April, 2026.- In the 2026 advertising landscape, a global brand’s success is not measured by the quantity of content it produces, but by its ability to resonate emotionally within the chaos of the social feed. Franziska Spiess, at the helm of JvM SPREE, takes on the challenge of positioning Volkswagen not just as a volume leader, but as an “emotionally-driven” brand worldwide. As lead agency, her role transcends simple channel management; it is a strategic orchestration that defines the brand’s DNA in Berlin, São Paulo, or Detroit, allowing each local market to adapt the global narrative without losing its core. For Spiess, the key lies in clarity: translating decades of emotional equity into social-native storytelling that feels human, authentic, and, above all, present in everyday culture.
In this exclusive interview with Roastbrief, Franziska explains how JvM SPREE balances creative excellence with digital agility. From using the community as a creative partner to transitioning traditional broadcast advertising into two-way, participatory dialogue, Spiess reveals that true growth happens when a brand stops broadcasting and starts joining conversations where culture happens. Discover how the agency is redesigning Volkswagen’s future on platforms like TikTok, Threads, and LinkedIn, proving that even for a brand with such a vast heritage, the greatest risk is “sameness,” and the greatest opportunity lies in showing up real for an audience that today demands brands that care, inspire, and, most importantly, connect.
1. The Global Social Media Mandate: Volkswagen has appointed JvM SPREE as its global social media lead agency, spanning strategy, channel management, community building, and content production. What does “lead agency” mean in this context? How do you coordinate across global headquarters while respecting local market nuances?
“Lead agency” in this context means taking responsibility for the overall orchestration of Volkswagen’s global social presence from strategic foundation to day-to-day execution across channels.
At the core, we develop global communication assets and narratives for Volkswagen’s owned headquarters channels to build the brand. These are designed to travel meaning they can be adapted, reinterpreted, and scaled by local markets depending on cultural context.
2. From Volume Brand to Emotionally-Driven Brand: Volkswagen’s goal is to position itself as an “emotionally-driven and desirable volume brand” on social media. How do you balance the scale and accessibility of a volume brand with the intimacy and emotional connection required to stand out in social feeds?
That’s exactly the challenge and also what makes this so exciting.
Building emotional connection at scale is not a contradiction; it’s a question of clarity. The stronger and more defined a brand’s DNA is, the easier it becomes to translate that into communication that resonates broadly without losing depth.
Where brands struggle is when that core isn’t clear; that’s when things become diluted. With Volkswagen, we are working with one of the world’s most iconic brands that uniquely understands people & their lives.
There is a strong foundation, a clear identity, and decades of emotional equity. Our role is to translate that into social-native storytelling, making it tangible, relevant, surprising, and engaging.
3. The JvM SPREE Proposition: What made JvM SPREE the right fit for Volkswagen? What specific capabilities or cultural alignment did you bring to the pitch that set you apart from other agencies?
That’s ultimately a question for Volkswagen.
But if I had to reflect on it, besides a great team, it’s likely the combination of: strong digital-native thinking, the creative excellence Jung von Matt is known for, strategic clarity, and extensive experience in managing global brands as a trusted advisor.
We have built and run international setups many times before, and we understand what it takes to create work that travels across markets without losing its impact.
And yes, having experience with automotive brands probably helped, but more importantly, it’s about understanding how to build relevant brands nowadays. People crave brands that feel human, authentic, and truly present. And that’s perfectly in-line with the VW brand values – reliable, caring, inspiring.
4. Cultural Relevance at Global Scale: Franziska, you spoke about imbuing the brand with “cultural relevance” across global markets. How do you build a social media strategy that is culturally relevant in Berlin, São Paulo, Shanghai, and Detroit simultaneously? Where do you standardize, and where do you localize?
It starts with clarity. You need a deep understanding of your brand DNA, your audiences, and how people interact with your product across different contexts and cultures.
From there, you build a communication platform that captures a universal truth. Something that resonates globally, independent of geography. That platform becomes the lens through which everything is created, informing content pillars, storytelling, and tone of voice.
Standardization happens on that level: the core idea, the narrative, the role the brand plays. Localization happens in how that idea is expressed through creators, formats, cultural references, and timing.
The goal is not to create one message for everyone, but one idea that can live in many culturally specific ways.
5. Social-First Creativity for an Iconic Brand: Volkswagen has a rich heritage of broadcast advertising. How do you translate that legacy into social-first creative that works across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, Threads, and Facebook? What’s different about creating for a volume brand on social versus a luxury or niche brand?
Volkswagen has a strong heritage in creating some of the most iconic, influential ads in history, but social media requires a different mindset.
It’s less about polished, one-directional communication and more about relevance, speed, and entering a dialogue. Content needs to feel native to the platform, not adapted from somewhere else. We have to show up human and authentic.
For a volume brand, that means operating at scale without losing distinctiveness. You need systems that allow you to create consistently, not just campaigns that peak occasionally. Compared to luxury or niche brands, the challenge is broader audiences and higher frequency, but the opportunity is also bigger. You are part of everyday culture.
6. Community as Creative Partner: Sebastian Dreiskämper emphasized not just telling the Volkswagen story but also “actively involving our community and inspiring it over the long term.” How do you, as a creative leader, design campaigns that invite participation rather than just broadcast messages? What does “community-involved” creative look like in practice?
Community involvement, for us, goes far beyond campaigns. It has to be part of the brand’s everyday behavior on social. Many brands focus mainly on comments, managing DMs, and reacting to mentions. That’s essential, but it’s just the baseline. What really drives growth and relevance is actively joining conversations, engaging with content in your niche, and showing up where culture happens. Because ultimately, brands that appear in other conversations are perceived as part of the scene, not just as broadcasters.
7. The Partnership Has Already Begun: You’ve already started working together. What have you learned in these early days about collaborating with Volkswagen’s global brand communications team? What’s been the biggest surprise or opportunity so far?
What stands out immediately is the level of clarity and ambition within the Volkswagen team. There is a strong understanding of the role social plays as a key touchpoint for the brand. At the same time, we got up to speed very quickly, which speaks to the openness and alignment on both sides from the start.
It’s a highly collaborative setup with a true partnership mindset, working closely and on eye level across teams. What’s been particularly encouraging is the strong willingness to challenge the status quo and explore new ways of working, creating space for more strategic thinking and advisory, which we see as a great opportunity moving forward.
