Audi, the German carmaker stuck in a sales traffic jam behind rivals Mercedes-Benz and BMW, hopes the power of Yankee pinstripes will boost its brand recognition — and US market share.
The car maker, owned by Volkswagen, recently signed a three-year deal with the Bronx Bombers, estimated at $3 million to $5 million a year, to make it the official luxury car of the Yankees.
It marks the first time Audi has signed on with a major sports team, the company said, and comes at a key time. Last year was Audi’s best ever worldwide, and while US sales slipped, the decline was less severe than that of its two German rivals — allowing it to grab market share.
Despite the gains, Audi is not the first German luxury-car brand to come to mind for many Americans. So jumping at the opportunity presented when ailing GM didn’t renew its deal, Audi inked a deal with the Yanks that will provide it with unusual opportunities to get its brand before millions of baseball fans, including:
* A members-only Audi Yankees Club perched overlooking the left-field lower deck featuring dark woods, the Audi logo on the doors, napkins and throughout the room
* The right to park an Audi in the vast Babe Ruth Plaza several times a season so fans can get an up-close and personal feel for the brand
* Signage both inside and outside the stadium.
“We can do a lot of hospitality for high-end clients, and dealers can do a lot of relationship marketing with existing customers,” Scott Keogh, chief marketing officer for Audi of America, said of its Yankee Club. “Plus, the people who are in the lounge who are unaffiliated with Audi will be exposed to the branding.”
While the Yankees and Audi would not disclose the value of the deal, industry experts estimate it to be worth $3 million to $5 million a year. Toyota is also an official sponsor of the team, but its deal doesn’t extend to its luxury Lexus brand.
Keogh is quick to say that the agreement is not catering to just an elitist crowd. He said the company is seeking to tap all fans that follow the Yankees — although “luxury” is a primary thrust of the appeal.
“Certainly the Yankee demographic lends itself well with Audi,” he said.
Maury Brown is the president of Business of Sports Network