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Porsche The Cayenne Launch Case Solution

Solution Id Length Case Author Case Publisher
2334 1660 Words (8 Pages) John Deighton, Jill Avery, Jeffrey Fear Harvard Business School : 511068
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The case study is imperative in understanding how receptive the consumer mindset is to change, especially to something they not only have known for decades, but also have contributed to it, and became part to it. 

The motive of Porsche to develop and sell an SUV was simple, they wanted to tap into newer markets, and generate a higher revenue. The grievance of Porsche’s customers and fans was also simple, they wanted the heritage of the car to be unfettered by the consumerist mindset, and let it stay true to what it defines and represents for the car and racing community. The fans feared that the new wave of consumers that would be driven into the Porsche community, will just not appreciate the cars, and what they represent, and ‘not drive these cars as they are supposed to’.

The launch of the Cayenne is interesting as the opinions of the entire customer base of Porsche were gathered by this one launch, while some justified the actions of Porsche, some called this a money-sweeping technique, however, it is safe to say that the company has paved way for the launch of the Panamera. 

Following questions are answered in this case study solution

  1. How much and in what ways has the launch of the Porsche Cayenne changed the meaning of the Porsche brand?

  2. What is the value of Rennlist online brand community to Porsche? How does it help/or hurt the brand? 

  3. Should Wiedeking listen to Rennlist brand community? How does the Rennlist brand community affect Porsche ownership experience? 

  4. What learning should Wiedeking bring to the launch of the Panamera? How does the Cayenne launch make the Panamera launch easier? More difficult?

  5. Does the Cayenne launch make the  Panemara  easier or more difficult?

  6. Is the Cayenne a good fit with the Porsche brand?

  7. Do the message board posts in the case represent typical Porsche customers, or only the most extreme (opinionated) customers?

Case Analysis for Porsche The Cayenne Launch

1. How much and in what ways has the launch of the Porsche Cayenne changed the meaning of the Porsche brand?

Porsche has always been regarded and recognized as the pioneer when it comes to producing and selling vehicles which have been industry standard when it comes to making the classic race cars. Their 911 models hold a sentimental value to their consumers over the fact that these cars define the heritage of what not only is a good car but what makes Porsche a legendary brand – a brand known to be fueled by consumers for its competitiveness in the sportscar industry.

The company also finds itself, amassed by a customer base, which is not only sensitive about the heritage of the company, their brand image, and their coveted history, but is also sceptical to how their value, as consumers of Porsche, would decrease if Porsche decided to go on with the Cayenne, or more notoriously dubbed as the C project, by their raving online community.

The matter for Porsche was that they found themselves being compared to car companies with a significant heritage, these companies specialize in one type of product, and build their customer base around them, for example, if someone said that they drive a Ferrari, no one would assume that they are talking about a 4-door sedan or a cross-over. The production of the Cayenne would mean that the consumers would be giving up their brand identity as consumers of Porsche, which apparently, they weren’t extremely fond of.

2. What is the value of Rennlist online brand community to Porsche? How does it help/or hurt the brand? 

Rennlist offers a significant contribution to the firm in the sense that it aids the company in gathering the perspective of its most enthused and loyal customers. Porsche can trust the online community fostered under the umbrella of Rennlist because at the very least, these consumers will not only provide their unfiltered opinion on the new offerings that there might be but also will adhere to the true brand values Porsche stands for.

The platform also holds significance for the company because it fosters a community that is enthused about the product offerings of Porsche, and thus also forms a wide variety of their main customers. These community members not only alter the decision-making of the company but must also be satisfied and kept up to date with, if any grievances do pounce from the customer as the example for this can be extracted as to when Porsche toured some of its customers to their Leipzig assembly area.

The online community also holds great value, because the part of the experience of owning a vehicle like a Porsche is to become a part of a community, a community of people not only enthused about sports cars, but also enthused about Porsches, and what they stand for, thus if the new oncoming of consumers, caused by the purchase of the Cayenne creates unrest in the community, they are indeed chances of this experience being ruined for the customer.

3. Should Wiedeking listen to Rennlist brand community? How does the Rennlist brand community affect Porsche ownership experience? 

As mentioned in the previous answer, a significant portion of the Porsche experience is derived from the feeling of being part of the lucrative community of Porsche owners. A community that fosters engagement on having a shared love for not only cars but for the brand and legacy which Porsche ever so proudly is.

Nonetheless, these enthused individuals also dictate the experience of other Porsche owners, as the community is not only very vocal but as apparent in the case study, is also very judgmental of other Porsche models, branding them as un-sports cars, a prime example of which could be the Boxter.

Thus, it is safe to say that these individuals must be kept under due consideration by Wiedeking, as the owner is very likely to get ruined by these new Cayenne owners if they pay heed to the ramblings from the Rennlist community. Wiedeking must try his level best in not only pleasing these individuals by keeping them up to date with all the new happenings and making them aware that the new product is as ‘Porsche’ as any other car they’ve introduced, and the introduction of the SUV was just to tap into a market which would keep the company afloat and up to date with the times.

4. What learning should Wiedeking bring to the launch of the Panamera? How does the Cayenne launch make the Panamera launch easier? More difficult?

The learning which Wiedeking must bring to the launch of the Panamera is that the brand identity of Porsche is important, to not only the longevity and sustainability of the brand but also to the consumer. What Wiedeking must understand and comprehend is that consumers are particular about the cars they drive, because a company like Porsche, or even a Ferrari, Bugatti, Rolls-Royce, does not sell cars, they sell lifestyles. A consumer does not necessarily purchase a Porsche because they are 'fast and nimble' they purchase Porsches because of what they mean and represent.

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