Our Long-term Goal Is To Expand VWe Through Various Events & Formats: Volkswagen India’s Ashish Gupta

This year, Volkswagen India unveiled its new community-centric initiative, ‘Volkswagen Experiences’ (VWe). This program is designed to bring customers and fans of the brand together for a more enriching experience with Volkswagen. With the launch of ‘VWe’, the brand also introduced ‘The 1st Chapter: An Exhilarating Expedition to Ladakh’, which offered customers a curated lifestyle, self-driving expedition across the Himalayas and into Ladakh. This immersive ‘VWe’ journey through the serene landscapes of the picturesque Himalayas was organised in two expeditions, taking place from 9-14 June, 2024 and 18 -23, 2024.

The customers had the opportunity to drive the Tiguan, Virtus and Taigun. The brand had 45+ customers joining it for the expedition in Ladakh, with a mix of existing brand loyalists and prospects eager to join the Volkswagen family. 

Talking to Everything Experiential in an exclusive tete-a-tete, Ashish Gupta, Brand Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars India spoke about the idea behind the VWe initiative, its maiden expedition to Ladakh, incorporating local culture and elements as part of VWe and more.

Edited excerpts:

What was the idea behind launching and putting an initiative such as 'Volkswagen Experiences' (VWe) in place?

At Volkswagen, it is our endeavour to be a loved brand across our presence in the world. Taking that strategy ahead in India, we have created our positioning of ‘You’re in a Volkswagen’ that is based on the philosophy of ‘experiencing a Volkswagen’. 

With Volkswagen Experiences, we are aiming to draw the interests of agnostic and existing customers with an experiential that is strongly associated with Volkswagen ownership. Through the first chapter, we have also successfully fostered the existing as well as growing community which further amplifies our brand’s ideology of ‘You’re in a Volkswagen’. 

Through the ‘First Chapter – An Exhilarating Expedition into Ladakh’, we offered participants the exemplary feeling of being inside our German-engineered products through a curated lifestyle adventure experience. With them being at the helm of the steering wheel in territories that are unexplored, the discovery of majestic landscapes, and rich traditions alongside local savouries became a rewarding experience overall.

Similarly, we aim to connect with more like-minded enthusiasts and customers of the brand in the future, building a stronger connection and association with owning a Volkswagen. 

How does incorporating local cultural elements and landscapes into the expedition enhance the overall customer experience?

Incorporating local cultural elements and landscapes as part of our expedition helps in providing a more authentic and enriching experience for our participants. It’s about bringing together diverse cultures & communities together to exchange thoughts, ideas, values, music, food and lots more that make the experience unique. 

At Volkswagen Experiences, our guests were given authentic experiences across the journey, from Chandigarh to Leh. It incorporated local music bands in Chandigarh and Ladakh, local cuisines, tourist destinations like apple orchard visits in Manali, lakes, high passes, monasteries and lots more. 

What are the long-term goals of the 'Volkswagen Experiences' initiative in terms of customer engagement and brand loyalty?

With the start of Volkswagen Experiences this year, our priority is towards building the community through active registrations and bringing together our customers. Our long-term goal is to expand this through various events and formats, providing curated experiences to customers and fostering brand loyalty.

How do you measure the success of the initiatives executed under ‘Volkswagen Experiences’? 

The First Chapter – Ladakh expedition received an overwhelming response with over 45 customers and 20 media representatives joining us for the event. The Volkswagen Experiences has an active registration of 1500+ customers and prospects who are interested in engaging with our brand.

The success metric for us would be the customer testimonials that we received during the event, their overall happiness with the experience and the promise of joining the second edition. There has been widespread social media coverage with many more enthusiasts eager to join the club. 

What kind of activities did you put together for the Ladakh Expedition, and also that you have in mind for the upcoming initiatives to keep the consumers hooked?

The Ladakh Expedition was a road trip from Chandigarh to Leh, covering different terrains across Manali and Jispa, crossing four high passes that included Tanglang La, Lachung La, Nakee La, and Baralacha La. The guests also got the opportunity to drive through the Atal Tunnel, which is a bucket list item for many enthusiasts. 

The detailed itinerary included an extensive driving experience, a small hike to the apple orchard in Manali, riverside walks, visits to the monasteries, local cuisine eateries and lots more. 

What plans does Volkswagen India have for expanding 'VWe' to include other experiences and events?

At Volkswagen, we will bring together different formats of events, ranging from experiential drives to community activities to curated product experiential offering the authentic Volkswagen experience.

Neha Kalra

BW Reporters She is the Senior Editorial Lead at Businessworld and majorly covers pieces on advertising, marketing, branding and experiential marketing. She writes closely for BW Marketing World and Everything Experiential.