From Barcelona to Success: The Rise of Cupra as the Leading Brand for Young, Sporty Mass Models

2023-07-20 07:00:00

Five years ago, the career of a new automobile brand began in Barcelona, ​​which has meanwhile developed into a success story. With Cupra, initially misunderstood as a sporty offshoot of the Spanish Volkswagen subsidiary Seat, the Spaniards entered the segment of sporty mass models and quickly established themselves there as an independent brand for a young clientele. “Cupra has the second youngest clientele of all brands in Europe,” explains Germany boss Bernhard Bauer. “And of course we want to change that. We want to be at the top.” Cupra has sold more than 150,000 vehicles in Germany since it was founded.

Cupra is more than a manufacturer of sporty models. Those responsible for the success have very precise ideas of how they want to bind young customers to the brand. In addition to “hardware” such as Cupra Leon, Ateca, Born and the first independent model, the Formentor, which has since become a bestseller, the measures are aimed at “an independent target group that has decided that they do not want to drive their parents’ car”. , describes Sven Schuwirth, Chief Operating Officer at Cupra, the objective.

And that includes sponsoring music events where the intended target group meets. However, the marketing concept goes one step further and promotes promising young artists via the Frankfurt Studio Music Lab in cooperation with the award-winning producer Stefan Dabruck and also breaks new ground in sports sponsorship.

Cupra has recently become a partner in padel, a sport popular especially in Spain and Mexico (one of the main markets) – a sort of mix between tennis and squash. As a mobility partner, the brand also supports the German Padel Association. In Germany, however, there is still some catching up to do, even if the number of places has risen from 177 last year to currently 300 facilities. “We accompany the sport in its strategic development,” says a Cupra spokesman for the future. The best German women’s doubles Denise Höfer and Victoria Kurz travel to the tournaments as Cupra ambassadors and have now risen to the top 120 players in the world rankings. In order to make padel more popular in Germany, retailers should also take part in the events.

Cupra is the abbreviation for “Cup Racing” and motorsport is therefore part of the brand’s DNA. The brand has been involved in electric Formula E since this year and scored points in Berlin for the first time. At the race in Rome on July 15, the Swiss pilot Nico Müller finished sixth and secured another point a day later.The partners in the electric racing series are the tuning experts from Abt.The commitment is a change to the future, because in 2030 those responsible for Cupra expect 80 percent electric models for Cupra approvals Cupra and Abt are also involved in the Extreme E.

Currently, only the compact Born represents the all-electric faction. The Tavascan SUV will follow at the International Motor Show in Munich in September, and in 2025 the production version of the Urban Rebel – it will be called the Raval – will be another electric model for young, performance-conscious customers. (cen/ww)

1692549989
#Cupra #plays #music #padel

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.