launched in 2018. Even with the limousine called GT. But with other electric SUVs, the Q4 E-Tron and the soon-to-be-launched Q6 E-Tron, this has become illogical and then confusing. Audi maneuvers out of this stalemate by renaming it. With the makeover, the E-Tron is now converted to the Q8 E-Tron. So the logical Audi terminology is correct again.
However, such confusing misnomers can overwhelm the customer. Marketing expert Gollnhofer. “The auto industry plays a lot with different numbers and names. This can quickly lead to confusion among consumers.” Customers often try to clarify this with Google. “As a result,” says Gollnhofer, “they usually get a wider selection from more manufacturers and their brands. In the worst case, you switch to a competitor or delay the purchase.” Still, Johanna Gollnhofer likes the approach of giving electric models their own label to create a new brand. A new name can highlight a novelty: “Philipp Morris has a strong brand with Marlboro. But for e-cigarettes, the company has created a new brand with Iqos. This means that the innovation is independent and also has a better image than conventional smoking.»
New name, new image
Similar considerations certainly played a role when the ID family for VW electric models was established, at Volkswagen Group headquarters in Wolfsburg (Germany). After the diesel scandal, VW urgently needed a new brand that would turn a clean slate, similar to the “clean” e-cigarette Iqos. But now there are signs of mixing the internal combustion engine with the electric world. Successful VW models Golf and Tiguan will receive electric successors similar to the ID. Buzz as ID. Gulf and Identity. The Tiguan will be included in the Stromer family.
From a marketing standpoint, it makes sense to keep these well-established names. “A strong brand has the potential to last for generations, you usually don’t stamp it out,” explains the university marketing professor. The ID family can be pushed by the Golf name. But Gollnhofer suspects a different strategy: “Golf is ingrained in the minds of consumers as an internal combustion engine. The identity connection could aim to bring the Golf brand into the electric age.» Bestsellers have changed over and over since its introduction in 1974. And if it continues to change, it may remain a familiar name for another half a century.