Creating a "small car" US market
What We Did
The Work
The challenge:
Italian automaker Fiat needed a strategy to introduce the Fiat 500 to US driver market thought to be skeptical of both Fiat and small cars.
The approach:
A comprehensive macro-trend study uncovered some surprising audience insights, brand positioning opportunities, and compelling territory for activation campaigns.
Why it worked:
The study revealed emerging cultural mindset around ownership, value, and taste for design.
It also uncovered biases in past research on driver attitudes toward the 500 and the presumed competitive set both of which rested on a presumed “bigger is better” mentality.
Findings pointed to a new generation of eco-, value-, and design-conscious drivers in the US, especially in cities, who actively sought out iconic, lifestyle brands just like the Fiat 500. This generation of conscious consumers were not in the sedan market at all, instead actively seeking smart, eco-friendly options in line with their values.
Owler Hook:
Undeterred by a supposed stigma toward small cars, we found an overlooked class of driver for the Fiat 500- one which brands like Mini, Fiat, Smart Car have fruitfully translated into a low-barrier entry to their brand universes.
