Ch. 17 - Personal Selling and Sales Management

When it comes to Personal Selling Audi doesn't have to put much effort into it. A company of such stature already has achieved the goal of satisfying its's customers, to some extent though. Audi operates as a dealership and most of the communication between the company and the consumer is done at the dealerships.It is within the power of the dealerships to provide their customers with different deals or discounts to keep them coming back in the future. When it comes to asking the public for their opinion on how to make the company's products better suffice to say that Audi doesn't turn a blind eye. There are people at the official dealerships that do ask for the consumers suggestions but whether they are implemented or not is not sure. The way the company gathers it's information about what the ultimate consumer wants is basically done by what they lack in the previous model or what the competitor brands are making. There are also several reviews on the internet regarding a specific model of Audi from the general public but on third party websites. Audi seems like it knows what direction it is heading but in order to achieve the ultimate consumer satisfaction it needs to consider taking the views of the general public. Given the size of the company the best way to achieve this goal would be to allow the consumers to post on the official site of the company about what changes or enhancements the company needs to make. Not only will it help Audi in expanding it's already gigantic market but will also create a gateway for the consumers to interact with the company which will in turn create a relationship of trust.

Ch. 16 - Advertising, Public Relations and Sales Promotion

I haven't seen may Audi billboards or repeating television commercials but i still see many people buying them and driving them. So how does Audi attract people towards buying it's cars? It's not that people just happen to know about a new model or a certain decrease in price in the existing model or leasing information. Media and internet are the main source of information nowadays and people expect to find everything off of it. The times when people actually went in a showroom to look at a car and find out it's pricing and leasing information are long behind us. Now the only two reasons they make the trip to the showroom is whether to finally buy the car or for a test drive, which you still cannot do on the internet that's why (maybe one day).

So the question still remains how does Audi attract it's customer? We are drawn towards products by their advertisements and how they are represented to us on a screen or on a piece of paper. It's basically a window to that product that eventually forces us to buy it. Audi's target market like all other luxury brands is the upper class that has the affordability to buy it. Like it's cars it keeps it's commercials simple attractive and elegant, because elegance is a magnet that pulls the people that has class and Audi is a classy car in it's own respective field. The Audi commercial i came across seemed like a really decent one. The idea was unique and very different from your regular everyday car commercial.

Now apart from being all classic and elegant Audi is also famous for it's drive and it's control over the vehicles. For those customers who prefer Audi for it's technical aspects rather than luxury. Audi came up with a commercial that features Jason Stathm who plays a role as a transporter in the movie Transporter which also features Audi as his pick up and drop car. It shows the difference between Audi's competitors BMW and Mercedes. In the commercial they elaborate about the progress made over the years showing the two competitor cars and in the end the 2009 Audi A6. 

Ch. 14 - Marketing Channels and Retail

So I went to the Audi dealership at 11th Ave 55th street. By the looks of it, it sure seems like a place where you can get high end luxury vehicles of a top brand. It is my belief that how good a place looks attracts and appeals to most customer. Although it's not everyday that you go in to buy a new Audi but like the saying goes "The First Impression Is The Last Impression".Audi is inspiring the future through it's cars and the building also feels futuristic in some manner. The staff working there was also very welcoming, it is their job and they get paid to be nice but they didn't fake it. The way they communicated with the customers was great letting them in on every detail rather than being blunt.

Other than just looks and appearances Audi Manhattan allows s range of services to it's customers. From brand new cars that just came in the market to the repairing of old models. They provide a wide range of parts and the ones not available are ordered and shipped in a timely fashion. The tire shop provides Audi standard tires in almost every brand prior to your every need. They also provide genuine Audi accessories that fit your diverse need for outdoor adventure. The maintenance center ensures that your Audi is repaired to the highest specifications that provides reliability and safety to your car for years to come and enjoy the experience with your car. Apart from all these services I was most appealed by the looks of the place, it kind of showed you that Audi is most definitely on the path of innovation and providing it's customers the cars of the future.

Ch. 6 - Consumer Decision Making

In the modern era Audi has been making luxury cars for more than a decade, and as the years pass by it's attracting more customers towards buying it's cars. The majority attracted towards buying them are usually people on a high payroll and they are the only ones able to afford the luxury of these cars. Unfortunately Audi is also focused towards providing this specific class of customers rather than proving an affordable luxury car for a man with a mediocre salary. Almost everything in the world is based on class difference now a days and apparently cars have become a status symbol as well. A person working as a cashier at a bank would not hesitate to drive around in a Honda but a branch manager at the same bank would feel an insult to drive the same car as his inferiors. He would much prefer to drive an Audi or some other luxury car that would set him apart from the other workers in regard to class difference.

Given Audi's high end customers it becomes necessary for the company to provide the best kind of services and luxury to them. No doubt the latest models are worth praising, not only do they have a stylish outlook and a seductive interior they also do very well on the road. The Quattro technology (derived from the Italian word for four) not only represents the signature four rings but also represents the four wheel drive system that gives the driver impacable  control and grip on the road. It also reduces the fuel consumption which is economical and environment friendly. So even if only a few classes of society are able to purchase it they know that they are getting their moneys worth.

Ch. 5 - Developing a Global Vision

Audi has become the most popular automobile company in the global market. Once a company started in Germany by a single man and amalgamated into four different companies it has earned it's place in the world of luxury vehicles. It is highly demanded amongst the rich and the wealthy all over the world. The company has a total of seven production plants worldwide. Germany, Hungary, Belgium, Slovakia, Spain, China and India.

India and China are two countries that have the highest population and cover a large regional area. Audi had been supplying India with premium luxury cars since 2004 but in 2007 it finally decided to step in as Audi India. It has it's manufacturing site in Aurangabad and about 28 dealerships in 11 states. India is one of those countries that have only two class differences "The Rich" and "The Poor". The poor qualify for cheap labor and the the rich are the people that enjoy the luxury of these cars. The economy might be good in India but it is only for the upper class.

In China Audi first started off in Changchun. In 1988 agreements were signed for the manufacturing of Audi 100 in China with FAW-Volkswagen which is a joint venture and is one of the biggest automotive manufacturer in China. The primary reasons why Audi established it's grounds in China is obviously because of China's rising economy, cheap labor and cheap resources. And not to forget the same class difference. The consumer demand has relatively increased which begs the requirement for another production plant. The Audi Foshan plant started production in 2013. The statistics below show the increase in annual production in China till 2013.