Marketing Plan and Digital Communication Strategies for Ducati Motors

This report presents a comprehensive marketing plan for Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A., an Italian multinational corporation specializing in motorcycle design and manufacturing. The report begins with an executive summary and introduction, followed by a detailed SWOT analysis, competitor analysis, and a discussion of Ducati's mission. It then outlines the company's marketing and financial objectives, which include increasing customer database, expanding business operations, and boosting revenue and market share. The core of the report focuses on the marketing mix, including product, price, place, and promotion strategies. A digital marketing communication plan is also included, emphasizing social media and promotional campaigns. An action plan details the implementation steps, timelines, and responsible departments. The report concludes with implementation and control measures to ensure the plan's effectiveness and a list of references. This report offers valuable insights into Ducati's marketing strategies and how they can be optimized for success in the competitive motorcycle market. The report also analyzes the key competitors and the marketing mix to enable the entity to establish and develop the brand in the market.

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Marketing Management and Digital Communication
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Marketing Management and Digital Communication
Executive summary
In the below summarized report it has been analyzed that Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A.
which is an Italian multinational corporation and is involved in designing and manufacturing
motorcycles. Headquartered in Bologna, Italy, The business corporation is owned by German
automotive manufacturer Audi through its Italian subsidiary Lamborghini which is all owned by
Volkswagen group. The report is majorly focused on the marketing plan, which comprises of the
analysis of key competitors which stimulates business environment of the entity. The further
analysis consists of the marketing objectives, which are determined so as to develop awareness
about the products and services offered. Moreover, the financial objectives are also determined
and the same are required to be attained within a given duration of 6 months. The attainment of
these objectives will be reflected in the financial reports .i.e. profit and loss statements, cash flow
statements etc. Further, a marketing mix strategy has also been conducted so as to analyze the
marketing trends and the same will enable the entity to establish and develop the brand in the
market. And at last an action plan has been designed so as to make adoption of all the
recommended strategies and approaches which will aid the business entity.

Marketing Management and Digital Communication
Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................4
SWOT.........................................................................................................................................................4
Competitor Analysis....................................................................................................................................5
Mission........................................................................................................................................................5
Marketing and Financial Objectives............................................................................................................5
Marketing Mix.............................................................................................................................................6
Digital Marketing Communication Plan......................................................................................................7
Action Plan..................................................................................................................................................7
Implementation and Control........................................................................................................................8
Conclusion...................................................................................................................................................8
References...................................................................................................................................................9

Marketing Management and Digital Communication
Introduction
The concept of marketing management has been considered as the supporting approach
which facilitates the activities and the functionalities which comprises of the distribution of
goods and services. On the basis of the conducted research by “Philip Kotler” marketing
management is the analysis which involves planning, implementing and controlling of
programmers and which are designed and developed so as to bring the desired exchanges with
the segmented audience (Hollensen, 2015). The key purpose of all these activities is the
attainment and accomplishment of organizational goals. Moreover, the concept of marketing
management has been also concerned with the operations which are executed for managing the
available resources. These resources are utilized by the business corporation in developing the
marketing strategies and plans. These tactics are implemented so as to attain the organizational
goals and objectives. The below executed summary has been analyzed from the concept of
marketing management, which is carried out for Ducati Motors which is an Italian multinational
corporation and is involved in designing and manufacturing motorcycles. The report comprises
of the factors which are considered as relevant for the concept of marketing management.
SWOT
SWOT analysis is a tool that is used to analyze the external and internal factors, which may
impact an organization positively or adversely (Sheth & Sisodia, 2015). It includes four major
dimensions, such as; strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The SWOT analysis for
Ducati Scrambler is stated below;
Strengths
 Ducati has a strong brand name and presence in Italian market. It is operating its business
operations with unique, exclusive and genuine product portfolio.
 The engineering and production team at Ducati is competent and highly skilled that is
including several unique features in its superbikes.
 Utilization of advanced and innovative technology is the biggest strength of Ducati. The
organization conducts research and development to know about emerging technology in
market. After this market research, it redefines the allocation of resources in order to cope
with emerging technologies in industry (Foxall, 2014).
Weaknesses
 One of the major weaknesses of Ducati Scrambler is its higher prices. The bikes of this
brand are very expensive, which cannot be afforded by each income level people (Dekker
et al., 2013).
 Furthermore, this organization is unable to enhance its presence on online and social
media.
 The supply chain system of company is very poor and there is less availability of working
capital. It is affecting its market coverage and share in Italian industry. Thus, the firm is
not able to diversify its product segment.
Opportunities

Marketing Management and Digital Communication
 Ducati may have various opportunities by introducing Ducati Scrambler. The growing
markets all over the world offer a potential for Ducati’s expansion; like the female
segment (Meffert, 2013).
 However, the company is installing new and innovative technologies in its products; now
it can upgrade the existing features in the bikes by using latest technology.
 Enhanced online and social media presence can provides many opportunities to Ducati,
like; it can lengthen the sales points for organization and strengthen its customer base.
 In addition, it can use different resources to acquire the working capital.
Threats
 The increased competition in the industry is the major threat for Ducati. There are many
players, which are emerging with the similar bikes.
 Competitors are using new technologies, which are cheaper than technology used by
Ducati (Kleinaltenkamp, Plinke & Geiger, 2016).
 Pricing policy of Ducati can pose threat on company, because at such higher prices of
bikes, people in the country may prefer to buy cars.
Competitor Analysis
As mentioned above, Ducati Scrambler is facing intense competition from some leading players
in the industry (Baker & Saren, 2016). There are so many players in the respective industry,
which have significant market coverage through its product offerings. The major players are,
such as; Yamaha VMAX, Yamaha R1, Bajaj Kawasaki Ninja, Suzuki Hayabusa etc. One of the
biggest competitors is Yamaha XSR700 that is the best featured bike of Yamaha group and
based on retro-modern roadster. This bike looks better than Ducati’s bike and has unique
features, like; single round headlamp, LED tail lamp, lower vents, tidy tail, side panels, dual-
textured seats etc. Thus, the company is confronting immense competition from this firm. By
considering this competitive industry, Ducati is attempting to enhance its products with modern
technologies (Peñaloza, Toulouse & Visconti, 2013).
Mission
The mission statement of the Ducati Scrambler is “to manufacture the bikes with the
commitment to providing maximum safety to the people, who drive and go on the Ducati bikes”.
The organization considers that riding a bike is one of the most exciting ways to enjoy the road
trips, so it aims to provide safety measures in its superbikes (Pasquier & Villeneuve, 2017). It is
undertaking an initiative that is aimed at bikers, young people and drivers and it is committing to
promote better practices, which must be followed when they are driving their bikes.
Marketing and Financial Objectives
However, Luxatic is promoting the Ducati Scrambler bikes effectively, but still company needs
to set some marketing objectives to increase its presence in market (Gustavo, 2013). The
marketing objectives of the company for next six months are given below;

Marketing Management and Digital Communication
 To build an organization that provides the customers with the unique products and
proving the reliable Italian performance for the population assisting the idea of defiance,
freedom etc.
 To increase its customer database by 5%
 Expand the business operations all over the world and enhance its online presence
Moreover, the financial objectives of Ducati Scrambler are stated below;
 As Ducati is introducing its new superbike with unique features, so the company will aim
to develop sustainability of its products in target segment (Stacey & Wilson, 2014).
 The company will make efforts to increase its revenues by 5% in first six months and
10% in next six month of product launch.
 The third financial objective of Ducati is to increase its market share by a significant
percentage over its major competitors.
Marketing Mix
Marketing mix is a marketing tool that includes major strategies, which are created and
implemented by an organization to promote its new products in the industry (Stacey & Wilson,
2014). The marketing mix for Ducati Scrambler is discussed below;
Product
Ducati is a private organization of Italian origin, which is offering the products with exclusive
features and manufacturing the bikes by considering the expectations of customers and trends in
market. Ducati Scrambler is more than a bike that provides joy, self-expression and freedom to
drivers. There are so many unique features, which are installed in these bikes for riding safely.
The company is taking various concrete initiatives to fulfill the needs and expectations of
customers and bike lovers (Baker, 2014). In addition, Ducati offers variety of lifestyle products,
which contains the logo of Ducati brand.
Price
Ducati is a global brand, which is evaluating various factors before developing its pricing policy.
It believes in providing premium and qualitative products by adopting a value added pricing
policy (Bejou & Palmer, 2013). The prices of Ducati Scrambler are higher than other players in
the industry, but quality and uniqueness of its products attract sport bikers and bike lovers to
purchase its products.
Place
Ducati is serving all over the world and bikes are available in many countries. To develop the
best distribution channels, the organization has come in strategic alliances with well-established
players and dealership schemes. In addition, it has opened its outlets in various cities to increase
the availability of Ducati Scrambler.
Promotion

Marketing Management and Digital Communication
Ducati has a strong brand image in Italy and other neighbor countries. In the promotion of Ducati
Scrambler, the firm believes in describing the value of its brand, so it has initiated its
promotional activities with the advertisements and commercials, which proliferate its bikes to
maximum benefits (Ryan, 2016). In addition, Ducati has tied with famous celebrities as brand
ambassadors. It has sponsored various sports events, like; Manufacturer World Championship.
Digital Marketing Communication Plan
To bring its new bikes to the market, Ducati will create a marketing communication plan, which
will include all the marketing and communication strategies of the company. The organization
will increase its presence by using social media networking sites, like; Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram, Youtube etc. It will be more effective for the company, as people are actively using
internet. They will post the pictures of its products along with their specifications on Facebook
and Twitter pages. Moreover, Ducati will introduce a promotional campaign for its Ducati
Scrambler bike. It will invest a huge amount on promotional and advertising activities. In the
emerging markets, Ducati will circulate its weekly circulars (Ryan, 2016). These activities will
assist the organization in attract more customers towards its products.
Action Plan
For implementing this marketing plan, Ducati Scrambler will develop its specific mission and
vision for the products. In order to achieve a considerable market share, the entity will take some
specific actions for executing this plan and marketing strategies. It will take many actions to
attain its marketing objectives. The following table demonstrates all the actions and processes for
the execution of marketing plan.
Activity Starting date End Date Manager Concerned
Department
Forming a new
vision and
mission for
Ducati
Scrambler
1/3/2018 - Board of
directors and
senior managers
Top
Management
Setting the
objectives and
discussion with
other levels of
management
4/3/2018 - Senior managers Advertising and
Marketing
Department
Formulations of
marketing
strategies
1/4/2018 - Marketing
managers
Marketing
Implementation
of strategies
1/6/2018 - Senior
executives
Marketing
Implementatio
n of plan
1/8/2018 - Managers and
senior
executives
Marketing and
finance
departments

Marketing Management and Digital Communication
In order to implement this plan, the company will follow above action plan table and utilize
different resources, like; financial resources, human resources and marketing resources. This
systematic plan will assist the company’s management in implementing the marketing plan
effectively and successfully.
Implementation and Control
For effective implementation of plan, Ducati will collect the resources and man power, which are
needed for the Ducati Scrambler and communicate this marketing plan to the management team
and employees. It will assist the employees in understanding the processes and systems under
this plan. Ducati will spend a considerable amount on implementation of plan. The company will
set some standards and controls for measuring its effectiveness in marketing processes. In
controlling and monitoring process, senior management team will oversee all the processes and
actions during implementation. Marketing and finance team will be responsible for controlling
the expenses and convey about needed modifications in promotional plan. The plan will be
reviewed by an expert team on a regular basis. In addition, management team will evaluate the
results by looking at the predetermined marketing and financial objectives of Ducati. In control
process, management will make a comparison between expected and actual growth of the
company. There will be a contingency plan, which will be processed in emergency situations.
Thus, implementation and control process will aid Ducati Scrambler in achieving the desired
objectives and results from this marketing plan.
Conclusion
In the limelight of the above executed analysis it has been concluded that marketing
management is the activity which is conducted by Ducati Motors so as to facilitate the operations
which are involved in promoting and making distribution of the products and services to the
ultimate consumers. The report comprises of the marketing strategies and objectives which are
required to be implemented and attained for accomplishing the pre-determined targets and goals.
Moreover, the further analysis has been focused on the marketing mix which is conducted so as
to promote the products and services. The last part of the report consists of the action plan in
which presentation of the implementation of all the tactics is done.

Marketing Management and Digital Communication
References
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logistics: quantitative models for closed-loop supply chains. Springer Science &
Business Media.
Foxall, G. (2014). Strategic Marketing Management (RLE Marketing) (Vol. 3). Routledge.
Gustavo, N. (2013). Marketing management trends in tourism and hospitality industry: Facing
the 21st century environment. International Journal of Marketing Studies, 5(3), 13.
Hollensen, S. (2015). Marketing management: A relationship approach. Pearson Education.
Kleinaltenkamp, M., Plinke, W., & Geiger, I. (2016). Business Relationship Management and
Marketing. Springer-Verlag Berlin An.
Meffert, H. (2013). Marketing-Management: Analyse—Strategie—Implementierung. Springer-
Verlag.
Pasquier, M., & Villeneuve, J. P. (2017). Marketing management and communications in the
public sector. Routledge.
Peñaloza, L., Toulouse, N., & Visconti, L. M. (Eds.). (2013). Marketing management: A cultural
perspective. Routledge.
Ryan, D. (2016). Understanding digital marketing: marketing strategies for engaging the digital
generation. Kogan Page Publishers.
Ryan, D. (2016). Understanding digital marketing: marketing strategies for engaging the digital
generation. Kogan Page Publishers.
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future. Routledge.
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and Technique. Routledge.
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