…the first part!

GLOBALISATION!  This term should allow you to achieve a product that is in line with the tastes of the “entire world”, with the underlying principle of listening to your customers. Are Lancia and Chrysler getting to grips with this term? Do they listen to the large mass of customers who are trying to convey their expectations? If not, what’s missing and what will you do to address this issue? Read more »

Interview Date: January 4, 2013

Professional Profile: Paolo Gagliardo, after an MBA at Columbia Business School in New York, has built great part of its career in the Automotive industry. He has worked in Ford Motor Company and FIAT in various Marketing, Sales and Product assignments in the UK, US and Italy. He has also worked in the Italian Railroad Company, as Chief Marketing Officer and Piaggio S.p.A. as Executive Vice President Product.
In 2010 he has rejoined Fiat Group Automobiles as COO for International Operations and now he is Head of Brand Lancia/Chrysler for EMEA.

The products in the Lancia range – the Thema and Flavia in particular – seem to be carbon copies of non-European models; to this, add the decision to abandon the Lancia brand. Today, can a Lancia salesperson be successful in proposing this type of product, taking on the European competition? Read more »

Interview Date: November 23, 2012

Professional Profile: Adriana Maria Quaglia begans her career at the end of the 1980′s in sales and marketing. From 1989 to 1997 she worked for several communications agencies, developing and managing advertising campaigns, trade marketing, events and external relations for premium Italian and international brands.In the  following decade her career developed in telecommunications management. She has been involved in directing and implementing important organisational and business change management projects.
She has been with Fiat Group Automobiles since 2008 where, within Customer Care, she has always worked to develop channels and services aimed at managing and developing relations with the Group’s customers. She currently works as Fiat Group Automobiles and Chrysler Customer Innovation Manager for the EMEA area within Parts&Service – Customer Care. Read more »

As bloggers we were invited to the presentation of the new Fiat 500L, the small MPV from the Turin company that will replace the “Idea” by the end of the year. We don’t want to talk about the product, even though it deserves to be discussed, since the specialized magazines will do so as soon as the first models hit the road. Instead, we want to talk about the atmosphere, sensations and constructive spirit that the designers in the style center wanted to pass on to us.
Read more »

Women in limousine --- Image by © Hill Street Studios/Blend Images/Corbis

This is the MINI we want! This is the Fiesta we want! This is…

This is the latest Fiat commercial. It could have been authored by Silvio B. himself. It would have been perfect for the Italy we experienced until a couple of weeks ago.  Too bad that it has been broadcasted just a little too late. Now everything is different. Well, may be this is a kind of wishful thinking. Anyway, the Fiat Group has started a set of communication actions that make one ponder. After the infamous “Luxury is a Right” (Lancia), assertion based on the experimental fact that “all restaurants are fully booked”, now the Fiat Group talks with the young people slang. Read more »

Fiat 500 Sport © by EdoM Photography

A national news program gave the news a few days ago that Italian companies are investing in Serbia where Italy will be the third largest partner behind Russia and Germany but with the goal, on the part of the Italian government, of earning the second spot if not even the first.
Regarding Fiat and its future, we wonder about the status of the work being done on the new factory planned for Serbia, where Fiat was foresaw the production of 250,000 units per year of the new models called L0 and L1, compact vans which will replace the Lancia Musa and Fiat Idea starting in 2012. Read more »

Being extremely lucky to have the world available as being my office, I am often in contact with several Automotive Characters. During our enjoyable social dinners some interesting news and curiosities about business developments and challenging strategies of the several OEM Corporations emerge.

Particularly I am getting quite fascinated by Fiat Group Automobile Strategy or, better, the way Sergio Marchionne is trying to pursue in order to get and overcome the Best Manager Mith of ever: Jack Welch (the two decades big Gee of GE). Read more »

Salesman & New Owner © by Belly Acres

What can happen when two very famous persons, known and loved by all becomes car salesmen? I know many car dealers and many salesmen who are ashamed to say the work they do, fearing of being compared to the ‘Cadillac man‘ of Robin Williams or to the ‘Italian Car salesman’ of Robert de Niro. Read more »