Volkswagen and Saturday Night Live

[Music] Volkswagen is a brand that has long been connected to pop culture, going all the way back to its time as the favorite brand of microbus driving hippies. And this year, as part of a campaign for its modern version of the 1960s microbus, the new ID Buzz Electric MIDI band, Volkswagen aligned with another pop culture icon. In Saturday Night Live. Hello, my name is EJ Schultz, news editor of Adage. And on this edition of the Marketers Brief Podcast, we'll learn about how VW's sponsorship of SNL's 50th anniversary season came together, including an ad that paid homage to a classic SNL skit. Rachel Zaluzek, VW of America's Senior Vice President of Customer Experience and Brand Marketing, will walk us through that deal, as well as other ways that German brand is staying connected to US consumers. Part of that involves aligning customer experience initiatives with marketing. And Rachel's a pro when it comes to that given her experience with customer experience as part of an earlier career. She'll also touch on other topics, including her own career journey, which started not in marketing, but human resources. And now, my conversation with Rachel. [Music] Hi, Rachel. Welcome to the Marketers Brief Podcast. Hi, EJ. Thanks for having me. So you were promoted into your current role, I think, about two years ago. I want to start by asking, take us back in time a little bit, and what have been your priority since overseeing marketing at Volkswagen of America? Yeah, so it's a little over two years ago at this point, EJ. And I think my biggest priority since taking on the role was really merging together the two teams that I now have responsibility over. So while newer to the role, I'm not new to the organization. I have been with Volkswagen for some time. And prior to taking responsibility for brand marketing, I was over customer experience in digital. And one thing that was really important for me to do first from kind of an org and leadership perspective was to make sure that we took the time to really integrate the two teams together, not just from a leadership and team dynamics perspective, but from a priority's perspective, right? Because they were very disparate before. And whereas you could be out there with a marketing message, with a brand message and a brand promise, and then you bring a customer in and really want to make sure that whatever your messaging when you have out there, once a customer comes in, you want to do experience the same thing. So that what you promise is what you experience when you're when you're in-house and when you're in the ecosystem and in the family. So really making sure that the messaging is the same, the priorities is the same, and that we're practicing effectively what we preach was truly a priority for me because I really come from the customer side first. And it's a different lens at least in my experience from a marketer perspective when you when you see things from the person who basically answers the phones when the customer calls you. It's a really different perspective. So that to me was priority number one, then from an overall brand perspective. Obviously we had some very big brand priorities coming into the last two years. The biggest one was was obviously launching the biggest launch quite frankly that we've had in quite some time with the ID buzz. So making sure that we were not only readying the dealer body but ready in the organization for what was finally the long awaited vehicle coming to market. So what were we doing from priming the dealers, what were we doing from getting the consumers ready and then ultimately for what we had to do from breadcrumb perspective because this vehicle was long awaited right between the bus day that we had on June 2nd which was June 2nd more than a year before the actual vehicle introduction and then keeping it top of mind but not so far top of mind that people weren't all right enough already where's the vehicle and to the actual launch. So having the right balance of messaging throughout that period of time. So I want to come back and talk about ID buzz in a little minute. But first I want to go back to your point on sort of merging marketing with customer experience because I think that's a challenge not just an automotive but across a lot of brands. I would think you'd have an inherent advantage having worked in customer experience before. Can you give an example or two kind of what you've changed and how that experience has helped you as you're trying to blend those two disciplines. I think from from what I've changed and really is making sure that from a messaging perspective we look at it not just from a conquest perspective but I want to make sure that regardless of commercials from CRM from something in a dealership I want to look at it from the person who already has my vehicle in their driveway right if they already own my badge are they going to be proud of what that message says. Am I speaking to them because I'm talking about that individual already right they've made an investment they either are going to reinvest in the brand or not they're an ambassador already. So it's not just wanting to convince somebody else to purchase a Volkswagen and become part of the family it's making sure the people who've already made that commitment are going to be just as comfortable just as proud just as happy with the messages anybody else. And I say that because again having so many years on the customer side of things and having not necessarily been a part of crafting that message I've been the recipient of a phone call and feedback to say who people liked it didn't like it it resonated were offended were pleased with it were not and it occurred to me that that's an audience that's often forgotten because they were you know they're an audience that's already acquired and you know when you're thinking conquest when you're thinking growth there's often you know that well we've got them you know it's now it's your job to keep them not my job to keep them in terms of the marketer where quite frankly we all know that they're the most affordable audience to keep. So let's keep talking to them yes we want to grow them but a customer we have can be our biggest advocate they can be our walking billboards they can be our walking commercials if we speak to them correctly if we make them loyal advocates so making sure that we keep that population in mind in all of our marketing strategies is is probably one of the first things that I made sure the team was thinking through as a priority I don't want to say it was necessarily a change it wasn't it wasn't something that they were ignoring but it probably wasn't first thought the way it's been first thought for me because I lived it for so long. So what are the ways to talk to that current audience is it are we talking about the tone here or there are other things you're referring to when when you're talking about keeping that current user base in mind. A little bit of it is tone a bit of it is just talking about credibility making sure that if we're putting a message out there it doesn't contradict anything that currently exists because we want something to get called out by a current owner or a current base we need to speak not only to the people we want to bring in but to the people who are realness. For example if we want to grow in an existing population from a target group and we don't already have the right infrastructure to support that target group then it just doesn't make sense. So we can't go there until we're ready we can't go there until we've got the support structures until we've got the aftermarket maybe for example if we wanted to go to a population who maybe English isn't necessarily their primary language. Okay we can't necessarily say that we're for that population until we've got the ownership infrastructure support that group. So thinking about the ownership experience before we're thinking about the marketing experience that's a little bit of what I'm talking about. So you've got the credibility once you're in before you know the marketing message to acquire. So let's talk a little bit about the IDPAS for folks who not VW enthusiast survivors. This is of course your electric minivan. It is the sort of modern take on the classic VW micro bus which is one of the more iconic name plates out there it goes back to kind of the Woodstock days right. We prefer micro bus to minivan yes. Okay one of the things you recently did around your ID bus marketing was was unique you guys partnered with CYRNET Live as part of their 50th anniversary special and you did an ad that sort of played off their classic the Californian sketch which of course I think first aired way back in 2012 featuring Fred Armason, Delhater, Christian Wig. Let's take a listen to the spot and then we're going to talk a little bit about it. Next on the Californians. Diana. Thanks for meeting me at Malibu Beach off the one of Raleim Estil. You saw me this morning in Marinette R&N. But not Malibu Beach. Witt Stewart. Why are you doing here? I'm out enjoying life in my new Volkswagen ID bus. Witt what's an ID bus? This I've been approaching life with positive vibes. Yeah that's right. I know it's red Devon. I drove up the five got on the 405 and took the 10 to the PCH. It's giving total positivity. Wow these seats are like California lounge chairs. We can go far in a single charge. who knows where we'll end up. Probably on the five or the one on one. The California's. Okay Rachel, tell us how that came to be. Boy was this was this a fun project to work on EJ. So the conversation started way back, at least for me in 2023, which is really when we started talking with NBCU and it really has been a multi-year partnership with NBC Universal. It was announced in mid-24 actually during the Parasol Olympics was when we were announced as one of the presenting sponsors, the SNL 50-year anniversary, you know, full season. And as part of that partnership, there were a lot of different elements associated with it. One of the elements of the relationship was custom content. And each one of the presenting partners received this moment where we could partner with the SNL franchise. And there would be a selected skit sketch commercial where SNL and the, you know, and the brand could align on one particular sketch and work together. Now I will say it was it was it was a very different way of building a commercial. I'll talk about that in a moment to build content. And then it would air adjacent to, you know, SNL properties throughout the NBC ecosystem. So we knew we were going to have custom content. We went back and forth on a couple of different concepts, but let's face it from the start, Californians was one that was a favorite of both hours and of SNL. Then we went back and forth on a kind of few different script ideas, but really the the script was written by the SNL writers. The production was done by the SNL crew. We did have the pleasure of being on set for the filming. And I have to say, watching the reunion of Kristen and Fred and Bill for the first time, seeing them come back together. Absolute career highlight. It was one of those moments where you will never forget it was absolutely just hilarious. And their chemistry is as real as you would legitimately see it. And the behind the scenes was as funny in person as it was when we released it was great. But seeing the just how well and authentically the vehicle fit into the storyline. And I'll be honest, we actually worked to make it seem like less of an ad than it was originally written in the script. I kept saying, let's back it off a little bit more. We wanted it to feel like it was part of an actual episode. And yes, it's clearly a paid sponsorship. And you've got the moments in there where we've got the disclaimers there accordingly, but didn't want to be so heavy handed that it took away from the comedy and that it took away from the authenticity. Because that's what feels SNL. And that's where you get the genuine connection between what is SNL, what is storytelling and what Volkswagen does well as well, which is kind of that witty storytelling. So you know, having access to the entire SNL library, I assume, is sort of a dream come true. And there's so much you could have chosen from I'd imagine. Why the Californians? We wanted something that just was natural, right? You didn't want anything where someone would have to say that was forced, that it didn't it didn't fit well, that it felt too much like a commercial. We also wanted as much of the original cast that would have been in the skip. So again, when you go through the available cast members that were there, kind of pare down, there was also to me the connection between kind of reimagining and bringing back an icon. And the Californians sketch itself is iconic when it comes to SNL. The you know, I debuzz, a reimagined icon of the bus. So just the parallels there to me made so much sense when you also consider the deep connection that the Volkswagen brand has with the state of California, right? Californians themselves have embraced Volkswagen and truly have kind of built the DNA of the brand not just in the US really have kind of built that like sub-surfour culture of a Volkswagen globally. So what better way to pay homage to that than to kind of weave it in through this unique opportunity that we that we had through this partnership? Let's talk a little bit more about your EV approach. Obviously, it's no secret and automotive. If you go back a few years, there was a lot of hype about EVs. I think folks would acknowledge they haven't exactly met that hype, but obviously there's still a lot of energy across all automakers around electronic vehicles. How are you approaching EVs right now? We've talked quite a bit about ID buzz. I don't think that's your only electronic vehicle. So what do you guys, how do you view that segment right now? Still kind of a minority of all purchases, right? It is still a, I wouldn't say the minority, but it is still a smaller segment in the US. Then I think we, I think the entire industry expected it to be at this point. And we really do think there's two main factors that are going to dictate the speed of EV adoption in the US, right? It's going to be consumer adoption levels, right? Consumer education, consumer comfort with switching to that type of a power train. And we still do have an infrastructure issue in the US that we have to overcome. I think it's improving, but we do have a ways to go. But I think Volkswagen and in general, the industry does believe that alternative power trains are going to be the automotive way of the future. So is Volkswagen still very committed to that path? Absolutely. Now, are we on the same trajectory that I think the whole industry thought we would have been years ago? No, it has slowed and for that reason, we do as a brand, particularly in the US, we've got the flexibility, which is good, for us to make sure we've got power trains of choice for our customers in the market. For example, I guess we've been talking about the ID bus, which is not only an electric vehicle, quite frankly, it is a brand halo. So we market it not just for being EV, it is a seven-seater family vehicle, but it's also the vehicle that does elevate the brand. It really talks more just as much about the brand as it does about electric vehicles. We also have the ID4, which was actually the first electric SUV in the market and is actually assembled right here in Chattanooga, which a lot of people don't know that it is here in the US. But we also here in the US out of Chattanooga have the Volkswagen Atlas and Atlas crossport. So those are still, you know, ice power trains, making sure that we keep that power train of choice in the US with still having, you know, many other ice vehicles that we have. Also knowing that there's desire in the market for even more alternate power trains, which we are continuing to evaluate the needs for in the market, making sure that we're keeping a pulse on what consumers want, where the industry is going and making sure that we're looking at accordingly to meet the customer where they want to be. I know a lot of brands have shifted their marketing to talk about that portfolio approach, right? And they may include hybrids in that as well. You guys still currently sell hybrid in the US, is that right? We don't currently. No, we don't have, currently have hybrid in the US, but it is something that we're investigating. I know one of your bigger launches is coming up right, the Tijuana compact crossover, the next model of that. Can you talk a little bit about how you might be marketing that this year and how big a push that's going to get? Very, very excited. Yes. So Tijuana will be coming in the next few months, I will say. And it is going to be a very big launch for us, probably as big if not bigger than the ID buzz, but in a different way. So ID buzz, I would call our brand Halo, right? And where we look at it to kind of elevate all of kind of those brand image attributes that we're looking for where Tijuana is more our volume Halo, where it really reaches much more of the population in terms of the segment size, being in that ASUB sweet spot where it does kind of cross over from a demographic perspective. The facelift that this vehicle has received is dramatic, both from an exterior and an interior perspective. So you'll see us leaning in to really the change that this vehicle has received. And I expect a full 360 push this summer into the fall for everything Tijuana, not only at the tier one perspective, but all the way down into retail, really, really, really excited about this launch and everything that it's going to bring. And I do know of all of the requests that we're getting not only from dealers, but to the very, very loyal Tijuana owners who are anxiously awaiting for this vehicle. We keep getting panked of when's it coming? What are we going to see dealers who were first introduced to it last October? I think it was in Orlando. We had our last big dealer Congress. And then I'm sure you've seen the recent releases that we had when we revealed the Tijuana to the press. It's gotten just incredible reviews. So I think people are hungry for it. So another one that I'm very fortunate to be able to be in this position to be able to market. So Rachel, I only have a couple minutes left. I want to end kind of where we started, which was with your career journey. I think you've ban it Volkswagen America since 2008. Is that right? 2008 in a direct capacity, but actually 2002 is when I started my relationship with the brand. So yeah, been around a long time. And you got your start in HR, is that right? That's sort of a unique path moving from HR to marketing. Can you talk a little bit about that journey and how you made that shift? I can. I can. And yeah, it is a little bit unique. So I did. I started in human resources in what was a human resources business. So really the role that kind of consults with the business and I like in it honestly more to the customer side of things where the business units and the employees were my customers end and it was my role to help kind of shepherd them through the organization help them find the resources the tools they needed to be successful. So it was from there that it was a natural transition for me to go from the internal customer right the employee to the external customers so I moved from there into the CX space where I really spent the lion share of my time in the organization external customer CRM customer relations getting into customer data data development digital development and then ultimately then into into marketing and we often talk about you know, the automotive business the marketing business at the end of the day it's it's all about people right so when I talk about where I when I see the path and I talk about the path that I've been through I think there's two things that I tell a lot of individuals who asked me that question like how does that work. It's truly about understanding what motivates people right a lot of it is relationship base but a lot of it is about what motivates people what questions do they have what problems are they trying to solve. And at the end of the day if you can get to that core figure out what motivates them figure out what problems are trying to solving and get to that you can move on to the next base so it's yeah it's about metal it's about product but it's about building a relationship and trying to solve a problem and whether you're doing that with messaging whether you're doing that with a customer who's going to issue to solve at the end of the day that's that's what my role is and that's what my team's here to do and that's that's kind of how the path is laid to call out. That was Rachel Zaloozik Volkswagen of America Senior Vice President of customer experience and brand marketing. My name is EJ Schultz News Editor at adh I want to thank our producer Lauren Chartio and invite everyone to subscribe to this podcast on your favorite channel. We'll catch you next time. Marker's Brief Listeners get $40 off an adh.com subscription. Sharp in your marketing edge and visit adh.com/brief for your discount.