As we enter the two weeks leading up to a Super Bowl which will be less hype and more cautious with excess spending, it was good to see the New York Post report that Audi is making an aggressive push to seize market share and hype with a series of spots leading toward the Super Bowl, married with dealer and online activation. Audi is a brand that defines luxury, and as so, will be one of those that will stick to its core audience and will look to cutting edge, elite plays to still grab those looking to spend, even if they are limited. Also on the value side, the brand known for customer appreciation is able to take the spots and subliminally let their past buyers know that the brand is still strong and fresh…that reinforcement through a Super Bowl campaign is smart, becuase since Audi knows its buyers are investors in their product, they will bank on the campaign as a bridge to future poisitive times when the economy rebounds and the consumer needs to buy. To get a smart effective buy for the game and the lead-up and leverage that against future purchases can work for brands, and hopefully Audi will be the first of many who will look to make a confidence buy and brand play as the game approaches and confidence is beginning to be restored.
Some other good reads…there were really many coming off the inauguration that tied the athletic world to the new Presdient, but two of the better ones were Kurt Streeter's LA Times feature and Ian O’Connor's piece in the Bergen Record...both looked at athletic legacy, trailblazers and reminded us of fair play on the field that can set the stage for future generations… si.com's Andy Staples has a great feature on the world of college recruiting…and the First Call blog has a good read on Gail Dever's trip to Mumbai and what can come from it…
