It can take years of meticulous planning to build up a brand name that gets noticed and respected, but in the blink of an eye it can all come tumbling down again.
By Maxine Ashford. Compiled for Regit
Public opinion, whether fuelled by expensive advertising campaigns, social media or simply by word of mouth are what makes or breaks a company. And once a bad reputation has been earned, it’s nigh on impossible to turn things round.
But with time, effort and a very good product base, opinions can be changed and that’s exactly what Skoda has done in the last few decades.
Not so long ago, the Czech carmaker was regularly on the receiving end of a joke – Christmas cracker-style banter, but still crushing for its reputation.
And then to make matters worse, there was the Jana Novotna incident, where she snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in the Wimbledon tennis final and was left sobbing on the shoulder of HRH the Duchess of Kent. One of her main sponsors back in 1993? Yes, you guessed it – Skoda.
But like the late great Novotna who went on to claim the Wimbledon crown and win the hearts of the nation in the process, Skoda has also turned things round in dramatic fashion.
No longer is the company the butt of jokes and sly comments, but these days it’s a global leader with a fleet of award-winning models to its name.
We caught up with Kirsten Stagg, Head of Marketing Skoda UK, to discuss the success story of the brand and how the company transformed its reputation. Read more
