2. What message characteristics are particularly important to Volkswagen’s ability to try to influence consumers’ affective attitudes toward its cars? Volkswagen Group, Europe’s largest automaker, is accelerating toward its goal of passing Toyota to become the world’s largest automaker by 2018. Based in Wolfsburg, Germany, Volkswagen has introduced many distinctively styled vehicles over the years, including the Beetle, which was recently redesigned and relaunched in North America amid a flurry of multimedia marketing communications.

The latest Beetle model lacks the bud vase that graced the dashboard of the previous model, a small but noticeable change that may steer consumers away from the idea that the Beetle is a “chick car.” Another pointed hint about the target market: Ads with the headline “It’s a boy” over an image of the redesigned Beetle. A third clue is a new emphasis on sleek styling and powerful performance, as evidenced by the campaign’s tagline: “That’s the power of German engineering.”