Inspiring
BADGE OF HONOUR
The Vauxhall badge has a bold new look – and a stunning new model to show it off. The man who’s helped drive these changes is understandably excited. Simon Hacker talks to Andy Gilson.
PICTURES BY BOB LANE
Q > What makes your day?
A> I don’t have to think too hard about that – I’m very lucky to be Marketing Director at this time in Vauxhall’s long history, so I aim to enjoy every day. The fact that we have such a strong and dynamic range of cars to build our success on means that there couldn’t be a more exciting time to be at this desk. More specifically, moments such as watching the film of the visitors to the London Motor Show giving their candid views of the new Insignia and Vauxhall’s new look, are the real payback for me. All the teamwork we’ve been putting into building the brand, all the enthusiasm and energy is more than rewarded by people’s enthusiasm and support for where we’re going.
Q > So given the revised badge and the Insignia itself, where is Vauxhall going?
A> The best answer to that involves a little recent history. Around 2001, we came to the decision that we needed to make our brand more dynamic. The key strengths we always had were reliability, value for money and a widespread dealer network, but we wanted to connect more meaningfully with our customers out there, by setting out to build more emotion into the brand. The strategy for that was to create cars with a bolder, more dynamic design, that are unquestionably fun to drive but also a range that reinforces the idea that we’re all about versatility and flexibility. And the results are already here: the VXR range, the new Corsa, the Astra Sport Hatch, the Astra TwinTop, the Meriva and Zafira and finally the new Insignia. People who drive Vauxhalls have different product requirements, so a diverse product choice is crucial.