Club Ducati

CLUB DUCATI

WITH AN AGGRESSIVE new international marketing campaign, Ducati dealerships might soon be as identifiable as McDonald’s. That’s because the company has brought in some of the best in establishing public perception, including Gensler, the firm that designed The Gap and Banana Republic.

The first dealership with the new Club Ducati theme was unveiled in March at New York City’s Ducati Manhattan, just down the street from Times Square. “We’re using this store as a laboratory,” said David Gross, Ducati’s global image director. “There is a common theme that will run through all global dealerships: the uniqueness of the bikes, the racing tradition and the excitement that comes from a product made in Italy, by enthusiasts.”

According to Gensler’s John Bricker, Club Ducati will be a theme that all dealerships can use, even if they also sell other brands. Each dealership will have a history corner, as well as a complimentary cappuccino bar where customers can kibitz or watch their bikes being serviced through a glass window.

A computer will have an Internet connection as well as a CDROM that will allow customers to browse Ducati’s new accessories line of luggage and apparel. There will also be an engineering sketch of Ducati’s 916 V-Twin.

“We tried from a retail standpoint to create an experience that is memorable so that it’s not just a dealership that looks like a warehouse with a sea of product and no clarity,” Bricker said. “A lot of riders love to go to their dealership and talk about their bikes and the lore of riding. We elevated that experience to make it more unique.”

Karissa S. Wang