Mercedes Vito – Going for the Trendy Van Market

Mercedes are well known for building vehicles that suit specific niches – take a look at their car division – everything from tiny urban Smart Cars up to the Maybach that carry Presidents and drug dealers alike. Want a saloon that is also a coupe? Go for the CLS, need a 4×4? Not a problem.

When it comes to vans, however, Mercedes only have a range of two. The Mercedes Sprinter and the Mercedes Vito. The Sprinter is top of the class. Most serious van users will specify the Sprinter over and above the competition – even the Ford Transit in the UK which is usually bought as the safe option or because that’s what’s always been bought.

It is the Mercedes Vito that operates in a more competitive area of the market. Going head to head with the might of the VW’ Transporter – full of heritage and delivered by the automotive genius from Wolfsburg. The Transporter has been the ‘cool’ van for decades. Being loved by the surfing community and other cool groups that need a van for transport has given the van a certain kudos that no other van has at present.

Mercedes are setting out to change all that. The company has already worked a niche with the van into the London Taxi market. Long since the sole domain of the Lti black cab, Mercedes engineered their Vito to meet the stringent requirements for manoeuvrability that usually precludes a van/minibus from entering this market.

The Vito has cornered about a third of this market in just a few years.

The company has now turned its attention to making the van ‘trendy’. The problem with this is if you are seen to be trying too hard to make something cool and trendy, it could totally backfire and make it untrendy, as ‘cool’ people do not want to be seen ‘falling for’ marketing gimmicks.

So what have they done?

They have launched a campaign called ‘made for the people’ which is supported by a dedicated website. The website is designed with the Vito as the main star and the backgrounds being a series of household and working tools that have been transformed into an urban landscape. Cool? I’m no real judge (married with two kids is not usually cool) – but I’d be surprised.

There are going to be a series of roadshows around the UK – at Travis Perkins branches, so maybe the target isn’t surfer-dudes after all. Just your average Bob the Builder!