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General 500 USA launch branded a failure

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General 500 USA launch branded a failure

306maxi said:
Fiat neither advertises or has low prices. Hmmmmmmm
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Maybe not in Welsh Wales but here in the south east Fiat has full page adverts in the papers for the TwinAir at least once a week. Plus TV adverts with Alonso (and now the J Lo one I think someone said?). Oh, and a lot of outdoor advertsising too.

And whilst its prices may not be low, they could be lower for the same profit margin if they did not advertise (ignoring the effect that less advertsing/lower prices would have on the volume of sales).
 
RobinPJ said:
Maybe not in Welsh Wales but here in the south east Fiat has full page adverts in the papers for the TwinAir at least once a week. Plus TV adverts with Alonso (and now the J Lo one I think someone said?). Oh, and a lot of outdoor advertsising too.

And whilst its prices may not be low, they could be lower for the same profit margin if they did not advertise (ignoring the effect that less advertsing/lower prices would have on the volume of sales).
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I'm not saying there's no advertising at all, just not as much as there should be, or the appropriate amount of advertising for the Bravo or the other cars in the range which aren't the Punto and 500
 
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jnoiles said:
No, you're coming at this all wrong. The dealer ineptitude is all part of the brand. What they're managed to do there is perfectly replicate the European Fiat dealer experience. :D

I tend to regard any announcement on sales as pure fantasy. Having been involved in product development and launches before its my experience that the marketing people hype something to the point of it being unrealistic but everyone around the table is so keen to see it happen no one speaks sense and the press release goes out. Then reality kicks in. Some people are moved around and the product either goes on to sell in enough volume to make money or it's killed and the investment and effort written off when the customers vote against it by not buying it.



Assuming they don't do the retarded thing they did in the UK and only sell them at a dozen Abarth dealerships. It's a 500. With a t-jet engine. Sell them everywhere.
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On the first point, it's comforting to know that the profession of "car dealer" carries as much cache in Europe as it does here.:D

Second point, I agree for the most part. The anomaly was the MINI campaign in the US back in 2002. They low-balled the expected sales figures and when the sales were higher, it looked like a major success even though the sales were similar to the launch of the NA 500. To this day, they still sell well even though they are dead last on the JC Powers quality reports every year.

Lastly, yes, the Abarth is being sold here as just a Fiat model, which of course it is no matter what people proclaim. Call a chair a tree all you want, most everyone will look at it and say, "Dude, that's a chair."

Heck, even the original Shelby Mustangs were sold right in the Ford dealerships (as they are today).

Cheers
 
Fiat and advertising seems a bit of a joke most of the time, seen multiple ads for the 500, one for the my life GP, and 0 for the bravo which is probably the biggest segment fiat has yet to crack, the car is awesome, easily beats VW in terms of interior feel (in my eyes anyway), yet in the year and a half of owning the car I've had multiple people come up and ask " that cars pretty, who makes it?" or " is that the new alfa?" and even now looking around for a replacement i can't see anything as nice, with the level of kit for the same price
 
RobinPJ said:
Maybe not in Welsh Wales but here in the south east Fiat has full page adverts in the papers for the TwinAir at least once a week. Plus TV adverts with Alonso (and now the J Lo one I think someone said?). Oh, and a lot of outdoor advertsising too.

And whilst its prices may not be low, they could be lower for the same profit margin if they did not advertise (ignoring the effect that less advertsing/lower prices would have on the volume of sales).
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An hour after typing this message I was seeing a full page advert for the TA in the Evening Standard.
 
Fair enough but you did say "Fiat neither advertises or has law prices". (Of course, you meant to say "Fiat neither advertises nor has low prices".)

You didn't say "Fiat only advertises the 500."

I think if I was Fiat I would pour all of my advertising budget into the 500 too given that it is the only model that is selling in any numbers and it must have some of the highest margins for Fiat. And (as Fiat also appears to have done) I would also not bother face-lifting it, and spend that money instead on other models that at the moment are not exactly engaging the public consciousness.
 
Maxi I am not 100% sure what you do for a living that qualifies you to be an expert on sales and advertising in the automotive sector.
Please remind me
 
I just wanted to know where all your knowledge came from.
I am happy for you to discuss stuff its just that you seemed to be talking like an expert in that particular field so I guessed that you must do that for a job.
 
RUI said:
I just wanted to know where all your knowledge came from.
I am happy for you to discuss stuff its just that you seemed to be talking like an expert in that particular field so I guessed that you must do that for a job.
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Strange how no one else on this forum felt the need for this information :)

Might you be wanting to stir up some trouble? :)
 
Not at all I just like to know if someone is talking about something they know about or if they are talking crap.

Thanks for your answer now I know.
 
RUI said:
Not at all I just like to know if someone is talking about something they know about or if they are talking crap.

Thanks for your answer now I know.
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Heaven forbid someone should want to discuss something on a discussion forum eh RUI? :)

Funny how you have neither stated your position on the matter nor stated how you are somehow an expert in this field.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/the-worst-product-flops-of-2011.html

Funny how they saw fit to fire Laura Soave in November for the failure of the 500 launch in the USA, Yahoo have seen fit to repost this and the 500 has not even sold half as well as it was planned to, yet you seem to want to disagree with me and if you're not disagreeing with me you seem to want to have some petty argument over my car marketing forum discussion credentials.

What is this? The Spanish Inquisition? :confused:

How's that "Make Maxi history" campaign going? :)
 
Had a great trip to LA in October and was delighted when a silver 500 (automatic) pulled into the airport rental yard (Alamo Rent A Car) just as I was getting to grips with the offered 'compact' vehicle (and even more monstrous upgrade model). So obviously Alamo must have bought at least one!

With Sat-nav (as an extra) it proved an ideal way to tour the city and coped well with night driving along Mullholland Drive and the back roads up and around the Hollywood ridge(?).

I was amazed to see a skateboarder still road skating (coming downhill very fast) as I worked my way up Mullholland Highway (the more mountainous and wonderfully scenic route out towards the ocean north towards Highway 1.

Mulholland Highway.jpg

The three day drive up to San Francisco along Highway 1 was great too, my trusty rental Fiat achieving a great run and coping well with the winding roads and heavily populated highways and Freeways coming back into the city.

Of course little did I know my own 500 was being eaten by rodents at the same time back at home: https://www.fiatforum.com/500/288729-rodent-damage-fuel-tank-pipes.html?p=2918587
 
306maxi said:
LOL the forum has censored my link. paste market watch in wihout the space and it'll work :)
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Meh. What a bunch of t watches!

Anyway. Everyone knows Toyotas are the truck of choice for terrorists and the forces of evil.
 
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