Marketing

After being called up from Florida to help treat COVID-19 patients in New York, U.S. Navy Reserve Lt. Rob Guerra had to spend two weeks quarantined in a hotel room before he could go back to see his family. His 40th birthday celebration consisted of eating cupcakes in the hotel parking lot. But thanks to

HAMBURG — Volkswagen has completed an internal report into how it came to publish a racist advert, the automaker said. The findings will be released once its management board has reviewed the matter, VW said on Friday. VW’s management board, headed by CEO Herbert Diess, meets regularly on Tuesdays. In the clip, a black man

The organizers of the Geneva auto show have said the event may not be held next year amid a dispute with the local authorities over a bailout and a reluctance by some automakers to attend. The Swiss show was canceled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Geneva International Motor Show (GIMS) Foundation, which

Volkswagen Group last week withdrew a German social media ad for the redesigned Golf and apologized after it was criticized as racist. The 10-second video posted on its Instagram page showed a man with dark skin being moved around by a large white hand and flicked into a cafe. The name of the cafe is

At a brand not known for executive longevity, Saad Chehab’s tenure as head of marketing for Volkswagen of America was shorter than most — nine months. Chehab, 53, was replaced last week by the VW brand’s U.S. sales and marketing executive vice president, Duncan Movassaghi, 45. He will assume Chehab’s duties on an interim basis

Abeach party for Jeep enthusiasts in Texas this month resulted in two men being shot, nearly 200 arrests and viral video of carefree partying during a pandemic. The annual “Go Topless Jeep Weekend” event attracted thousands of people to a peninsula along the Gulf of Mexico near Galveston. “We’ve been in quarantine and, like, I

Organizers said Friday they were canceling the 2020 New York auto show that had previously been pushed back until August, citing the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and the venue’s use as a field hospital. The show, which was initially set for early April and is typically used to unveil many new vehicles, was previously postponed until

FRANKFURT — Volkswagen Group has withdrawn an Instagram snippet meant to promote the latest Golf model after social media users criticized the video clip for using potentially discriminating motifs. The snippet showed a man with dark skin moved around like a marionette by a large white hand before being snipped into the entrance of the

DETROIT — Ford Motor Co. is highlighting its critical role in the U.S. economy in a new ad campaign launching this week, days ahead of a planned restart of North American vehicle production. The company released three spots under the title “Built for America,” a follow-up campaign to its “Built to Lend a Hand” commercials

As uncertainty about the coronavirus swept the nation in April, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles sought to provide “entertainment relief,” as North American marketing chief Marissa Hunter called it, with a weekly slate of musical performances from various artists on Facebook. FCA, which has often turned to music as a connection point with consumers, partnered with Interscope

Since 2008, Subaru of America has fostered a marketing identity built around the idea of love. Now, the automaker is leaning on that emotion in a more active and direct way with its advertising during the COVID-19 pandemic. Subaru, along with its retailers and two independent distributors, made a donation of roughly $5 million to

For the past two months, consumers have been awash in a wave of goodwill from automakers using TV and social media to say they are here to help. This outpouring of assistance has revolved around a common toolbox among manufacturers: deferred payments, extended lease offers and no-interest loans that are enticing shoppers to buy during

Bimmer superfans who had the European delivery experience on their bucket list might want to step on the gas. BMW is discontinuing the European Delivery program for U.S. customers starting in the fall, citing a lack of interest and growing demand for U.S.-made crossovers. The Bavarian automaker follows Audi, which discontinued its European delivery program

With a new entertainment streaming service that’s lighting up TVs and phones in the U.S., Subaru of America has tapped into a fresh advertising medium to stay on consumers’ minds. Peacock, NBCUniversal’s entry into streaming services, launched to certain Comcast subscribers April 15 and is expected to go nationwide July 15. Its content includes TV