Maserati Marketing Activities Question: What

Maserati Marketing Activities Question: What would your positioning strategy be for the new Maserati model? What would you do to support and establish this positioning strategy?

In launching the Maserati family of luxury automobiles against such entrenched and well-financed competitors including Bentley, BMW and their Z8 Series, Ferrari, Jaguar, Porsche, the positioning of the brand and its key messages is critical. As the marketing budget for the launch and subsequent promotional activities is not as large as the dominant competitors in the market, it is recommended that Maserati pursue a unique and highly differentiated positioning strategy and marketing plan. First, as research continues to show (Corporate Executive Board, 2003) the majority of luxury car buyers are over 50 years old, have high disposable incomes, and rely the majority of the time (58%) on the auto manufacturers' website to learn about the luxury vehicles they are planning to purchase. In addition, if the majority website visitors have a positive experience, 30% will eventually test drive the vehicle. In the auto marketing arena this is considered moving a prospect from the upper funnel to the lower funnel, with the test drive making the consumer a qualified sales lead. While Maserati may not have the large budgets to drive product and name awareness, it does have the ability to drive the dynamics of the sales funnel through the use trust as a premium Italian brand known for precision and excellence of design and engineering. This branding message of design and engineering excellence needs to be underscored first with endorsements, from both celebrities but more importantly, the auto critics and editors of the top auto magazines. Maserati's engineering expertise must be recognized by industry experts and promoted heavily to get the brand high levels of credibility with sports car fans globally. The brand must become synonymous with design and engineering quality if it is to succeed. The ongoing strategic plan must also focus on making the website a market positioning and selling platform as well, in fact the majority of the marketing budget needs to go to electronic commerce initiatives to ensure a high level of lead generation and eventual sales. The ability to create a position of design and engineering excellence by placing the industry thought leaders (editors, car enthusiast bloggers) on the website, in addition to a personalization option for returning visitors to the site, including a car configurator complete with the option to print out a window sticker with financing options, all need to be pursued. To survive in such a competitive market, Maserati needs to create an image of design and engineering excellence that is validated by industry experts. This all needs to be underscored by a website that makes them the easiest to work with, customize vehicles with, and develop their own unique identity through niche marketing to over-50 car enthusiasts. Reference: Corporate Executive Board (2003) - Factors Impacting Consumers' Luxury Vehicle Purchases. Marketing Leadership Council. Washington, DC. August, 2003