When you think about the Porsche brand, you generally associate them with characteristics such as class, exclusivity, luxury and performance.
Since their establishment in 1931, the company’s marketing campaigns have generally reflected these characteristics, building a narrative dominated by sex appeal and extreme material desires.
In the past few days, Porsche have launched a sophisticated and extensive integrated marketing campaign, in order to tackle decreasing levels of demand for the prestigious automobile brand.
Porsche are attempting to falsify the stereotype that their vehicles are purely ostentatious symbols of status. Market research sanctioned by Porsche suggested that consumers viewed its cars as “impractical purchases for everyday use.”
The “everyday magic” campaign therefore not only emphasizes the luxurious qualities of the vehicles, but also highlights characteristics not usually associated with sports cars: utility, convenience and multi-purpose use.
Porsche VP, David Pryor argued that rather than abandoning the traditional identity of the brand, the “everyday magic” campaign is simply placing, “a little bit of focus on that every day side of it.”
The “everyday” campaign is a truly integrated campaign. Porsche have implemented print, TV, online and social media content in order to reinforce their change strategy on a universal scale. Each of the components of the campaign direct the audience to:
The website offers a comprehensive platform which reflects the goals of the “everyday magic” campaign. A combination of videos, user-generated content and cool artwork help to make the messages more legitimate and believable. The sports cars are portrayed in ways such as “the world’s coolest school bus” and “safe enough for three kids; durable enough for the Swiss Alps.”
But does this “U-Turn” really work? By promoting these characteristics, are Porsche compromising their status as a luxury brand?
Are they sacrificing their identity in favor of appealing to a large segment of the market? Or is this a smart strategy? By implementing a “everyday” campaign can they appeal to a new market while still protecting their traditional clientele?
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