Getting the Bugs Out: The Rise, Fall, and Comeback of Volkswagen in America (Adweek Book S.) - Hardcover

Kiley, David

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0471403938 ISBN 13: 9780471403937

Verlag: Wiley & Sons, 2001

Inhaltsangabe

For almost three decades, Volkswagen's ride has been on a wild track of many ups and downs. In between the heyday of the Beetle's popularity in the 1960s and the unveiling of the New Beetle in the 1990s, the beloved automaker lost its focus and suffered more than its share of near misses and total catastrophes. Poor decisions and banal advertising campaigns seemed to have stalled Volkswagen's growth for good. And yet this remarkable company has found its way back to the top, with the Beetle now a reborn icon in the United States-- and the sales of Volkswagen vehicles roaring toward levels not seen for thirty years.Getting the Bugs Out is an engaging and informative story of how marketing savvy and advertising brilliance--combined with nostalgia and a fun-loving spirit--again won over the hearts (and wallets) of American consumers. Auto industry expert and journalist David Kiley traces Volkswagen's phenomenal turnaround, revealing all the intriguing details surrounding the birth and rise of the company as well as its downward spiral. He presents a treasure trove of VW history, going back to the design of the original Beetle by Ferdinand Porsche and examining the launch in America, which attracted both curiosity seekers and auto enthusiasts with VW's great value and solid performance.
You'll be there to see how the Volkswagen magic and "flower power" charmed the nation, along with the tongue-in-cheek and truthful ads that were so popular customers frequently framed and hung them in their homes. And you'll see how VW eventually began to fall behind in the ranks, with a falling dollar and lack of credible new products in the '70s chipping away at the company's previously unmarrable exterior.

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Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

DAVID KILEY, the Detroit Bureau Chief at USA Today, is a journalist with fifteen years of experience covering the auto industry. Kiley has written extensively for Adweek and Brandweek magazines and has been featured as an automotive and advertising analyst on Nightline, CNBC, CNN, the Today show, and other TV news programs.

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getting the bugs out

"A fascinating read for anyone connected to the automotive industry. And for those of us who create car advertising and owe VW a debt of gratitude for raising the bar ––and our pay scale–– Kiley′s insights into the historic Beetle ad campaign of the late ′50s alone are worth the price of the book."––Larry Postaer, cofounder and Director of Creative Services, Rubin Postaer & Associates

"Getting the Bugs Out: The Rise, Fall, and Comeback of Volkswagen in America is a fascinating ride from the past to the present in the life of an icon of the global automotive industry. David Kiley has painted a vivid and insightful picture of the genesis of Volkswagen. He provides an intimate view of the personalities and business intrigue in the unfolding Volkswagen drama."–– Dr. David Cole, Director, The Center for Automotive Research, Ann Arbor, MI

"David Kiley has captured what made the company and the brand so special. . . . It is a valuable read for anyone in business, anyone working on a brand, [and] anyone who has ever owned a Volkswagen or realized they were missing something by not owning one. It′s a fun and important story about a fun and important brand."––Donny Deutsch, Chairman, Deutsch, Inc.

"As an early Beetle owner and a financial journalist who has followed the successes and failures of Volkswagen in the U.S., I′ve been intrigued by David Kiley′s new book, which sheds new––and absorbing–– light on that phenomenon. Getting the Bugs Out is not only a fast–paced business story, but it also provides valuable insights into the major successes and blunders in marketing and manufacturing. What makes it a particularly good read is how Kiley skillfully weaves the VW saga around the personalities involved, both in the U.S. and abroad."––Myron Kandel, CNN Financial Editor

Aus dem Klappentext

For almost three decades, Volkswagen's ride has been on a wild track of many ups and downs. In between the heyday of the Beetle's popularity in the 1960s and the unveiling of the New Beetle in the 1990s, the beloved automaker lost its focus and suffered more than its share of near misses and total catastrophes. Poor decisions and banal advertising campaigns seemed to have stalled Volkswagen's growth for good. And yet this remarkable company has found its way back to the top, with the Beetle now a reborn icon in the United States-- and the sales of Volkswagen vehicles roaring toward levels not seen for thirty years.

Getting the Bugs Out is an engaging and informative story of how marketing savvy and advertising brilliance--combined with nostalgia and a fun-loving spirit--again won over the hearts (and wallets) of American consumers. Auto industry expert and journalist David Kiley traces Volkswagen's phenomenal turnaround, revealing all the intriguing details surrounding the birth and rise of the company as well as its downward spiral. He presents a treasure trove of VW history, going back to the design of the original Beetle by Ferdinand Porsche and examining the launch in America, which attracted both curiosity seekers and auto enthusiasts with VW's great value and solid performance.

You'll be there to see how the Volkswagen magic and "flower power" charmed the nation, along with the tongue-in-cheek and truthful ads that were so popular customers frequently framed and hung them in their homes. And you'll see how VW eventually began to fall behind in the ranks, with a falling dollar and lack of credible new products in the '70s chipping away at the company's previously unmarrable exterior.

Drawing upon his unique access to company insiders, Kiley gives you a fresh look into: * The devastating management blunders that led to the failure of cars such as the Rabbit, Thing, Dasher, and Quantum * How serious design flaws, quality issues, and encroaching Japanese competition resulted in the loss of billions of dollars * Why trying to impart the Beetle mystique onto its other vehicles turned consumers away * The notorious series of "Fahrvergnugen" ads

Kiley captures every suspenseful moment of the struggles behind the scenes to salvage the brand--and how the birth of fresh, off-beat advertising finally transformed the company. He chronicles the genius behind Volkswagen's remarkable comeback, examining the combination of visionary management, advanced technology, cutting-edge product development, and, of course, the ads that brought out buyers in droves and cemented VW's position as both a leader in marketing strategy and America's top European brand.

A compelling and enlightening account, Getting the Bugs Out has everything for the enthusiastic VW fan or the manager on the hunt for branding insights, wrapped in an innovative and inspiring tale you can take on the road.

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Wiley & Sons
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2001
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 0471403938
• ISBN 13: 9780471403937
• Einband: Gebundene Ausgabe
• Anzahl der Seiten: 302
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: Nicht verfügbar