MADRID, 22 May. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Ducati celebrates going through “the best moment in its history”, close to reaching 100 years of life, with “record” figures in competition – MotoGP champions in 2022 and 2023 – and product, although its mission in the short and medium The goal is to become a “more ‘premium’ brand,” taking into account that “all big projects are simmered.”
Valencia was decked out in the legendary Ducati red color last week with the inauguration of the new official dealership in the city center, with more than 300 m2 of showroom and workshop, already underway in a “spacious” and “modern” space. that channels the “incredible potential” in Spain. And Carlos T. López Panisello, project leader, has been in charge of the new strategy in national territory and Portugal since January 1.
“We are following a brand strategy that involves becoming a more ‘premium’ brand, becoming more exclusive, being a brand that increasingly gives more particular attention to our customers in every way, not just in sales, but in the after-sales,” he explained in an interview with Europa Press from the workshop of the new dealership in Valencia, where they have high expectations.
The launch of Ducati Valencia is within a “clear” program and strategy for the brand, now under the Audi umbrella also in marketing in Spain and Portugal. “We are improving our points of sale, making them larger, more modern. It is a plan that little by little, as we make the different openings, we are communicating, although it is a bit confidential,” Panisello commented on future openings.
They do not want to accompany the new strategy towards luxury with “large, bright, clean, new, well-located, exclusive” facilities, but also with products “increasingly more technological, exclusive and with ‘premium’ collaborations”, such as Lamborghini or Bentley . “None of these two brands collaborate if it is not because they consider Ducati an equal,” Panisello highlighted.
The new dealership in Valencia is the first step since Audi took control of Ducati in the Spanish market on January 1, which is now the fifth in Europe for the Panigale factory, after Italy, Germany, France and the United Kingdom. . The German company acquired the Italian motorcycle brand in 2012, and until 2024 distribution was in the hands of Onex. But after a record 2023 – 60,000 units sold, more than 1,000 million euros in turnover and operating profits of almost 110 million -.
And in this positive situation, Ducati wants to strengthen itself even more, occupying 7-8 percent of the market share, and not the 4.5 that it currently represents. Although it is a process in which they do not want to go too fast. “All large projects are simmered, it is a long journey in which you have to transform the dealer network, invest in marketing, and move levers little by little,” explained Panisello, who is marking five years to reach the goal.
“We are on the right track, month after month we are improving our sales data, we are expanding our dealer network, we are expanding our customer satisfaction. We are going in the right direction to achieve our commitments. Both Ducati and the Volkswagen group, when something gets into their head, they get it,” he insisted.
“WE ARE VERY STRICT ABOUT FOLLOWING OUR VALUES”
And the starting point to ‘conquer’ Spain is “the best moment” in the history of the brand, as explained by the vice president of Ducati Motor, Francesco Milicia. “2023 was the year with the highest profitability, but we are very strict in following our values, our vision and our mission,” he remarked.
“Ducati’s vision is not to grow and grow, but to be the most desirable company in the world, and the mission is to enrich people’s lives through incredible products. Ducati is present in 90 markets around the world, but it is also strongly Italian. And since the Renaissance, Italy is an incredible mix of beauty and technology and this is what we try to expand,” he said.
For the Italian brand, the ‘Ducatista’ is very important, because at Ducati they never talk only about customers. “We try to fulfill the dreams of the ‘Ducatista’, we don’t talk about the customer, we talk about the ‘Ducatista’. Because buying a Ducati is like entering a world, the Ducati world,” said Milicia.
From the top of Ducati they are clear that the Spanish market is “incredibly important” in its future. “Spain is the country where MotoGP has become popular. And we believe there is incredible potential. There are many similarities between Spanish and Italian culture. We adore beauty, our concept, and now we are in Valencia, a city of beauty, like all those we are in Spain, which are already a part of the heart of Ducati. Spain has an incredible and beautiful road to travel,” he predicted.
“DUCATI’S SUCCESS IS RELATED TO THE COMPETITION”
Furthermore, Valencia, and those other Spanish cities, stands out for its passion for motorcycling, although there is “no direct correlation” between sales and the MotoGP phenomenon. “In the medium and long term Ducati is strictly connected to success in racing, just as values, Ducati style, sophistication are important,” he listed.
“It is also because there is a very important integration and sharing of technologies between racing and motorcycle production. Perhaps not everyone knows that what we did with the Ducati Corse in the last year has been to transfer it to products, with improvements in aerodynamics. We have many engineers who have moved from product to career.
Finally, both Panisello and Milicia downplayed hypothetical competition with China and India, although they believe that their entry is “good” for the market. “They are being able to bring more and more interesting products, with a little more technology, increasing standards, they are doing a good job,” praised the brand director in Spain and Portugal.
Although they insist that their products affect them “little”, because what Ducati offers is “different.” “If someone is hesitating between buying a Chinese product and buying a Ducati, it’s because he doesn’t know what he wants to buy,” said Panisello.
“Ducati is a different universe, although China and India are opening up the world of motorcycles. And that means that people today can buy a Chinese product and tomorrow, if they are passionate about it, if they want something more exclusive, unique, enter in the world of dreams and end up buying a Ducati,” he added.
2024-05-22 08:13:32
#Ducati #aims #premium #future #moment #history
