Volkswagen: ad spend worldwide 2020-2021

On a global scale, Volkswagen spent 2.3 billion U.S dollars on advertising in 2021, reducing the expenditure by some 200 million dollars compared to the 2020 levels.

Volkswagen – emissions scandal

Volkswagen enjoyed a fairly steady reputation among consumers for years, until 2015. That year was the year of the so called ‘dieselgate’, where Volkswagen manipulated their diesel engine emissions results so that they were in compliance with regulations, when in fact they were far worse than presented. The poor management decision cost the company the trust of existing and potential customers, which was evident by the drop in Volkwagen’s reputation score.

Volkswagen – rebuilding the reputation

After numerous apology ads, years of contrition and billions of dollars paid in compensation and penalties, Volkswagen is now entering a new chapter. The car maker just started a new ad campaign, Rebirth, which in its core admits past mistakes but promises a better future. Volkswagen has been working on an electric car (in response to the scandal and as part of a settlement with the U.S. government) which now marks the beginning of the company’s battery-powered vehicle fleet. Volkswagen is currently regaining the lost market share in the U.S. mostly owing to SUV sales in the country and catching up with competitors in terms of electric car production.