thepeoplesreview.com

In German, Volkswagen is pronounced as "Folks-Vagen" which, not surprisingly (if you think of it as a "folks wagon") translates to "People's Car" This is pretty apt as Volkswagen has just launched a brilliant campaign called “The People’s Review” which is centered around a crowdsourcing project. They’re looking for a new kind of car critic, called the People’s Reviewer, and have turned to the consumers to fill this role. The critera? A straight talking, charismatic person to review the "effortless Tiguan". Basically, they want very own version of Jeremy Clarkson!

What’s it all about?
VW is looking for creative, entertaining and informative ways of reviewing a Tiguan (not the boring sales-type dude at the dealership). The public is asked to submit their ideas on the site, which will in turn be voted for by the public to decide on a final winner. What’s to gain? Well, not only will the winner be in the media spotlight and leap to instant fame like Susan Boyle did, but they also get to take home a VW Tiguan (rounghly valued at $37,136). The finalists will also have a week with a Tiguan, fully kitted out with video equipment to carry out their review idea. Even those who vote stand a chance to win a prize!

The Benefits of Crowdsourcing
The beauty of this campaign is that everything is determined by the consumer – right down to judging the finalists. And let’s be honest, us consumers like nothing more than feeling that they are recognised and their say has some sort of impact. Their site is pretty funky with some simple but cool design elements and works well because it talks directly to the consumers and encourages their involvement and exposure to the VW brand. Given that the ideas submitted will range from person to person (cause like Grandma said, we are all special), they are sure to receive many fresh and innovative ideas to boost their own brand. So it’s a win-win situation all round, innit? Check out this awesome video, see some penguins, have a laugh and get a sneak peak as to what they are looking for.

Why a Tiguan?
The final prize itself is definitely something worth pursuing – they opted to go with one of their more luxury cars, the Tiguan. This could be attributed to strategic product placement, given the economic climate (where even car guards have upped their fees), people may be less engaging with a vehicle that is in a high-price range. But, with this campaign they will raise top-of-mind awareness and let this little beaut of a car get more exposure and perhaps even increase sales? And who better to spread the message than the public?

What’s in it for VW?
Well, for starters, the cost of a crowdsourcing project is substantially less than any other traditional campaign they may have hosted. Costs incurred are set - in the form of website design, the prize of the car itself and perhaps a bit of PR investigation and social media engagement. Thereafter, all they have to do is sit in their VW office while the powerful public spreads the message of their campaign across social media channels and spurs conversation around their brand. By crowdsourcing and encouraging people to get actively involved in this campaign means that they are essentially getting every participant to advertise on their behalf and the return on this campaign has the potential to be huge.

Nice work VW and I look forward to seeing some interesting ideas coming to life and the newly appointed “People’s Reviewer” (aka Jeremy Clarkson mach 2) driving away in the luxury Tiguan! Below is my favorite submission so far.