Love or Hate the Volvo C30

Glady Reign
Amazines.com
January 26, 2007

Good advertising is key to the sales of any product, that is a given. Companies are always outdoing themselves and their competition when it comes to advertising their products no matter what medium they use. Different approaches are employed to attract their prospective buyers. In Volvo’s case, they opt for the freewill campaign in the advertising of their all-new compact luxury car, the Volvo C30. The car is the first entry of the company known for safety features to the market that also includes the Audi A3 and the BMW 1-Series. This is their first outing in the compact luxury market and the introduction of the car to the public via their advertisements is indeed very crucial.

The company opts for the quirky love it or hate it campaign to show to the public that they have their own choice whether to like it or not instead of telling them why they should like it. The team behind the company’s advertisement shows off the car for the public to assess it, from the front bumper to the Volvo park lights. The strategy is aimed to attract the younger car buyers which they infer are tuned into quirky advertisements. The plan is to let the people decide for themselves what are the good qualities that their car has and what traits it has that they do not want in a car. This shows the confidence that the company has on their car’s strong selling points which include its high level of performance and also its very stylish design.

The advertising strategy employed by the company is not new to the public - other companies have employed the ploy with varying results. The Dr. Pepper Co. labeled their product as “the most misunderstood soft drink” which focuses on the products oddities. The result of the campaign is a success unlike when General Motors offered consumers to make their own Web ads about the then newly released Chevrolet Tahoe SUV and some consumers made bad remarks about the sport utility vehicle. Results may vary when a strategy like that is employed but Volvo is intent to bring their product to the attention of the younger generation that they are willing to face the risk of running such ads.

No matter what the impact of the advertisement would be on the actual sale of the car remains to be seen but looking at the car with its stylish exterior design, it would surely get a much deserved warm welcome from the consumers. The interior of the vehicle can change anybody’s mind to love the car due to its luxurious interior. Driving the car could also greatly improve the car’s standing in the acceptance level of its prospective buyers. Add to that the safety features packed into the car and its value would surely increase.