“MePublic - A Global Study on Social Media Youth” by Volkswagen and MTV.

RBVRBV ConsultingRomero CavalcantiCustomer Service Consultanthttp://gplus.to/romerobv [ Volkswagen and MTV Networks present “MePublic” social media study ] The new international study “MePublic – A Global Study on Social Media Youth” by Volkswagen and MTV Networks presents some interesting insight.

2Original study in German:http://www.viacombrandsolutions.de/uuid/996cfef031724b7d89af6ec45663d1f7Volkswagen and MTV Networks present “MePublic” social media study Over 26,000 young people interviewed worldwide. Study includes user typology and marketing recommendations for companies in social web.Berlin/Wolfsburg, 22 September 2010 - Volkswagen and MTV Networks today presented“MePublic – A Global Study on Social Media Youth”. The international study gives an insightinto media use and value concepts among the group of 14-to 29-year-olds known as “digitalnatives”. As the study shows, the young people would also like to see networking extend to thecar. A trend to which Volkswagen is responding by developing various apps.“With just under 500,000 fans on Facebook and over ten million visitors on YouTube since thecompany profile was set up at the end of 2008, Volkswagen already has one of the largest fancommunities in the automotive industry. And together with our fans we are breaking new groundin the social web – as confirmed by the recent “App my Ride” competition where we gave prizesto the best developments for applications in car infotainment systems,” Luca de Meo,Volkswagen Group’s Marketing Head, said at the study presentation event. “Our aim is to gainan even better understanding of young people and their motivation with regard to social media,so that we can inspire them for the Volkswagen brand and its products. The integration of youngtarget groups in the development of social media application products is both contemporary andforward-looking,” de Meo added.YouTube since the company profile was set up at the end of2008, Volkswagen already has one of the largest fan communities in the automotive industry.And together with our fans we are breaking new ground in the social web – as confirmed by therecent “App my Ride” competition where we gave prizes to the best developments forapplications in car infotainment systems,” Luca de Meo, Volkswagen Group’s Marketing Head,said at the study presentation event. “Our aim is to gain an even better understanding of youngpeople and their motivation with regard to social media, so that we can inspire them for theVolkswagen brand and its products. The integration of young target groups in the developmentof social media application products is both contemporary and forward-looking,” de Meo added.Jin Choi, SVP & Deputy General Manager MTV Networks Germany, underscored: “We alreadyhave an excellent presence in the social web with our MTV Networks brands and will bepushing ahead vigorously with the vertical expansion of our brands.

3We are experiencing enormous interaction among users and with our media brands. Incontemporary brand management and the present-day media landscape, that is anindispensable dialog.”The study confirms the intensive use of media by digital natives: 69 percent watch TV everyday, 58 percent spend time on social networks on a daily basis. The 14-to 29-year-olds havethe necessary equipment: 94 percent have a mobile phone, 92 percent a TV set and 75 percentan MP3 player.However, as the “MePublic” study shows, there are country-specific differences: In Japan, forexample, 40 percent of the young people primarily use mobile access to their social network.While 57 percent in the USA use online sources prior to buying a car, only 38 percent do so inJapan. The young people there prefer to seek advice direct from the dealer. “MePublic” alsodefines six user types based on criteria such as frequency of use, motivation and goal:Crewsers, for example, use social networks as a place to meet up with friends. Funatics, on theother hand, are spectators. They like to observe, but are not very active themselves. The mostactive and most demanding user group is the Mediacs – technically literate, strongly committedand always on the lookout for something new.The study confirms that the social web is an important resource for a company’s marketingactivities. According to “MePublic”, 43 percent of users post their favorite brands on the socialweb. 50 percent follow product recommendations in social networks. This trend fundamentallychanges customer-supplier relations: Facebook and YouTube users become important partnersfor companies provided rules such as sincerity, transparency, dialog orientation and authenticityare preserved.For Volkswagen, the study’s findings on the importance of the car for young people areparticularly significant. The survey concluded that the car remains the favorite form of transport.However, social networks have been added to the 14-to 29-year-olds’ perception of mobility.Being mobile means being accessible. 60 percent of the young people are convinced that thesignificance of mobile social networks will increase over the coming years. They want toorganize their everyday life online and be able to respond to changes quickly when they are inthe car, too. According to de Meo, Volkswagen has these wishes firmly in its sights: “The car isobviously still very popular. What we have to do now is to add meaningful social mediaapplications to existing features in the vehicle. The driver’s safety remains the top priority.”

4Volkswagen is currently developing applications that satisfy demands for networking whiledriving. For example, an interactive iPhone application that goes by the working name of “DieterApp” is being developed which can give recommendations on driving style, route planning orevents and can also be used to communicate with other drivers. As de Meo explained, theapplication is designed to network the driver with online communities, thereby providing bothfunctional and emotional added value: “The planned application assumes the role of the co-pilotand loyal companion and is in line with the wish for a personalized vehicle expressed by theyoung people.”The CO2 monitor is also designed as an iPhone application. Fuel consumption and other drivingdata are transmitted to a Volkswagen website and included in a driver ranking. Volkswagen isseeking to motivate its customers to develop an awareness of environmentally-friendly and fuel-efficient driving with this edutainment competition. At the event presenting the study,Volkswagen provided a taste of the future of in-car internet radio in the current Polo GTI: Amusic streaming service generates personalized music programs from the user’s favorite songs.Internet podcasts can be downloaded in this way, too, easily transforming the car into a mobileinformation center. Given ever-faster transmission speeds in the mobile communications sector,this service could soon become reality.Volkswagen broke new ground in the new media with the market launch of the Polo GTI onFacebook in June 2010. This was the first time the company presented a vehicle to customersexclusively on a social network.newmedia with the market launch of the Polo GTI on Facebookin June 2010. This was the first time the company presented a vehicle to customers exclusivelyon a social network.The research designThe study is based on a solid method mix: International secondary research including over 200academic research studies, commercial market media studies and quantitative surveys in tencountries (Germany, UK, Italy, Spain, France, USA, Japan, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand)which interviewed more than 26,000 young people aged between 14 and 29. The evaluation ofqualitative online diaries, online board discussions and online shadowing in all ten countries putthe findings on a representative basis.online diaries, online board discussions and onlineshadowing in all ten countries put the findings on a representative basis.In addition to “MePublic”, a separate survey on issues relating to mobility plus ethnographicinterviews were conducted in the EU5 countries, Japan and the USA.Volkswagen.

“MePublic - A Global Study on Social Media Youth” by Volkswagen and MTV.

by Romero Cavalcanti

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