30 years after entering the world’s largest and most competitive car market, Volkswagen China was losing its positioning and was increasingly seen as mainstream, sensible and utilitarian, thus lacking innovation. The brand was facing increased competition and falling market share. From 2002 to 2010 Volkswagen market share dropped from 40.2% to 16.6% - nearly a 24% loss in market share (Source: Automotive News Aug 19 2012 http://autonews.gasgoo.com/commentary/summary-vw-s-share-in-chinese-passenger-automobil-120819.shtml)

In 2011, Volkswagen launched the People’s Car Project, a platform that inspired the Chinese people to contribute their ideas for future car designs. It was developed to restore Volkswagen’s brand image leadership in the minds of Chinese consumers, and make Volkswagen, once again, the most talked about, admired, and innovative car brand in China.

In 2012, Volkswagen celebrated the people’s ideas by turning them into reality. Wang Jia, a girl from Chengdu, submitted an idea for a hover car on the People’s Car Project website, www.zaoche.cn. Volkswagen’s design team took on the idea and developed it using magnetic levitation technology, to her idea and showed off her creation in a series of films.

As the finale in 2013, Volkswagen created an online series where it built the People's Car together with the top two universities in China. Over 10 episodes, audiences influenced the final design through votes. For the finals, Volkswagen unveiled the People's Car at the 2013 Shanghai Auto Show.

Volkswagen became the first car manufacturer in China to demonstrate that it listened to consumers.

This unique story caught the attention of the local and international press, including the New York Times, Forbes, The Huffington Post, and ChinaDaily.

Volkswagen soon became the most talked about automotive brand online and in social media*, and the leader among all car brands online* (Source: t+d/B.I.G. Opinion Mining Tool)