What happened, and why does it annoy me?
Audi’s recent backflip on its naming convention proves a critical point in branding and product strategy: Clarity sells, and confusion doesn’t.
As a lifelong car enthusiast, I was even scratching my head when they introduced this new naming system two years ago — Splitting model names based on odd and even numbers to differentiate electric and combustion engines.
What a dumb and overcomplicated thing to do!
Audi abandoned its traditional, well-established model naming system in a move meant to align with the BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) transition. The result? Years of brand knowledge wiped away customer confusion and a big marketing headache.
As of the 5th of February, they’ve realised the mistake and backtracked — reverting to a more familiar system. Why? Because BEVs aren’t a complete market takeover, they’re another drivetrain in the mix. VW and Audi misunderstood the shift, thinking it required a complete 180-degree product overhaul. Instead, they ended up with:
🚫 Unclear product positioning
🚫 Average product in terms of design, interior functionality and performance
🚫 Weird naming conventions
🚫 Stagnating sales
What is the marketing lesson?
✅ Brand equity matters. Customers trust familiarity—changing everything overnight disrupts that trust.
✅ Simple and clear messaging leads to sales. If your audience has to think twice about what you're selling, you’ve already lost them.
✅ Trends don’t mean total transformation. BEVs are a growing segment, not the entire market. Know your audience before making drastic changes.
Audi’s misstep is a reminder for all of us in marketing and product development: Evolution is good, but clarity is king.
At SP Consulting, we help brands find clarity by testing their marketing, creative, product, and digital strategy. This transparency ensures you enhance what’s working and refine what’s not, creating a more robust foundation for sustainable growth—without unnecessary reinvention.