Exploring Maserati's Struggles: Beyond Marketing Missteps

The CEO of Stellantis recently pointed the finger at lackluster marketing for Maserati's sales slump. But if you ask me, the real issues with Maserati run much deeper than just a few missed advertising opportunities.

Let’s rewind a bit. Maserati isn't exactly known for holding back on ad spending. Remember their splashy $11 million Super Bowl ad for the Ghibli back in 2014? That was part of a massive $16 million spending spree during the game. That kind of big money move was more common back when Fiat Chrysler was running the show, dishing out close to $90 million on Super Bowl ads over five years.

Fast forward to today, and yeah, the Super Bowl splurges have slowed down under Stellantis' leadership—none in 2024, just like GM and Ford. But that doesn’t mean Maserati has turned into a marketing penny pincher like Tesla. They’ve actually been pretty busy.

In 2017, Maserati teamed up with Accenture, a giant in the ad world, and by 2022, Droga5, under Accenture, took over as Maserati’s go-to for creativity globally. They’ve been pushing the MC20 sports car and the new Grecale SUV hard. They even got soccer legend David Beckham to rep the brand, starring in tons of ads and even getting his own special edition MC20.

Despite the big names and big campaigns, Maserati's ad spend isn't eye-watering compared to the likes of Lexus or BMW, but they’re definitely not sitting on their wallets. In 2023, Stellantis chalked up €19 million to Selling, General, and Administrative Expenses, which covers a lot of their ad blitzes.

So if it's not just a marketing mishap, what's eating Maserati? It might be the ghosts of past models haunting them. The Levante and Ghibli were notorious for reliability headaches, putting them on the naughty list alongside some less-than-stellar Chrysler and Jeep models. That kind of bad rep sticks around and can turn off buyers for years—just ask Kia.

Even though Maserati has tried to shake off its unreliable image (they did score better in J.D. Power’s 2023 study), saying goodbye to their top sellers, the Levante and Ghibli, without clear replacements ready, seems like a risky move. They won’t be refreshing these lines until the end of the decade, leaving the Grecale to hold the fort with a few other niche models.

Throw in the aggressive shift to electric vehicles and ditching the V-8 engines—a Maserati hallmark—and you’ve got a brand in the midst of a major identity shift. All this while Stellantis hints at production cuts and job trims as part of a bigger strategy overhaul. There's even been chatter about Maserati possibly being put up for sale.

Despite these turbulent times, Maserati’s got some plans that could stir up excitement, like the upcoming GT2 Stradale. But turning around perceptions and smoothing out production snags while trying to push new models is a tall order. And all this with a backdrop of management changes rumored by 2026?

Maserati’s got its work cut out. Here’s hoping the Grecale and future models can bridge the gap until those new rides roll out. Will the electric shift spark a revival, or will it be too little too late? Only time will tell if Maserati can steer back into the fast lane.