Volkswagen of America announced it has finalised the makeup of its ‘US agency powerhouse team’ built with holding group WPP. The Volkswagen agency team will have Johannes Leonardo as the brand lead, with a hand-picked network of WPP specialist agencies for data intelligence, VW.com, CRM, retail and other key functions for the brand. Johannes Leonardo, together with this broad set of best-of-agency WPP resources will create a bespoke team dedicated to realising the true potential of the Volkswagen brand. The agency team will be located in New York and will begin work on the business immediately.
“This is a great opportunity for the brand,” said Scott Keogh, CEO and president of Volkswagen Group of America. “Teaming up with the best minds from Johannes Leonardo – and the creation of this US powerhouse – transforms our marketing approach through a combination of creative excellence and data driven intelligence, and is a crucial step in ensuring our future success.”
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“We are honoured to be part of a team that will reclaim the soul and confidence of Volkswagen in order to inform a powerful future.” said Jan Jacobs, co-founder and chief creative officer at Johannes Leonardo. Joe Crump, North America region team lead for WPP, remarked: “Volkswagen has formed a world class team that brings together creative, data, and cutting-edge technology to shape their legendary brand in the US. We feel privileged to be on this mission for Volkswagen.”
In addition to reshaping its go-to-market approach, Volkswagen of America claims it is transforming its product portfolio. In 2019, Volkswagen plans to show its five-seater Atlas Cross Sport mid-size SUV, to line up alongside the popular Atlas seven-seater, and will introduce the all-new 2019 Jetta GLI compact sport sedan. And in 2020, Volkswagen plans to unveil its first long-range battery electric vehicle for the US market, a crossover SUV with the footprint of a compact and the interior space of a mid-size.
