PhilipMSPT

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).

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

I saw the Gucci Fiat 500 at the L.A. Auto Show.

That's what I would get. With matching Gucci model and luggage.

Alucard

Gucci chick is way better than Jennifer Lopez!!

mmarshall

If Tiger Woods could drive around for years in Buicks, I think J-L could handle a 500.

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.

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

I love that commercial.

mmarshall

Well, sure, the girl is a looker, but will the commercial itself actually sell Abarths? Methinks not. They will sell on their own merits.

seanlee

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.

J.P.

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.

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

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.

TwiBlueG35

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.

J.P.

You may be right, but the last marketing roundtable I was at, everyone thought is was a poor idea.....

speedflex

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?

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

Isn't attention what a company would want in an ad?JLo has brought plenty of attention to that car.
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.

Alucard

Even if your 20% number plays out, the upcoming Abarth stuff is very much male customer focused.

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.

speedflex

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