Ferrari named world’s most influential brand

IMG class=hide alt=”Ferrari named world’s most influential brand” src=”http://www.mineralfossil.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/wpid-36370c80917aedc423b123fa4ef31413.jpg” (By Denis Greenan). P(ANSA) – Modena, February 18 – Iconic Italian sports car maker Ferrari has made a recent switch from gas-guzzling monsters to ‘greener’ versions of its supercars sweeter by topping the list of the 500 most powerful brands in the world for the second straight year./PPFerrari’s logo of the black prancing stallion came ahead of Coca Cola and the London-based financial services company PricewaterhouseCoopers respectively in second and third place, with Google fifth and Disney 10th on asset-valuation company Brand Finance’s annual brand-strength index./PPThe luxury motor vehicle brand is “instantly recognisable the world over, even where paved roads have yet to reach,” said Brand Finance CEO David Haigh./PP”Ferrari inspires more than just brand loyalty, more of a cultish, even quasi-religious devotion, its brand power is indisputable,” he continued./PPThe Italian carmaker made it to the top spot for its desirability, loyalty, consumer sentiment, visual identity, online presence and employee satisfaction./PPAs well as gaining the highest score again, Ferrari was one of only 11 companies, including Google, Coca Cola, Hermes, Red Bull and Disney, to be awarded the ultimate AAA+ status in The Brand Finance Global 500 study./PPFerrari President Luca Cordero di Montezemolo said: “We are happy: despite the size of the firm we have done a good job in boosting the exclusivity of the brand”./PPThe niche nature of its products, however, put the Modenese car manufacturer in 350th place in terms of brand value, with a value of four billion dollars according to Brand Finance./PPApple was once more the most valuable brand, the study found./PPThe rest of the top 10 brands were Microsoft, Verizon, General Electric, ATT, Amazon, Walmart and IBM respectively./PPThe prancing horse got two other fillips Tuesday with the long-awaited opening of the Enzo Ferrari museum in Modena and the publication of record revenues, profits and cash flow in 2013 despite intentionally selling fewer cars. Net profit rose 5% despite a 5% fall in car sales./PPAccording to the Financial Times, “Ferrari’s success in increasing profits while lowering production runs counter to Europe’s struggling mass-market car industry, wallowing in the region’s worst car market for two decades, and underscores the clamour among manufacturers to increase their presence in the growing and lucrative luxury market”./PP”Despite fewer cars last year, we have improved all the numbers in the financial results,” Montezemolo told the FT./PPFerraris will always be flaming red outside but they look set to become greener under the bonnet, the Maranello-based company says. The FT focused on the 1.2-million-euro LaFerrari, of which only 499 models have been made, the first road-going Ferrari to have more power than its latest Formula 1 car and its first hybrid model, which was unveiled at last year’s Geneva Motor Show./PPWith a top speed of 350 km/h, able to reach 100 km/h in under three seconds, 200 km/h in under seven seconds, and 300 km/h in 15 seconds, LaFerrari eclipses the acceleration of the world’s current fastest car, the Bugatti Veyron./PPThe car has lapped Ferrari’s Fiorano Test Circuit faster than any other road-legal car Ferrari has ever produced./PPThe FT asked Montezemolo if the Italian company had “indeed managed to square the circle of an environmentally friendly supercar”./PPThe Ferrari chief replied: “We see it not only as a car itself, but a platform on which to develop future technologies”./PPThe FT commented: “What this means is that sooner or later Ferrari will build hybrid versions of its more affordable, more mainstream models”. Just last week Ferrari launched a more eco-friendly version of its venerable and beloved California model, a turbocharged speed machine which also manages to combine superlative performance with lower emissions./PPThe Ferrari California T has set pulses racing in Italy and abroad./PPBBC’s cult TV show Top Gear hailed the climate-friendly innovations, saying: “Here’s an exotic convertible with a proper V8 that sneaks out 250g/km of CO2 (based on Ferrari’s own cycle, rather than the one used by other carmakers)./PP”That’s about 15% less than its naturally aspirated predecessor”./PPAutomobile Magazine said the California T, which premieres March 4 at the 2014 Geneva auto show, had “sharper edges and more aggressive exterior lines, in keeping with the car’s boost in performance”./PPMotor Trend magazine said that, despite its lower emissions, the California T was still “the kind of car Tom Selleck would have liked to be seen driving around Hawaii in hit series Magnum P.I../PP”It’s a big-time performer fully capable of running from and chasing down bad guys on Oahu’s volcanic back roads,” the US trade magazine said./P
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