Market reports – Candice Robert (Ducati): we welcomed 2021 new customers – Used DUCATI

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Candice Robert (Ducati): we welcomed 2021 new customers

Market reports - Candice Robert (Ducati): we welcomed 2021 new customers - Used DUCATI

With 3610 registrations, Ducati posted a slight decline of -0.9% on the French motorcycle market. Candice Robert, Marketing Director, establishes for Site the 2014 balance sheet of the Italian brand and reveals its objectives for 2015. Interview.

Site: What do you think of the general evolution of the French motorcycle market in 2014? ?
Candice Robert, Marketing and Communication Director of Ducati West Europe: Sales of motorcycles of 500 cc and more (the market in which Ducati is present) is slightly recovering overall (+ 4%) but it is only pulled up by a minority of manufacturers (read our, Editor’s note). The majority continue to show declining volumes. Nevertheless, there is a recovery, and this is excellent news after declines of over 7 and 9% in and .

The emergence of a market of passionate trainers, which is growing day by day, brings real dynamism to the motorcycle environment. It attracts a new audience of bikers more attached to aesthetics and authenticity than to performance. This helps us to "democratize" motorcycles to the general public and that’s a good thing..

MNC: What is your assessment of your brand? ?
C. R .: We ended 2014 with sales volumes for new motorcycles similar to those of 2013 and still good dynamism in the used market. We welcomed a lot of new customers in France in 2014: 2021 exactly. Our wish to introduce Ducati to passionate young bikers was achieved with more than 13% of eligible models (, and) acquired by !

MNC: Which models have performed particularly well this year ?
C. R .: The new and third generation of Monster, made up of and. More than 1000 units sold which demonstrate that the historic Ducati icon knows how to evolve while remaining faithful to its roots. There is also the excellent "mid-size" sports car that has won over an audience of trackers, but not that, as it turns out to be easy to handle, packed with character and beautifully..

"1199 Panigale and Multistrada 1200 suffered from a wait-and-see policy, unfortunately we are struggling to keep our development secrets"

MNC: Who are those who have stayed behind? Why ?
N. W.: 2014 was also a year of transition for Ducati with the end of life of the and. These two families of models have suffered from a wait-and-see attitude (unfortunately we have trouble keeping our development secrets). We must also recognize that competition in the sports market is important, and there is no doubt that the news will be able to impose its breathtaking technological advantages in 2015..

"We are in the process of anticipating the future changes to the original powers of the current models by January 1, 2016 at the latest, the Ducatists have nothing to worry about"

MNC: The French 100 horsepower law will end in 2016. Do you expect sales of powerful motorcycles to fall in 2015? ?
C. R .: On the contrary, we are in the process of anticipating future changes to the original powers of the current models by January 1, 2016 at the latest. The novelties, all Euro 3, can also switch to "full" without any problem. So the Ducatists have nothing to worry about and neither do we. We are also delighted with this standardization of European legislation in France. This will allow our models to express their full engine character and the figures show that there is no correlation between accidentology and the use of the models at original power..

MNC: How has your dealer network evolved this year ?
C. R .: As every year, some players stop their activity and others start it. We remain stable with 60 points of sale in France. We are particularly sensitive to the demonstrations of motivation of our partners who agree with the strategic choices of Ducati Motor Holding, and to their desire to evolve in the premium, technological and excellence direction of our company..

MNC: Did your new products for 2014 reach their commercial objectives? ?
C. R .: Yes for the new Monster and the 899 Panigale (cf. 3rd question). The, which underwent an aesthetic evolution and its cycle part in 2014, remains in second position in Ducati sales with more than 500 registrations: it is a model which becomes timeless and which continues to turn heads as it passes through the cars. streets.

MNC: What was the pleasant surprise of your 2014? And the less good ?
C. R .: The Monster 696 and 796, thanks, among other things, to their accessibility for young bikers and new Ducatistes, have been very successful with more than 550 new registrations. The Monsters are timeless. Ducati lost loved ones like Marc Poels, who knew the Bologna twins better than anyone…

MNC: In your opinion, what was the highlight of 2014 in the world of two-wheelers? ?
C. R .: I would come back to this advent of pre-preparation and this new public of bikers that it attracted. It is proof that the motorcycle universe continues to evolve, and that it is always enthusiasts who are at the origin of its changes. This is illustrated during events like Wheels and Waves, Bike Shed, etc..

"The Scramblers are part of a friendly and joyful universe, where performance is not essential"

MNC: What are your good resolutions for the year 2015 ?
C. R .: Publicize a new side of Ducati with the new brand and the models that make it up. It is a contemporary reinterpretation of the. The reception of the public is extremely positive. These models are part of a friendly and joyful universe, where performance is not essential..

Continue to provide all the tools to our distribution network to enable it to develop sales of Ducati 2015 models, which continue to stand out technologically and where the pleasure of driving remains essential. For example, a few months ago, we launched a second-hand resale site from the official network to promote trade-ins as part of the sale of new Ducati. There are also the new Ducati Financial Services solutions (developed with the Volkswagen group) which allow Ducati dealers to be more competitive than traditional banks and other credit organizations. This promotes accessibility for Ducati.

MNC: What are your major events in 2015 ?
C. R .: All the competitions, … We have a lot of hope in competition in 2015 with drivers who made their mark in 2014 by achieving pole positions and a few podiums. Luigi Dall’Igna, General Manager of Ducati Corse for the second consecutive year, will drive the Ducati Desmosedici GP15, the development of which has been entirely done under his orders. We welcome the French driver, which is not to displease us at the French Ducati subsidiary! See you at Le Mans in May.

There will also be the Paris Motor Show in December 2015, and by then a multitude of events, such as the Container Tour, which presents the Scrambler in different cities in January, or the traveling test center Desmoriding Tour , a gathering of Monsterists probably at the end of May, the Cafe Racer Festival, etc. Also take note in your diaries: all the new Ducati products will all have arrived at the dealership in April 2015, including open days. Stay tuned !

MNC: To conclude, what Ducati ordered from Santa Claus this year ?
C. R .: Happy Ducatists on every street corner !

Interview by Matthieu BRETILLE

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