Stellantis Boss Pinpoints Maserati’s Biggest Failing

Let’s face it, Maserati has not had a good time in the media of late. Besides reports of its imminent demise and refutations of these claims, sales figures haven’t been where they should be, despite new products on the market. In the first half of 2024, Maserati sales slumped from 15,300 at the halfway point last year to just 6,500 cars this year. This is despite the launches of several cars like the MC20 Cielo, GranTurismo, GranCabrio, Grecale, and electric Folgore variants of the latter three. So what’s wrong?

Well, according to CEO Carlos Tavares, Maserati’s marketing is its biggest failing. He didn’t quite use those words exactly, but according to Motor1, that’s the area he’s pinpointed as the brand’s biggest area of concern.

This Speaks To A Bigger Issue

Tavares continued in the same statement to say that Maserati had fixed the quality issues that had once plagued the brand, “but now we need to work on marketing. We lack prospects and leads, we need to reach potential customers and deliver the right message for the right positioning.”

When last did you see an advert for Ferrari? Or Lamborghini? Or Rolls-Royce? That’s the thing, you don’t. Luxury brands at that level don’t need to market themselves because they’ve reached a level where brand equity speaks for itself. Maserati was, once upon a time, at that level, but the fact that it’s fallen to the point of needing to focus on marketing speaks volumes for where the brand is now. If it has to pursue more traditional means of advertising to place the brand in the public eye, then it finds itself on the same level as more mainstream brands like BMW and Mercedes-Benz. And in the Stellantis roster, the brand that should be doing that is Alfa Romeo.

Still Time To Turn It Around, But A Change Has To Happen Soon

We’ve spoken plentifully about Stellantis’ ambitions to grow each of its brands, even the nearly-defunct ones like Lancia and the ailing DS Automobiles. Each brand was given the deadline of the end of this decade to turn things around, but as we’ve seen in the past, the automotive industry’s goalposts are ever-changing, and if there are no signs of improvement – as there have been at Alfa Romeo, for example – that deadline could be brought forward.

But marketing woes aside, we’ve been impressed by the plan Maserati has in place. Late last year, CarBuzz spoke to the CEO of Maserati Americas, Bill Peffer, and there was a clear plan for the brand that made sense and inspired confidence. There’s a clear concept of brand identity and a multi-powertrain approach that should enable the brand to weather any anti-EV storms, unlike brands facing two-year deadlines to make their EV plans work.

Peffer admitted that repairing the brand’s identity would take time and that it begins with good product, something Maserati has invested in tremendously.

Sources:
Motor1
, Stellantis