External communication strategy: Porsche 911 “Dakar”

In the summer of 2020 I applied to Porsche Cars North America for a Product Spokesperson role. Part of the public relations group, this position is responsible for planning and executing a comprehensive communications strategy for the US market. As an engineer, I have never written a communications strategy, so I decided to invent a new variant of Porsche’s famous 911 and write one from scratch.

You can download the complete presentation here.

The 911 model line has always offered variety, and I felt that an off-road version would be an exciting and yet-untapped proposition. “Safari” 911 builds have come into fashion recently (see: Jeff Zwart, Leh Keen) and when I saw renders of an off-road 992-generation Carrera from German tuner delta4x4, I knew I had the ingredients to create something exciting. I wanted to get something in as quickly as possible in support of my application, so over 72 hours I set out to make the case for the car and plan its US launch.

Please note: all 992 renders are credited to delta4x4. All other images have been attributed to their sources in the full presentation.

Starting with delta4x4’s renders, I used my knowledge of the Porsche brand and history to do the following:

• Define the product

• Identify the target customer

• Generate an external communications strategy

• Establish a launch timeline

• Plan a US press launch and define press vehicle configurations

Defining the 911 Dakar would not be my job as a Product Spokesperson, but I had to fabricate a starting point for this exercise. This also allowed me to demonstrate my familiarity with Porsche’s long history and motorsports heritage. I set down some reasonable technical changes (ride height, width, wheel/tire package, suspension, etc) and wrote a detailed summary of Porsche’s off-road success with the 911 platform. The “Dakar” moniker was an obvious choice to me - it is the world’s most grueling off-road event, and Porsche won with the type 953 (often called the “911 4x4”) in 1984.

I set a price and production volume for the Dakar. I studied the current 911 lineup and placed the car in what I call the “flagship” tier of 911s, which I believe are the ultimate expression of the platform. I believe that the Dakar would be largely hand-built off of the main line in Stuttgart, and followed the lead of the Speedster (1948 units built, in honor of the year of the 356 Speedster’s debut) with a production quantity of 1984 units to commemorate the Dakar victory. Pricing was set at roughly $250k in consideration of the hand-built nature, and also as a clear step above the “premium” tier of 911s.

Okay - off to a good start. I know what the car looks like, what features it has, and why it’s a compelling offering from Porsche. Who will buy it? I set out to define three groups that I believed would appreciate and purchase this product:

1. Adventurers: high-performance outdoor enthusiasts who value world-class engineering and demand the best.

2. Enthusiasts: life-long Porsche fans excited about a new frontier of 911 driving, and those from other brands who see the opportunity for something unique.

3. Collectors: Porsche loyalists who want the first factory-build off-road production car, and appreciate the history of the Dakar name.

I created “mood boards” for each of these customer types, and decided to carry these three categories forward into the marketing / communications strategy. I found it compelling to establish an “ambassador” for each type of customer and wove them into the communications strategy and US launch event.

I built a communications strategy, establishing a timeline with distinct phases (Pre-launch, Launch, and Post-Launch) and laying out how Porsche would share the 911 Dakar with the world at each step. As mentioned, I found the idea of “ambassadors” compelling as a way to connect with each type of customer. Walter Röhrl and Jackie Ickx were easy choices; the former is probably the greatest driver to ever turn a wheel on dirt, the latter raced the Dakar with Porsche in period and has raced successfully in every form of high-level motorsport. I had to think more about who could connect with the “Adventurer” customers - I found photographer Travis Burke and, after seeing his boundary-pushing lifestyle, knew he would be a perfect fit.

I created what I called an “influence map” to help visualize the multiple channels by which Porsche could tell the story of the 911 Dakar and reach target customers. The press landscape looks nothing like it did 20 years ago; social media allows consumers to opt-in to the people and things around the world that interest them. My strategy blends traditional mainstream press, modern video content creators, Porsche’s own social media presence, and the Dakar Ambassadors to tell a compelling story around this car. As a limited-production “flagship” 911, the Dakar will find a small number of buyers. But its legacy, and the message that Porsche is telling the world with this car, has a tremendous effect on aspiring Porsche owners and enthusiasts from other brands.

I selected a lovely-looking forest near Albuquerque, New Mexico for the US press launch and wrote out a brief event itinerary. I also spent time detailing a timeline, setting out a duration for the campaign. I thought it fitting to formally conclude the campaign with the start of the 2021 edition of the Paris-Dakar rally, on January 3rd. Perhaps a 911 Dakar could be used as a course safety car or some partnership would be possible.

I enjoyed putting this presentation together, and I was keen to make it the absolute best that I could in the time available. I worked from Sunday morning through to Monday morning without a break to get the presentation in to Porsche Cars North America. It’s possible that a marketing professional would laugh at some of my ideas - perhaps it’s not financially viable to hire three ambassadors or rent out a National Park - but it was a fantastic learning experience. I was tired by the end, but I enjoyed myself immensely.

Unfortunately, a couple of days later I received word that I was no longer being considered for the position. I have no idea if anyone ever saw this presentation.

But… perhaps they did. In late October of this year, something interesting appeared on the Nurburgring. And in November, Porsche revealed a 2012 911 Safari study that they had built. Maybe I’m on the right track?