too dumb to trip?

[Pottree@domain.elided]

In a message dated 9/30/2002 10:42:16 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
owner-alfa-digest@domain.elided writes:


> The latest catalogue [Fall 2002] of the upscale national luggage purveyor,
> El Portal, headquartered in Minnesota, arrived in the mail today...  boldly 
> featured on the cover is a cherry
> GTV... backdrop for a statuesque
> model and her luggage of course. Same car on the next to last page, 3/4
> front view... Could belong to El Portal's owner or
> the ad execs. Obviously someone with impeccable taste.

"Ordinary" auto makers would have to pay someone to get product exposure like 
that!  And, as has been reported here and elsewhere, this is not an isolated 
anecdote.

It is constantly amazing to me how ignorant our friends at (FIAT) Alfa can be 
when it comes to marketing, especially when they are so sophisticated when it 
comes to engineering!  There is TREMENDOUS value locked up in the legendary 
Alfa Romeo name and heritage that is just waiting for someone to exploit.  
That they are so dense when it comes to doing anything about recognizing this 
opportunity is a constant frustration.  What, if anything, are they thinking?

My take is they are thinking an Alfa is a (relatively) inexpensive car, and 
has to sink or swim in the pond of Camrys.  Get over it already!!  That will 
not and cannot happen in the USA, but Alfa can surely compete successfully 
the Ford Euro Luxo prestige brands if only supported as it deserves to be.

This is what I get: poor ole FIAT is in bad financial trouble so the plans to 
exploit the real brand potential for Alfa in the USA get neglected.  Doubly 
dumb when Alfa is one of FIAT Auto's few current successes.  I think they 
don't hit the General for what could be the magic contribution to the 
equation because they don't even know where to start the conversation.  

This is sad to see -- about on the level of me trying to tear down and 
rebuild an engine.  But if such a job needed to be undertaken, I would 
certainly get a crack mechanic to do it.  So, why is it so hard for FIAT to 
come up with a crack marketing brain who can see what is so plain:  Alfa is a 
fruit ripe for the picking, but you have to look up into the tree to see it.

Sometimes, I think they are too dumb to trip over their own feet.  Perhaps 
there is another excuse.

Charlie
LA, CA, USA
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