The Disneyland for Cars

interview The Disneyland for Cars An Interview with Otto Ferdinand Wachs, Chief Executive Officer, Autostadt GmbH, Wolfsburg, Germany Prior to assuming his present post in The Autostadt is a marketing tool 1999, Wachs was responsible for Volkswa- through which we try to communicate gen’s participation at the World Exposi- Volkswagen’s values to the public. We try tion and served as project head for the to appeal to various age groups, as well as Autostadt. Before that time, he was head a broad range of other target groups, and of public relations for the VW Group, it starts with schoolchildren. In June 2003 manager of the office of former VW CEO we opened an automotive-mobility school Dr. Carl H. Hahn, and provisional head to teach young children from northern of the company’s international press, Germany the answers to traffic, safety, and prior to which he worked for 12 months environmental questions. Ultimately, we in the United States and Canada. The hope to keep in touch with this young recipient of an M.B.A. from the University group so that they remain in contact with of Hamburg, Wachs began his association the brand. Meanwhile, for adults the with Volkswagen as an intern in 1983. Autostadt provides insight into our opera- tions. Adults can visit our factory, for COMPANY BRIEF Headquartered in example, and during their visits we’re able Wolfsburg, Germany, and launched in to build a dialogue and create good rela- Otto Ferdinand Wachs June 2000, Autostadt GmbH is a theme tionships with them. Of course, as many park that comprises more than 40 acres, of them are in the process of deciding on EDITORS’ NOTE In 1995, when Otto Ferdi- employs more than 2,000 people, and a new car, we try to plant the idea in their nand Wachs talked to Dr. Ferdinand serves as a marketing tool for Volkswa- minds that they should buy a Volkswagen. Piëch, the then chairman of Volkswagen gen and its many brands, including In that sense, the Autostadt’s main pur- AG’s board of management, about ways Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini, Seat, and pose is to build customer loyalty. to “interest the public” and make Volk- Skoda. In addition, the park features the No other automobile company swagen’s “marketing more effective,” they ZeitHaus museum of automobile history, has made such a large investment in were looking out at what was “the back of a corporate forum, factory tours, show- a facility of this kind. Why did the factory and full of old oil tanks.” But rooms, prototypes, theaters, restaurants, Volkswagen decide to build the today, that back lot has been reborn as shopping areas, a Ritz-Carlton hotel, and Autostadt? the Autostadt (German for “car city”), a the world’s highest-volume auto delivery The Volkswagen Group is the num- theme park that also serves as “a commu- center. With more than two million visi- ber-one auto manufacturer in Europe. We nications platform for the Volkswagen tors annually, Autostadt is the second produce a broad range of cars, from low- Group.” Wachs, who is now CEO of the most visited theme park in Germany. end to midrange to luxury automobiles, facility, describes it as an “educational such as Audis and Bentleys. So we wanted and entertaining” destination that Some might say the Autostadt is a to invite people to Wolfsburg to visit a enables the company to “get in touch and museum, while others might de- unique, innovative destination, thereby stay in touch with the broader public fur- scribe it as the automotive industry’s creating a relationship and good rapport ther afield than Wolfsburg” and, ulti- answer to Disney World. What do you between the manufacturer and the con- mately, “build customer loyalty.” Further, think it is? sumer. When people visit the Autostadt the park features attractions for the entire I think it’s both: On the one hand, they leave having built their own personal family, including a school “where chil- it’s an automotive experience, and on the links to Volkswagen. They automatically dren as young as five can get their other, it’s an entertainment park. But ulti- feel a certain brand loyalty because they driver’s licenses,” pavilions displaying mately the Autostadt is a communications can identify with our values. It is here that prototypes from all of Volkswagen’s platform for the Volkswagen Group. It’s a many of the decisions to buy a Volkswa- brands, and a museum of automotive tool that enables us to get in touch and gen are made. Visitors are impressed with milestones. For, by inviting people to “visit stay in touch with the broader public fur- our philosophy and identify with our val- a unique, innovative destination” where ther afield than Wolfsburg. Of course, it’s ues and thus decide to buy a VW, an Audi, “every family member is satisfied,” the both educational and entertaining, and or one of the other VW brands. CEO maintains that Volkswagen is creat- both of those elements are integrated into How long did it take to build the ing a “good rapport between the manu- Volkswagen’s automotive experience and Autostadt? facturer and the consumer.” And after competency. The idea originated from Dr. Ferdi- all, he concludes, “the fact that over six What exactly do you hope to nand Piëch [former chairman of Volkswa- million people have visited the Autostadt communicate to the Autostadt’s visi- gen AG’s board of management] in late in the past three years speaks for itself.” tors about Volkswagen? autumn 1995. At that time, I was the head 46 LEADERS POSTED WITH PERMISSION. COPYRIGHT © LEADERS MAGAZINE, INC. VOLUME 26, NUMBER 3 So each family member can go in a different direction to find something he or she likes? Yes, particularly at our museum. It’s the first place in the world where an automotive manufacturer shows not only its own product history, but also all the milestones of greater automotive history. The museum contains many wonderful old cars. You can see Ferdi- nand Porsche’s original Bee- tle as well as a 1939 Bugatti. In fact, the first car a visitor sees there is a three- wheeled Benz Patent Model. Contrary to common knowl- edge, the Model T Fords were produced in colors other than black. We display an original midnight blue of the communications department, and during our first conversation on this topic, he asked a hard question. Looking at the area where the Autostadt now stands, which, at that time, was the back of the factory and full of old oil tanks, he asked me what I thought we could create there to interest the public in Volkswagen and make its marketing more effective. So we started a project with a team of 400 archi- tects, creative experts, and other profes- sionals. It took two years to develop the idea. In May 1998 we held the ground- breaking ceremony, and we opened our doors in June 2000. Is there something for everyone at the Autostadt? We did a lot of market research on this. In German families, the mother plays a major role in deciding which car is pur- chased, but automotive-marketing efforts classically concentrate more on males. So at the Autostadt we’re very keen on tar- geting women, as well as children, be- The car towers (exterior, top, and interior, above) are the landmarks of the Autostadt where up to 400 cars can be stored cause when families are buying a new car, in each tower prior to their delivery. Inside each tower, robots ferry cars to and fro as they load or alternately unload cars the needs of children play a major role in ready for collection (below). the decision-making process. The mother usually has something facility; this way, every family member is Model T Ford. So the facility is unique in specific in mind for a one-day visit to the satisfied. Once the families arrive here, that our collection isn’t limited to our Autostadt. When families arrive, the moth- they’re usually pleasantly surprised by the vehicles alone. ers are usually attracted to our restaurants variety and complexity of the attractions. It’s also important to note that we and to our children’s facilities. We structure our presentations and have a driver’s-license school, displays more than others might. where children as young as five Plus, we don’t present things in a can get their driver’s licenses, traditional way; instead, we sur- while learning to drive mini Bee- prise people so that we can gen- tles and learning about road erate lasting interest. This way, safety. We’ve also created a film they’ll visit the Autostadt again, for children that can be viewed in and more than 60 percent of our a number of languages. Mean- visitors do return. For example, while, the fathers most often an auto manufacturer would nor- spend their time examining the mally demonstrate its safety fea- actual cars from our different tures by displaying a crushed car brands, such as Audi or Volkswa- with its airbags inflated, which is gen. So we focus on offering an one way to show how safe the car entertainment component and an is. However, we show it very dif- automotive component at the ferently. Of course, we inform VOLUME 26, NUMBER 3 POSTED WITH PERMISSION. COPYRIGHT © LEADERS MAGAZINE, INC. LEADERS 47 surrounding the Autostadt. In ultimately we want them to remember the that sense, the Autostadt is a service after their visits.

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