Many brands have very strong images, like Harley-Davidson, BMW or Moto-Guzzi, in different styles. Ducati is one of them, whose name evokes sport and racing, like its Italian counterpart in the automobile field Ferrari. Ivo Schützbach for speedweek. com asked Sports Director Paolo Ciabatti for the reason.
Does Ducati's involvement in the MotoGP World Championship help you sell motorcycles?
“Do you think Formula 1 helps Ferrari sell cars? Where would they sell cars if they weren't in Formula 1? Hard to say. »
“Apart from the Scrambler, all Ducati models have a sporty character. We are convinced that Ducati has become what it is today because we have success in racing. »
“Ducati is the Italian sports brand, that of red Italian motorcycles. We want to keep this image, sporting commitment helps us. Of course, it also needs good products and attractive designs. You can't rely on the running image alone. Products must match the mission. »
“Today, you no longer win the race on Sunday to sell your motorcycles on Monday. It's a shame but it's the past. »
“At the moment, Ducati is the only European manufacturer that can participate in the MotoGP World Championship at the same level as the Japanese factories and win in the highest category. This helps us position our brand to where it is now. »
BMW has never officially raced in MotoGP, but still sells its S1000RR well.
“I can't give you a precise analysis now, but obviously some manufacturers don't need racing. BMW is known for being reliable, this is German quality. Whatever they do, they do it as well as possible – as does the entire German automotive industry in general. »
“You may not need a racing image to sell your products. »
“Ducati is more of an emotional choice. With Ducati you don't buy a product, you enter your own world. »
Like Harley-Davidson?
“Yes, just in a different way. For sportbike buyers, there are many manufacturers that have good products. But Ducati offers its own world. »
“Everything at Ducati is influenced by racing, so racing is very important to us. People buy our products because they want to be part of our world, because they want to have that special experience. These experiences are made of emotions and races. Seeing us in the MotoGP World Championship is part of this world. »
“Not many people buy a Ducati just because it's a good bike. They want something different, something with passion, that means something to them. The mysticism around Ducati is forged from many elements, racing is one of them. »
Photos © Ducati
Source: speedweek. com
