NEW AUTO goes TikTok: Volkswagen Group debuts on video platform for digital natives

Infotainment on topics such as decarbonization, circular economy, battery & charging, car software or autonomous driving show the young target group Volkswagen's path to the future - towards a mobility that will be emission-free, autonomous and more individual than ever.

"We are experiencing the biggest transformation in the history of the car. That means new business areas and disruption. To promote trust in NEW AUTO, we also want to reach the digital, environmentally-conscious Generation Z. Instead of saying: strategy is too complex for a platform like TikTok, we are simply going ahead and trying it out - with infotainment," explains Michael Manske, Head of CEO & Digital Communications at the Volkswagen Group. By appearing on TikTok, the Group is increasingly becoming a provider of owned content. The main focus for Volkswagen is authenticity: the videos will focus on employees as TikTok creators.

The Group is continuously expanding its presence on international online platforms and is increasing direct interaction with its target groups. The strategic goal is to reach the most important target groups in the markets of Europe, the USA and China. To this end, interaction on Twitter, LinkedIn, Reddit, and TikTok in Europe and the United States has been established and expanded within the past 12 months, as well as on Weibo for the Chinese market.

The TikTok community is tech-savvy and interested in sustainability

More than one billion people worldwide come to TikTok every month to be entertained, learn, laugh, or discover something new. The leading platform for short mobile videos gives brands the opportunity to reach target groups they can hardly reach on other platforms. Instead of glossy videos, the focus is on humor, authenticity and creativity in order to reach Gen Z and millennials in particular, but also the fast-growing 25+ group at eye level.

Car fans on TikTok are very tech-savvy: 77% (globally) said in a study of car-enthusiast users (GlobalWebIndex, Q3 2020), that they were interested in technology (Germany: 61.3%). 51.9% of respondents said they cared about environmental issues (Germany: 42.9%).

Volkswagen also strikes a chord with the TikTok community by using employees as creators.

Traditional, work-related content is enthusiastically reimagined on TikTok and presented with an entertaining and humorous touch. And this is well received: 40% of TikTok users would like to see videos shot "behind the scenes" of a company (TikTok Marketing Science French Trends Study 2021 conducted by ifopBase: TikTok users who agree that TikTok is a good place for brands to discuss employment trends).