Chrysler moving upscale after all with integrated approach

CEO Olivier Francois asked, “Why would a Frenchman who works for an Italian company work for an American company in Michigan?” “The pathway is passion. … to make hearts race with every glance. It is an American sensation.” (He went on for a while like this.) “A visit to the Chrysler museum is such an experience.” Lancia was in a similar condition as Chrysler when he came. He started with a 4% market in Italy with six nameplates, in 2009 at 4.8% with four nameplates. Lancia focused on three basics, product, marketing, and network. In the US, Chrysler has five nameplates with total 1.8% share, looking for 3.4% share with more nameplates by 2014. “It’s about 84 years of history.” Comfort, performance, styling, innovation, quality, value, efficiency. Walter P. Chrysler: “I gave the public quality, beauty, speed, comfort, style, and power, all at a low price.” Quality, value, and efficiency require hard work but the rest is also needed for Chrysler. New ads: “It’s time to reignite the American dream. Let’s make cars people want to make out it. Cars people want to have their photos taken in. It’s time, once again, for America to arrive in style.”

Coming in Q1 2010: 300 Sport edition, Town & Country Fashion Edition, PT Cruiser Final Edition, Sebring Ocean Edition. This indicates the PT Cruiser will not continue past 2010 after all. Coming in Q4 2010: reshape the Sebring and refresh Town & Country.

Chrysler’s ambition is to be distinctive at all these levels. The new attributes must be established. Refined, balanced performance, provocative styling, intuitive innovation, craftsmanship, pride/value, efficiency — responsibility as well as mileage. We need to expand the portfolio, improve quality, create exciting designs.

Chrysler’s ambition is being different, remembered, and aspirational, not mimicking another automaker; and having an integrated image across the board, products, merchandising, showrooms, auto shows, advertising, catalogs, web sites. Everything must reflect aspiration. Brochures should be aspirational and elegant. 40 million visits so far to chrysler.com — “Paradise or Hell for our brand image?” — no brand image on the existing site; a new site goes live in a few days. It will set a new tone for the brand. New showrooms coming, too. New car show displays are on their way. New catalogs are done. New product is coming. New advertising is coming. “We have done this in one month but the bigger work is to be done.”

Mainstream shows and events are expensive but have low visibility. It is time to find new methods. It is time to present new vehicles like models on a runway, not a highway. There’s also a new logo. Brand equity must be increased. Chrysler will stand one notch above everyone else. Chrysler will however also have B, C, and D segment cars as well as the CUV.

Still no word on 200C but the product plan is still coming.