Dealers A bumpy road for Fiat 500
#16
Cycle Savant
iTrader: (5)
If MINI Coopers can sell, so can the Fiat 500.
Both are niche products. Both can crawl up to $30k easily with options and packages. People who buy MINI and Fiat are not the most frugal: you might as well buy a Yaris or Versa if you want something cheap.
What's wrong? Fiat's unproven (or proven in Europe) reliability. Depreciation (MINI's don't suffer as much; Fiat will). Marketing (see notes above). A sense of community and pride (MINI and Scion has this niche market covered).
Both are niche products. Both can crawl up to $30k easily with options and packages. People who buy MINI and Fiat are not the most frugal: you might as well buy a Yaris or Versa if you want something cheap.
What's wrong? Fiat's unproven (or proven in Europe) reliability. Depreciation (MINI's don't suffer as much; Fiat will). Marketing (see notes above). A sense of community and pride (MINI and Scion has this niche market covered).
#19
Lexus Fanatic
The J-Lo adds are completely bogus. As if she actually drives around in one of these little things.
One thing I don't agree with, though, is trying to sell cars by using models or voluptuous-looking women. Cars are NOT women.....nor, IMO, is there any conection between the two, even in cars as classy as a Jag XKR or Aston Martin. Yes, I know I made a comment, when I reviewed the Jag XKR convertible last year, that driving it was like dating a supermodel, but I am not a salesperson actually trying to sell cars. And it was only an idle/facetious comment on my part, not a serious comparison.
This video, for example, of trying to sell the Abarth with a borderline-sexual-content ad (and marginally NWS) just makes the Fiat marketers look like morons.
http://vimeo.com/32318970
IMO, they don't need this kind of crap on videos to sell the 500...when you drive one, either you will like it or you won't. For the most part, I did.
Last edited by mmarshall; 11-22-11 at 10:16 AM.
#20
Cycle Savant
iTrader: (5)
This video, for example, of trying to sell the Abarth with a borderline-sexual-content ad (and marginally NWS) just makes the Fiat marketers look like morons.
http://vimeo.com/32318970
#21
Lexus Fanatic
#22
I actually like the little thing and hope it does well.
Here in San Diego I've seen quite a few driving around, but not as many as I thought I'd be seening on the road by now.
The main problem is that it is NOT a family car. Back seat is only for luggage or pets. It works as something for a single person or couple with no kids and is quite fun.
Advertising (especially TV) should have played to the Italian sports car vibe and history instead of the J Lo fashion accessory theme.
Here in San Diego I've seen quite a few driving around, but not as many as I thought I'd be seening on the road by now.
The main problem is that it is NOT a family car. Back seat is only for luggage or pets. It works as something for a single person or couple with no kids and is quite fun.
Advertising (especially TV) should have played to the Italian sports car vibe and history instead of the J Lo fashion accessory theme.
#23
Lexus Test Driver
Marketing is all wrong, j-lo ads do not come across as authentic and are trying to hard
Car is high priced for what it is
You can eat the price if the MPG amazing, it isn’t
You go for the size often because of the MPG, failure
First in to win, they came to a game late and at the wrong time in the market
Only so much room in this market space because of our life style and vastness of North America
They have a tough road ahead.
Car is high priced for what it is
You can eat the price if the MPG amazing, it isn’t
You go for the size often because of the MPG, failure
First in to win, they came to a game late and at the wrong time in the market
Only so much room in this market space because of our life style and vastness of North America
They have a tough road ahead.
#24
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (1)
Marketing is all wrong, j-lo ads do not come across as authentic and are trying to hard
Car is high priced for what it is
You can eat the price if the MPG amazing, it isn’t
You go for the size often because of the MPG, failure
First in to win, they came to a game late and at the wrong time in the market
Only so much room in this market space because of our life style and vastness of North America
They have a tough road ahead.
Car is high priced for what it is
You can eat the price if the MPG amazing, it isn’t
You go for the size often because of the MPG, failure
First in to win, they came to a game late and at the wrong time in the market
Only so much room in this market space because of our life style and vastness of North America
They have a tough road ahead.
J Lo is hot right now and the timing is right for her to do the ads.The ads get more attention because she is in them.Even i paid more attention and I dislike the car.
Like mentioned above,it's a 'chick car' and she will help sales with the 18-25 girl group.
I saw many models at the NY Car Show and wasn't impressed.
A suicide box to me.I wouldn't let a loved one drive it.
#25
Lexus Champion
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: California
Posts: 1,832
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I think their marketing group should emphasize on this car's orgin: Italy. Since it is the only affordable Italian branded vehicle currently being sold in the U.S., buying it would make the owner special. By the way, selling more than 15000 units a year for such a niche car isn't that bad. I could easily find many models from many brands that sold way less than that. Plus, the brand and car is still very new to Americans. Give it some time the sales might pick up. Mini sold slightly more than 47000 units in the U.S. in the first ten months this year, with cooper, clubman, countryman in the lineup, after so many years growing in the country. I would say Fiat is doing pretty well, just not as well as Chrysler's expectation.
#26
Lexus Test Driver
J Lo is hot right now and the timing is right for her to do the ads
#27
J Lo is hot right now and the timing is right for her to do the ads.The ads get more attention because she is in them.Even i paid more attention and I dislike the car.
Like mentioned above,it's a 'chick car' and she will help sales with the 18-25 girl group.
I saw many models at the NY Car Show and wasn't impressed.
A suicide box to me.I wouldn't let a loved one drive it.
Like mentioned above,it's a 'chick car' and she will help sales with the 18-25 girl group.
I saw many models at the NY Car Show and wasn't impressed.
A suicide box to me.I wouldn't let a loved one drive it.
And I have to wonder... do fashionable and not so fashionable women really want a car like this?
#28
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (1)
The ads get attention but that's it. There's no hard reason to follow-through and actually go see the car. If the big thing behind this thing is that J-Lo looks cute in it then that is pretty flimsy marketing. The car and brand are practically unknown quantities here in the states. Cute and boutique chic are not enough in a market where with Scions, Minis, and yes, VW beetles are a much more familiar proposition. Mini is sold in conjunction with your local BMW dealership, Scion at Toyota and Beetles at VW. Really, the 500 is all about style and little else.
And I have to wonder... do fashionable and not so fashionable women really want a car like this?
And I have to wonder... do fashionable and not so fashionable women really want a car like this?
Now there's two JLO Fiat ads.I think she helps Fiat with the younger female crowd.
They must have paid JLo big bucks too.
#29
with all due respect, the car is probably targeted at female audience (their money, after all, is much easier to grab). i will very much doubt the male customer for this car is ANYTHING close to 20% of total buyer. playing italian sports car vibe and history will do absolutely nothing to help out the car sales.
It would be silly to not use the same selling points of the Abarth (sporty, Italian heritage) to sell the base 500s and 500Cs. It's like how BMW's M cars draw attention to the entire BMW lineup.
#30
Having a celebrity hawk your product does not automatically add value to it. There are lots of attention-getting ads but that's only the first step. You cave to get people to do something. In this case there doesn't seem to be any reason to follow through other than to react... "oh... there's Jennifer Lopez on TV". You see her but do you remember the car... or the company... or why you should care? There's a whole superficiality to the whole thing. Rather vapid as a matter of fact. Cars have to be about more than fashion. A LOT more
Last edited by speedflex; 11-22-11 at 01:11 PM.