International Advertising Analysis: BMW and Alfa Romeo

Thèmes abordés

Adverstissement, Campaign Analysis, BMW, Alfa

Résumé du document

This paper is to give some recommendations to Alfa Romeo's advertisement regarding the Alfa Romeo 159, as it is not really attractive in the consumer's point of view and seems to be odd in conception, especially if we compare it to the BMW.

Firstly, regarding the title of the ad “Alibi n°27”, we don't really see a link between Alfa Romeo's strategy and the implementation of the new technology. By looking at the title we think that, the reason of purchase showed in the ad is not relative to the standard of the car as it speaks only about “the particulate filter”. We firmly believe that the Italian temperament and assets are to be pointed out as it is a premium product and not just a title on top. Our advice is to implement the driving pleasure given by an Alfa Romeo and the target price, as for example “The pleasure of driving an Italian diva at €27,000”; this will attract customers by showing the advantages of driving an Alfa Romeo 159. Contrary to the BMW ad, we are not attracted by the print, there is no real point in trying to keep the attention of the public. As explained in the analysis of the ads, the purchase of an Alfa Romeo is “implicating a purchase”. Then, the ad has to be joyful and expurgate, the background of the picture should be lighter to contrast with the black color of the car and represent an environment where the car is efficient. Furthermore, the maker of the advertisement decided to put in the advertisement the “SportWagon Version” which matches the “big family” needs. However, we think that the choice of the “Saloon Version” would be more appropriate as it represents the values and characteristics of the brand and points out the pleasure of driving an aggressive Italian car.

To summarize, the essential information regarding the brand and the car has to be implemented to highlight the premium product and the values of the brand to customers.

Extraits

[...] “While cars have a large transportation role in the U.S., they are impractical to drive in Japan, and thus cars there serve more of a role of being a status symbol or providing for individual indulgence” (consumerpsychologist.com/international_marketing.html). Our campaign's focus is the sports performance car for the family man as opposed to a status symbol or an emotional appeal which would work well in Japan. Language is always an important element of culture. Writing patterns or the socially accepted ways of writing, will be significantly different between cultures, especially when comparing U.S. and Japan. [...]

[...] Since there are concerns about potential loss of face, opinions may not be expressed directly. Instead, speakers may hint at ideas or indicate what others have said, waiting for feedback from the other speaker before committing to a point of view. Our ad campaign for the Alfa 159 seems to cut straight to the point, in which the theme and values are clearly expressed. This would therefore before fitting for an American culture than an Asian one like Japan. If we take a look at Hofstede's cultural dimensions we can note that the high individualism ranking for the U.S. [...]

[...] This statement reinforces Alfa Romeo's inability to properly segment, target and to motivate customers to purchase the Alfa 159. When trends are detected, the strategically adaptable firm, in this case Alfa Romeo, needs to have a culture that supports aggressive response to opportunities. If Alfa Romeo aspires to be strategically adaptable, they need to have competence in identifying and evaluating trends, a culture that supports aggressive response and organizational flexibility so that modification can occur quickly. Campaigns are one way to evaluate prospects, receive feedback and adapt accordingly. [...]

[...] As explained in the analysis of the ads the purchase of an Alfa Romeo is an implicating purchase. Then, the ad has to be joyful and expurgate, the background of the picture should be lighter to contrast with the black color of the car and represent an environment where the car is efficient as a motorway in the countryside. Furthermore, the maker of the advertisement decided to put in the advertisement the “SportWagon Version” which matches with a big family needs. [...]

[...] Another opportunity for the 159 are the functional attributes that translate into benefits to attract and acquire more of the right customers. So this is why we are advertising One of the most important goals for Alfa Romeo is to establish the brand into people's minds as sporty. The biggest problem at the moment is that too few people knows what the Alfa Romeo car can deliver and what it is to own an Alfa Romeo. The positioning is unclear and the headlines are often hard to put in a context. What is Alfa and what does the company stand for? [...]