The global automotive industry has witnessed a whirlwind of change in recent years. Sustainability concerns, technological advancements, and evolving consumer preferences have all reshaped the landscape. In this dynamic environment, a new powerhouse emerged in 2021: Stellantis. Formed through the historic merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and Groupe PSA (Peugeot SA) , Stellantis is a multinational automotive giant encompassing 14 iconic car brands, propelling it to the fourth-largest automaker in the world by sales in 2023, trailing only giants like Toyota and Volkswagen Group.

This behemoth boasts a rich heritage, with its constituent brands tracing their roots back over a century. Jeep, with its legendary off-road prowess, can be traced back to the Willys-Overland Company founded in 1908. Ram trucks, known for their durability and power, have their roots in Dodge trucks dating back to the 1920s. On the other hand, European marques like Alfa Romeo, established in 1910, and Maserati, founded in 1914, bring a touch of Italian passion and performance to the Stellantis portfolio. This brand tapestry caters to a wide range of customer preferences, encompassing budget-conscious buyers seeking practical vehicles like the Citroen C3 or the Fiat Panda to luxury car enthusiasts yearning for the performance and prestige of a Maserati GranTurismo or an Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio.

Stellantis isn’t just about established names. The company is also a champion of innovation, actively steering towards a future defined by electrification and software integration. With a clear vision outlined in its “Dare Forward 2030” strategic plan, Stellantis is heavily invested in developing a robust electric vehicle (EV) lineup. The company aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2038, a significant commitment in the fight against climate change. They’ve already made significant strides in this area, with offerings like the electric Jeep Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrid and the all-electric Fiat 500e finding favor with environmentally conscious consumers.

Beyond EVs, Stellantis is at the forefront of software development, recognizing its critical role in the future of mobility. The company envisions its vehicles becoming intelligent machines, seamlessly integrated with cutting-edge technologies. This focus on software ensures a connected driving experience, offering features like Level 2 and Level 3 autonomous driving capabilities (where the car can handle some or most driving tasks under certain conditions) and personalized in-car services. Stellantis partnered with tech giant BMW to create a joint venture called “Free2Move” which aims to develop and deliver next-generation mobility solutions, showcasing their commitment to this growing field.

Stellantis’ global reach is another defining characteristic. Headquartered in Amsterdam, the company boasts a truly international presence. With a workforce representing over 160 nationalities and industrial operations spanning more than 30 countries, including major manufacturing hubs in Italy, France, the United States, and Brazil, Stellantis is a melting pot of talent and ideas. This diversity allows them to cater to a customer base spread across 130 markets, fostering a deep understanding of varied automotive needs. From the fuel-efficient needs of European city driving to the demand for powerful trucks in North America, Stellantis tailors its offerings to regional preferences.

In conclusion, Stellantis is a company poised to shape the future of mobility. Its rich heritage, diverse brand portfolio, and commitment to innovation position it as a leader in the automotive landscape. As Stellantis navigates the exciting challenges of electrification and software integration, one thing remains certain: this automotive giant, born from a historic merger, is on a mission to keep the world moving, in a sustainable and technologically advanced way.

What are the brands owned by Stellantis?

Stellantis, a multinational automotive company formed in 2021 through the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and Peugeot SA (PSA), owns a diverse portfolio of 14 iconic automotive brands and two mobility arms. Here’s a brief overview of each brand:

Abarth: Abarth, known for its high-performance racing cars, was founded in 1949 and acquired by Fiat in 1971. The brand specializes in creating sporty and powerful vehicles, with a focus on performance and style.

Alfa Romeo: Alfa Romeo, established in 1910, has a rich history in racing competitions and is renowned for producing elegant and sporty cars. The brand’s vehicles are known for their Italian flair, performance, and luxurious design.

Chrysler: Founded in 1925, Chrysler is an American automaker that has been a significant player in the industry. Chrysler is recognized for its innovation, particularly in the development of the minivan, and has a legacy of producing a wide range of vehicles.

Citroën: Citroën, a French automaker, is known for its innovative and avant-garde designs. The brand focuses on comfort, technology, and distinctive styling in its vehicles, offering a unique driving experience.

Dodge: Dodge, an American brand, is synonymous with performance and muscle cars. Dodge vehicles are known for their powerful engines, bold designs, and a heritage deeply rooted in American automotive culture.

DS Automobiles: DS Automobiles is a French luxury brand that embodies sophistication and elegance. The brand offers premium vehicles with cutting-edge technology, luxurious interiors, and a focus on comfort and refinement.

Fiat: Fiat, an Italian automaker, is recognized for its compact and stylish cars. Fiat vehicles are known for their efficiency, practicality, and iconic designs that have made them popular choices for urban driving.

Jeep: Jeep is renowned for its rugged and off-road capable SUVs. The brand has a strong heritage in producing vehicles that excel in challenging terrains, offering adventure seekers reliable and robust vehicles.

Lancia: Lancia, an Italian brand, has a history of producing elegant and innovative vehicles. The brand is known for its unique design language, advanced engineering, and a focus on luxury and comfort.

Maserati: Maserati, an Italian luxury brand, specializes in crafting high-performance sports cars and luxury sedans. Maserati vehicles are synonymous with exclusivity, craftsmanship, and a blend of Italian style and performance.

Opel: Opel, a German automaker, is recognized for its practical and well-engineered vehicles. The brand offers a range of cars known for their quality, reliability, and efficient performance.

Peugeot: Peugeot, a French brand, is known for its diverse range of vehicles, including cars and bicycles. The brand focuses on providing mobility solutions with a blend of style, innovation, and environmental consciousness.

Ram: Ram is the pickup truck division of Dodge, offering a range of powerful and capable trucks. Ram trucks are popular for their towing capacity, durability, and a reputation for being reliable workhorses.

Vauxhall: Vauxhall, a British automaker, is recognized for its award-winning cars and vans. The brand offers a mix of practicality, innovation, and British design heritage in its vehicles, catering to a wide range of customers.

Marketing Strategies of Stellantis

Stellantis employs a diverse range of marketing strategies to promote its brands and products. As the company behind several well-known automotive brands such as Peugeot, Fiat, Chrysler, Jeep, and Citroën, Stellantis leverages a multi-faceted marketing approach tailored to its global presence and varied consumer base. Here are some key elements of Stellantis’ marketing strategies:

1. Brand Differentiation and Positioning

Stellantis uses brand differentiation and positioning as key strategies to stand out in the competitive automotive market. With 14 brands under its umbrella, the company emphasizes creating unique identities for each brand while also leveraging synergies across its portfolio.

Brand Differentiation:

Stellantis designs distinct electric vehicles (EVs) for each of its brands using four vehicle platforms and three software architectures.

The four vehicle platforms are:

1. One for small cars like the Vauxhall Corsa supermini.
2. One for medium-sized premium cars like the Peugeot 508.
3. A larger platform for “AWD performance and American muscle” cars.
4. One dedicated to commercial vehicles.

The three software architectures are designed for use across Stellantis’ model range portfolio and are aimed at generating additional revenue. These software platforms are expected to bring in around €4 billion by 2026 and approximately €20 billion by 2030 through 34 million “monetisable” cars.

This approach allows the company to share engineering assets between brands, boosting development efficiency by 30% compared to competitors. The new EV platforms, called STLA, cater to different segments, such as small cars, premium vehicles, performance cars, and commercial vehicles. This differentiation strategy not only helps maintain the uniqueness of each brand but also aims to generate additional revenue.

Brand Positioning:

To ensure each brand keeps its unique market position, Stellantis invests heavily in differentiation beyond shared platforms. Despite commonalities, most shared elements remain unseen by customers and are customized according to each brand’s principles and priorities. This ensures that every brand maintains its individuality. The company’s CEO highlights that this strategy supports Stellantis’ goal of offering diverse, innovative, and sustainable mobility solutions that meet customers’ evolving needs worldwide.

In summary, Stellantis focuses on brand differentiation and positioning to create a competitive edge for each brand, while maximizing efficiencies across its portfolio. By developing unique EVs, sharing engineering assets, and customizing brand elements, Stellantis aims to drive growth, innovation, and long-term value in the automotive industry.

2. Product Innovation and Technology

Stellantis uses product innovation and technology as key strategies to stay competitive in the automotive industry. The company focuses on transforming mobility and meeting changing customer needs with a comprehensive software strategy, a commitment to electrification, and a strong emphasis on autonomous driving and smart vehicles.

Product Innovation:

Stellantis aims to reimagine mobility by offering innovative and sustainable vehicles that meet diverse transportation needs worldwide. The company is setting new standards by developing attractive and affordable cars while reducing CO2 emissions. Stellantis is pushing for electrification, planning for 100% of its sales in Europe and 50% in the U.S. to be Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) by the end of the decade. They aim to sell 5 million BEVs annually worldwide by 2030. Stellantis is also investing in hydrogen fuel cell technology for Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs) to provide long driving ranges and quick refueling without compromising on payload and towing capacity. Their commitment to innovation includes developing intelligent vehicles and autonomous driving solutions to offer flexible, customized mobility, enhancing both safety and sustainability.

Technology:

Stellantis is leading innovation with a comprehensive software strategy, revolutionizing how vehicles are designed, engineered, and operated. The company is moving towards a software-defined platform for all its brands and models, with plans to share 80% of software platforms among brands while keeping 20% for brand-specific software, especially user interfaces. By separating software from hardware platforms, Stellantis increases flexibility and resilience, allowing for easy chip replacements during supply chain disruptions. The company’s focus on over-the-air (OTA) software updates, with over 6 million updates executed in 2021, highlights their dedication to enhancing customer experience and operational efficiency. Collaborations with tech leaders like BMW and Waymo further emphasize Stellantis’ commitment to advancing advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving capabilities. This technological focus positions Stellantis as a leader in innovation and a driver of revenue.

Stellantis’ marketing strategy centers on product innovation and technology, helping the company stay ahead in the fast-changing automotive industry. By offering cutting-edge solutions, sustainable mobility options, and customer-centric products, Stellantis aims to become a leading sustainable mobility tech company.

3. Global and Localized Marketing Campaigns

Stellantis uses a mix of global and localized marketing strategies to effectively promote its brands and vehicles across various markets. Here’s how they do it, with some real-life examples:

Global Marketing Campaigns:

Stellantis creates brand awareness and reaches a wide international audience through global marketing campaigns. These efforts include traditional advertising like TV, print, and radio, along with digital marketing on social media platforms and online ads. The company also partners with sports events and teams to boost brand visibility and connect with fans worldwide.

Localized Marketing Campaigns:

In addition to global campaigns, Stellantis tailors its marketing strategies to specific local markets to address unique customer preferences and needs. These localized campaigns adjust pricing, financing options, and marketing messages to fit local economic conditions and consumer behaviors. By using customer data and insights from local markets, Stellantis develops targeted campaigns that resonate with regional audiences.

Examples

• Dealers United Social Ads Program: Stellantis works with Dealers United on a “Social Selling System,” which uses social media ads to generate leads and sales for Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram dealerships. This program employs a full-funnel ad strategy to target local customers and guide them to dealerships for vehicle purchases.
• Emakina Partnership: Stellantis partners with Emakina to enhance customer loyalty, engagement, and conversion through direct marketing campaigns, CRM flows, events, and after-sales initiatives. Emakina’s localized approach helps Stellantis translate its global communication strategy into targeted campaigns that resonate with customers in specific markets, driving brand growth and profitability.
• Jeep and Dodge Marketing Campaigns: Stellantis has launched new marketing campaigns for Jeep and Dodge models, such as the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Grand Cherokee 4xe, and Dodge Hornet R/T. Campaigns like “Dents” for Jeep and “A New Breed” for Dodge are designed to appeal to global audiences while incorporating localized elements to engage customers effectively and drive sales.

By combining a broad global reach with tailored local relevance, Stellantis effectively engages customers worldwide, ensuring its marketing efforts resonate with diverse audiences and drive brand success across different markets.

4. Experiential Marketing

Stellantis uses experiential marketing to engage customers and create memorable brand experiences. By immersing customers in interactive and hands-on activities, Stellantis aims to build stronger emotional connections with its brands and vehicles.

Dealer Events and Test Drives:

Stellantis organizes dealer events and offers test drives to let customers experience their vehicles firsthand. For example, at the CES 2023 event, Stellantis presented its vision for clean, safe, and affordable mobility, showcasing its commitment to innovative and sustainable solutions. Similarly, during the Paris Automotive Summit 2022, CEO Carlos Tavares highlighted the company’s strategic direction and future plans in his keynote address. Additionally, Stellantis recognized top-performing technology partnerships and innovations at the STELLANTIS STARTUP AWARDS, demonstrating their dedication to fostering innovation and collaboration. These dealer events provide platforms to engage with stakeholders, showcase new technologies, and reinforce Stellantis’ position as a leader in the automotive industry. By offering test drives, Stellantis gives customers a chance to feel the performance and handling of its vehicles, creating a more tangible connection with the brand.

Auto Shows and Exhibitions:

Stellantis participates in major auto shows and exhibitions worldwide to showcase its latest models and technologies. At these events, the company creates immersive experiences with virtual reality demonstrations, interactive displays, and hands-on activities. For instance, Stellantis products were featured at the ‘Drive Different’ exhibition organized by MAUTO, which explored the history of mobility over the last 50 years and analyzed future challenges related to sustainable development in the current international context. By engaging customers through these experiential elements, Stellantis generates excitement and interest in its brand and products

Brand-Specific Experiences:

Certain Stellantis brands, like Jeep, offer unique experiences tailored to their brand identity and target audience. For example, Jeep organizes off-road driving events and adventure-themed experiences to showcase the capabilities of its vehicles and align with the brand’s adventurous spirit. These brand-specific experiences help differentiate Stellantis’ offerings and create a strong emotional connection with customers who share similar values and interests.

Personalized Configurators:

Stellantis provides online configurators that allow customers to customize their dream vehicle. These interactive tools enable customers to explore different color options, add accessories, and visualize their personalized vehicle. By offering a hands-on digital experience, Stellantis engages customers in the vehicle selection process, fostering a sense of ownership and excitement even before the purchase.

By implementing these experiential marketing strategies, Stellantis aims to create memorable and engaging experiences that resonate with customers, ultimately driving brand loyalty, customer satisfaction, and sales.

5. Strategic Partnerships and Sponsorships

Stellantis strategically leverages partnerships and sponsorships to enhance brand visibility, connect with target audiences, and drive business growth. By collaborating with external entities, Stellantis expands its reach, taps into new markets, and reinforces its brand image. Here’s how Stellantis implements these strategies, with some real-world examples:

Strategic Partnerships:

Stellantis forms strategic partnerships with various companies to expand its offerings and unlock new opportunities, particularly in the electric vehicle (EV) market. These partnerships provide access to innovative technologies, cost-effective solutions, and global ecosystems, enhancing Stellantis’ competitive edge and accelerating its EV business growth.

For instance, in May 2024, Stellantis announced a strategic alliance with Leapmotor, a Chinese EV company. This partnership allows Stellantis to tap into the Chinese EV ecosystem, fostering new opportunities and boosting overseas sales growth. Another example is Stellantis’ partnership with the California Air Resources Board (CARB), announced in March 2024, which aims to help the company achieve its goal of becoming carbon net zero by 2038.

Stellantis also collaborates with NEXUS Automotive International to boost its aftersales brands and expand into the independent aftermarket channel. In addition, Stellantis expanded its partnership with Kyndryl in March 2024 to use digital technologies for creating sustainable products and solutions.

Sponsorships:

Stellantis engages in sponsorships with sports events and teams to boost brand visibility and connect with sports enthusiasts. By sponsoring sports events, Stellantis aligns its brand with the excitement and passion of sports, reaching a diverse audience and enhancing brand recognition. These sponsorships help Stellantis create emotional connections with consumers, drive engagement, and stand out in a competitive market.

For example, Stellantis’ Ram Trucks brand sponsored the UFC 294 event in Abu Dhabi in October 2023, gaining significant visibility inside the UFC Octagon. Stellantis has also extended its sponsorship agreement with Juventus Football Club and is a top sponsor of the Italian National Football Team through its Fiat brand.

Additionally, Stellantis supports community initiatives. In May 2024, Stellantis, the Jeep brand, and the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) launched a scholarship program to help Native American students become automotive service technicians. The Chrysler brand has a long-term partnership with the Autism Society of America, and in June 2022, the Jeep brand celebrated LGBTQ+ culture and diversity in Detroit and New York City.

By leveraging strategic partnerships and sponsorships, Stellantis effectively expands its reach, drives innovation, and reinforces its brand positioning in the automotive industry, ultimately contributing to its growth and success.

6. Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

Stellantis places sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) at the heart of its marketing strategy, recognizing the need to address global environmental and social challenges while fostering business growth. This commitment is clearly outlined in its long-term strategic plan, Dare Forward 2030, which sets ambitious goals and initiatives across various CSR pillars.

Sustainability Targets and Initiatives:

Stellantis aims to become a carbon net-zero corporation by 2038, covering all scopes of emissions. Since 2021, the company has made significant strides, reducing its manufacturing carbon footprint by 11% for scopes 1 and 2. Stellantis is also focusing on electrification, setting greenhouse gas emission criteria for suppliers, and adopting a circular economy approach to ensure sustainable products and services. For instance, their partnership with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) supports these decarbonization efforts, helping Stellantis work towards its carbon neutrality goals.

Responsible Practices and Policies:

Stellantis has implemented global policies to promote responsible practices. These include the Environmental and Energy Policy, Human Rights Policy, and Global Responsible Purchasing Guidelines. The company is committed to transforming into a sustainable mobility tech firm by prioritizing reskilling, upskilling, and diversity and inclusion initiatives. Stellantis aims for 30% of leadership positions to be held by women by 2025, with 27% already achieved.

Stakeholder Engagement and Transparency:

Stellantis actively engages with stakeholders to drive sustainable progress and publishes an annual CSR report that details its vision, targets, risks, and opportunities across six CSR policy pillars. The company maintains transparency by sharing key metrics related to short-, medium-, and long-term targets for each CSR topic.

Community Engagement and Philanthropy:

Stellantis supports education and empowerment through its foundation, contributing over €18.5 million to 366 philanthropic projects focused on education. The company also initiated the Freedom of Mobility Forum, a platform for fact-based discussions on achieving safe, affordable, and sustainable mobility in the face of global warming.

An example of Stellantis’ commitment to community engagement is the scholarship program launched in partnership with the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) and the Jeep brand. This program supports Native American students in becoming automotive service technicians, covering two years of tuition and necessary tools.

By prioritizing sustainability and CSR, Stellantis stands out in the market, attracts environmentally conscious consumers, and builds a reputation as a responsible corporate citizen. This commitment is not just a marketing strategy but a core part of its business model, driving long-term success and positive impact in the automotive industry and beyond.

7. Digital Marketing and Social Media