Audi bucks trend, beefs up ad budget
Automakers have been fleeing main-stream media faster than most new reality shows get pulled from prime-time programming. There are many reasons for the move away from big dollar media, including decreased TV viewers and online ads soaking up some of the budget, but perhaps the biggest reason is that cash isn't spewing out of SUV tailpipes any more.Audi is one company that isn't high-tailing it out of the high rent district. The German automaker won't be cutting its 2008 ad budget, and instead, will be pumping more money into big-ticket campaigns. You'll see Audi touting the A4 at events like the Academy Awards and Sunday Night Football, along with its recent spots during the Olympics and last year's Super Bowl. Audi's goal is to bust misconceptions that it is a near-luxury brand by selling its cars as bigger, faster, and more efficient than the competition.
Audi is in a huge hurry go expand to 1.5m global sales per year by 2015, and it has no intentions of letting something like a massive auto market downturn get in the way of its goals. To reach that goal, Audi will have to fare better in North America, and great products alone won't cut it if the word never gets out.
[Source: Ad Age]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
JDL 9:12AM (8/28/2008)
And shoving forward a product line of automatic-only cars certainly won't hold on to enthusiasts...yet that seems to be the Audi plan.
Finally a 2.0tq A3...and it's an auto.
A4q Avant ...oh, Auto only.
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rsfourever 10:01AM (8/28/2008)
what are you talking about? Audi offers manual versions on almost every model it sells in europe.
in america, there simply is not enough demand to justify manuals. even so, here is a list of audi's with manual options:
A3 2.0t
A4 2.0t, 3.2 (sedan)
S4, RS4 (sedan and cabrio)
A5, S5
TT 3.2
that's more than any other luxury make in the US. Mercedes only has the C300 and the SLK 280. BMW only has the 3 series, the Z4, and the 550 (and M3 and M5). Lexus has none, and Infiniti only has the g35 sport and g37 sport.
i think you simply have no clue what you are talking about
zamafir 10:26AM (8/28/2008)
RS4? Manual only, and it's light (M3 weighs just as much without awd - also seems to be catching complaints from every review regarding it's manual). R8? Best option's the Manual. S5? Debuted with only the Manual. Audi TT-S? spades lighter than the Z4M, with awd, just as quick, Debuting in Manual.
Yeah, might want to do a bit of research. Audi's plan is constantly improving their cars, as easily seen with the S5, TT-S, B8 A4 - while BMW's constantly softening their cars, saddling them with iDrive and weighing them down. It should be obvious why Audi's increasing their budget, they build cars universally regarded as better with each revision and they're selling.
JDL 1:07PM (8/28/2008)
S6 - Auto only
RS6 - Auto only
New A4 - Launching with auto only in the Avant
TT - only expensive, heavy V6 gets manual
A3 2.0t models - auto only
US market gets crapped on by Audi. They've significantly cut back on offering manual transmissions.
And please. Throwing out R8 as an example of "hey, they offer a manual" isn't real world. I'm talking the cars that will actually HELP them get to their lofty sales goal. R8-like cars won't put them over their goal.
JDL 1:11PM (8/28/2008)
Oh, and talking about saddling cars with iDrive, MMI is getting pushed down the line as well. So Audi is doing a fine job of imitating BMW.
My UrQ and 1996 A4, as well as my old 2001 A4 Avant are/were a lot more fun than the current and new line of Audis.
And, yeah, I've driven the ENTIRE US lineup.
rsfourever 2:05PM (8/28/2008)
way to ignore the fact I pointed out that Audi has more manual options than any other luxury maker in the U.S.
Good job being unbiased...
JDL 2:41PM (8/28/2008)
I don't care about M-B, Infiniti, et al. So you can point out whatever you'd like to if it makes you happy.
Bias? I'm the one with two Audis in the garage and long time experience with the US Audi Club. If there is bias, it's your rose-colored glasses, fanboi bias.
300-hp turbo A6 is tiptronic only. No stick option. Another car that would be great with a manual. If you want a turbo engine with a stick, you get FWD only. Hmmm, the company that brought turbo and quattro to the US won't offer a manual in any of those models.
rsfourever 4:06PM (8/28/2008)
when people degenerate to calling others "fanboi" (without even spelling the god-damn fake word correctly), i stop responding to their comments.
that is all.
IowaSuby 9:29AM (8/28/2008)
Have you ever driven an Audi or VW with DSG? It's an amazing setup. Here's a video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmMNRQ1GJ3o&eurl=http://www.leftlanenews.com/video-dsg-vs-6-speed-manual.html
I have a 2006 A3 2.0T with DSG, I have to admit it's the only auto tranny I'd go with over my 5MT Subaru Legacy GT.
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JDL 3:04PM (8/28/2008)
Yes, I have. A3, R32, GTI, etc. I still like a manual over any manumatic, including the Evo MR, etc.
Those boxes still aren't as advanced in some places as a human mind choosing when to release or put in the clutch. Too many times those sequentials will up/downshift in corners.
IowaSuby 11:17AM (8/29/2008)
Use the paddle shifters then?
rsfourever 10:04AM (8/28/2008)
"Audi's goal is to bust misconceptions that it is a near-luxury brand."
That is only the case in the United States. In Europe (and everywhere else in the world, really), Audi is considered a top luxury marque. In Germany and France (the two biggest auto markets in europe), Audi is generally considered superior to both BMW and Mercedes (which is known as the taxi-vehicle in europe). Additionally, Audi is the top selling luxury brand in germany, above merc and bmw, and that's despite the sales of E and C classes to taxi-drivers...
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Tsunami Racer 11:57AM (8/28/2008)
yeah but until they beef up their american customer service budget and dealer service training budget, it doesn't matter how much they spend on advertising, they'll still be a tier II luxury brand behind the others. oh, and increasing their reliabilty budget wouldn't hurt either.
IowaSuby 2:46PM (8/28/2008)
"oh, and increasing their reliabilty budget wouldn't hurt either. "
Tsunami Racer: Have you looked at Audi's reliability lately? VW and Audi have made great progress in reliablity. Why do people still keep saying VW/Audi are not reliable? Almost any modern car is going to have a reliable powertrain to 100k miles. The 2.0T and DSG combo are virtually bullet proof, similiar to my 2.5T + 5MT subaru drivetrain. People are so freaking uninformed these days, it's ridiculous. Stupid stories about a 1992 VW they had once blah blah blah, it's 2008 get over it, things change.
rsfourever 4:07PM (8/28/2008)
good comment IowaSuby. +1
dave 11:15AM (8/28/2008)
I love the commercial about the kid going through life with the proper protocol until he gets a job after college. He departs from the Benz/BMW/Lexus stigma and buys an Audi. Cool commercial - and I'm a Bimmer nut.
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Steveboss 4:09PM (8/28/2008)
The dsg epidemic has spread to Vw America. I was waiting for the '08 r32, until it was reported that it was dsg only. It made me want to hold on to my '04 r32. Why has greater Vw forsaken us in North America?
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