Branding - Page 2

Neppatsrev Xam · 6 Mar 2017, 11:08 (Ref:3716833)

Quote:

Originally Posted by VIVA GT

I do believe the Ferrari carried Alfa Romeo branding at some stage!

they still do

Mike Harte · 6 Mar 2017, 12:43 (Ref:3716856)

But the Alfa logos are, surely, just advertising, as there is now very little link between the two companies apart from Piero Ferrari's 10% personal shareholding.

Prior to the 2015 split from Fiat, there may have been some merit in the idea, but what is the point now?

crmalcolm · 6 Mar 2017, 13:20 (Ref:3716861)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

But the Alfa logos are, surely, just advertising

Ferrari's website describes Alfa Romeo as a sponsor - so definitely not a branding exercise.

BSchneiderFan · 6 Mar 2017, 15:55 (Ref:3716880)

Quote:

Originally Posted by chunder

Well Red Bull did do it with Infiniti.

Not the same; they had Infiniti logos on the car but it was never a Red Bull-Infiniti.

BSchneiderFan · 6 Mar 2017, 15:59 (Ref:3716881)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

But the Alfa logos are, surely, just advertising, as there is now very little link between the two companies apart from Piero Ferrari's 10% personal shareholding.

Prior to the 2015 split from Fiat, there may have been some merit in the idea, but what is the point now?

I thought Alfa was still owned by FCA? Sergio Marchionne has certainly been talking within the last few months about Alfa returning to F1.

Mike Harte · 6 Mar 2017, 16:27 (Ref:3716886)

Quote:

Originally Posted by BSchneiderFan

I thought Alfa was still owned by FCA? Sergio Marchionne has certainly been talking within the last few months about Alfa returning to F1.

I did write it rather inelegantly. Whilst Alfa is still wholly owned by Fiat Chrysler, Ferrari is now totally independent from FCA apart from the minor details of Marchionne being still in charge of both entities and Piero Ferrari's shareholding.

BSchneiderFan · 6 Mar 2017, 17:29 (Ref:3716898)

Ah, right. It just strikes me that, if Marchionne wants Alfa to have an F1 presence, rebranding customer engines would be an easy way to do it.

chillibowl · 6 Mar 2017, 18:39 (Ref:3716905)

but what is the benefit to a team that accepts an Alfa badge while forgoing the Ferrari badge?

take Haas for example...Alfa is making a big push in the US these days(heavy sponsorship during this years Super Bowl) so on the surface it would seem to be an easy and natural fit for FIAT.

but from Haas' point of view, would that sponsorship have helped or hurt them?

more money is of course more money but maybe they thought that having the Ferrari badge (a far more recognizable symbol) on their car gave the new team a level of exposure and credibility that they might not have otherwise created had they used the Alfa badge.

if i was starting a new team, paying a premium ti use the Ferrari badge exclusively might outweigh additional sponsorship revenues.

that said i would probably try to get both badges on my car and have the best of both worlds!

Richard Casto · 6 Mar 2017, 19:22 (Ref:3716914)

Regarding Haas, Ferrari and Alfa...

It seems that there is little link these days between Ferrari and Fiat (and then to Alfa) other than Marchionne and history given Fiat no longer owns Ferrari. Regarding the push by Alfa, I can't imagine an F1 sponsorship is a good way to spend money to increase US sales. I read that Alfa sales increased 843% in Feb 2017! That is because they only sold 47 cars in the US in Feb 2016. Its easy to make improvements like that when you are starting at ground zero from a sales perspective.

The problem is that I just think most consumers in the US have no idea what F1 is (let alone watch it), so the advertising may have little impact.

But... for customers of a premium brand in the US it might. A potential Ferrari owner may know about F1 and the history of Ferrari within F1. I think Ferrari builds roughly 8k cars a year with around 25% sold in the US. So expect that is why you see the Ferrari name on the engine in the Haas. Maybe Fiat/Marchionne should have pushed for a US based, but Fiat owned name like "Jeep" to put on the engine cover!

Richard

Gingers4Justice · 6 Mar 2017, 21:58 (Ref:3716938)

Regarding Renault have TR rebrand their engine a Nissan...

You have to think that for Renault to be a "works" team, and for Nissan to be the engine in the back of the B team of a fizzy drinks manufacturer, you are effectively demoting the Nissan brand below the Renault one. Not sure that sends the right message.

dsg · 7 Mar 2017, 01:05 (Ref:3716956)

Re-branding the Renault engine to Tag-Heuer has probably enabled RedBull to bring on Aston Martin as a sponsor. Would that have been possible/acceptable if they still had Renault branding on the car?

chunder · 7 Mar 2017, 07:02 (Ref:3716986)

The thing is, these days, does Alfa having anything to do with F1 really make people want to buy an Alfa?

Did it suddenly make people want to buy an Infiniti? Eve dumping Vettel into one and doing loads of PR? Not sure myself.

Are consumers that dumb? You buy a car these days for numerous reasons, the new emissions rules are one due to the insane tax you will pay otherwise, MPG, space, stuff you get for free!

BSchneiderFan · 7 Mar 2017, 11:41 (Ref:3717027)

Quote:

Originally Posted by chunder

The thing is, these days, does Alfa having anything to do with F1 really make people want to buy an Alfa?

Did it suddenly make people want to buy an Infiniti? Eve dumping Vettel into one and doing loads of PR? Not sure myself.

Are consumers that dumb? You buy a car these days for numerous reasons, the new emissions rules are one due to the insane tax you will pay otherwise, MPG, space, stuff you get for free!

If that's true, why are any car manufacturers involved in Formula 1?

chunder · 7 Mar 2017, 12:40 (Ref:3717032)

I really don't know?

You tell me?

My thinking would be simply for something for their R&D folk to get their teeth into.

Does it sell cars? I don't know until someone sends me proof!!