"Unrecognized Greatness" helps Audi lead the luxury car pack

Ted MarzilliCEO YouGov Direct
October 04, 2011, 5:01 PM GMT+0

Audi’s brand marketing shift into the luxury sector with its “Unrecognized Greatness” campaign has softened the perception blow that the rest of the sector has taken all summer.

Audi achieved record sales numbers in July. That followed a significant improvement in its Buzz perception with adults earning $100,000+ who are in the market to purchase a car in the next year. The jump in Buzz separated Audi from its luxury car competitors at the end of June.

However, those perception numbers drifted down for both Audi and luxury cars in general all summer long until Labor Day, when Audi kicked off its “unrecognized greatness” campaign for the A8 sedan on the NFL’s opening day. Since that time, while the luxury sector’s perception has stabilized but well below its pre-summer heights, Audi has been heading back up with high income earners in the market to purchase an auto.

A score can range from 100 to -100 and is compiled by subtracting negative feedback from positive. A zero score means equal positive and negative feedback. Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com were measured using YouGov BrandIndex’s Buzz score, which asks respondents: "If you've heard anything about the brand in the last two weeks, was it positive or negative?"