VW polls the people

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Volkswagen has instigated a multi-faceted national poll in an effort to find out what the people want. Considering this company’s name translates as ‘the people’s car’ or something thereabouts, one could be forgiven for thinking that VW had a handle on this already. But it’s hard to keep a finger on the zeitgeist’s pulse, if indeed, geists have pulses.

“Volkswagen has a rich heritage as part of American popular culture and a deep personal connection with its customers,” says VW, seeing its new poll as “a way of keeping in touch with what matters to people today.” So naturally, the internet is involved. The curious thing is that VW hasn’t concentrated solely on car stuff like airbags, cup holders, fuel economy and such. Instead, its findings have included odd tidbits of information about Americans.

For example, 52% of respondents do not want restaurants to change their portion sizes in the face of a movement toward better health and well being. And most of them think that pets shouldn’t be brought to work. Reality TV hasn’t gone down well with the i-Generation, but they’ll still take good old-fashioned boxers over briefs.

By clicking onto the website, users are greeted by Max, a classic Beetle (well, KdF Wagen; it was never officially called a Beetle or a Bug) and the “new brand spokesman” (as seen on the latest TV ads. It’s interesting that VW isn’t pushing any new metal here). Max will invite them to vote yes or no on various pressing questions of the day and/or suggest polls themselves. They can see the results come up in real time. They can even go there, click that and buy the T-shirt displaying which poll was their idea. Cell phones may also be used to vote.

For those with even more free time between now and May 8, pandora.com is running two VW radio stations called, not surprisingly: ‘Music for the People.’ Listeners can vote for which artists they want to hear and Pandora will collate all requests into a democratic playlist. Selling cars used to be so much simpler.

-- Colin Ryan