VW has to embrace transparency

Analysis shows that rising from adversity is so often a shared characteristic of successful campaigns

Many diesel VW cars are pumping out illegal toxins (Getty)

Today, Paul Willis, VW’s UK managing director appears before the Transport Select Committee in Parliament and on Thursday before the Environmental Audit Committee.

It will be the first public appearance for VW UK since it first emerged that the carmaker was placing “cheat” devices in some models to make testers believe they were cleaner than in reality. The scandal has hit VW’s long-held reputation for honesty and reliability.

At the end of September, VW hired three corporate PR consultancies: Finsbury, Kekst and Hering Schuppener. But while these are fine agencies, in the longer term, the firm needs more than just a response to the immediate crisis. My book, Campaigns that Shook the World, attempts to identify some of the characteristics of truly great campaigns. And goodness knows, VW needs a truly great campaign to completely recover its reputation.

Interestingly, analysis shows that rising from adversity is so often a shared characteristic of successful campaigns. The reason being that most good stories begin with someone who suffers a crisis, or is down on their luck.

For VW to see any sort of happy ending however, it must adopt other key elements of great campaigns. One is authenticity and purpose; in other words the company must really want to change for the better and to genuinely believe in a brighter future. Another is leadership, and not just at the very top. VW will need managers at every level who are prepared to lead the company in the right direction.

But above all, VW needs to embrace transparency in its culture. Hearings in the US last week suggest the very opposite has been the case. Now VW must open up business decision-making to both staff and the general public if it ever wants to be fully trusted again.

Danny Rogers is group editor-in-chief of Brand Republic Group