Many people wonder how supercar manufacturers actually reach their target demographic as they don’t appear to advertise. This isn’t quite true – it’s just you won’t see a television advert for a Lamborghini (or a Ferrari, Pagani, etc.) during the commercial breaks of your favorite program.
You have to know where to look if you really wanted to see how they sell their product.
But why would you try and seek out these adverts as surely this isn’t how it works? Well, the truth of the matter is if you’re not seeing adverts for Lamborghini then you’re probably not their target audience!
How does Lamborghini advertise? Lamborghini advertises via a number of methods, but not via television adverts which are used by cheaper car manufacturers. They will use a number of methods, such as:
- Social Media
- Dealer Promotions
- Car-Based Television Programmes (such as Top Gear)
- Motor Shows (such as Geneva)
- Magazines
Target Audience of Lamborghini
The target audience of Lamborghinis is typically wealthy middle-aged men, however, that has changed a little recently. With more finance options becoming available to more people, a larger number of people are finding themselves in a situation where they might be able to afford one.
So, the target demographic is changing in recent times with a new younger audience, but it is still predominantly men.
Of course, that doesn’t mean they don’t want younger people interested. I think I was around 11 or 12 when I first set eyes on the Lamborghini Countach and my passion for the brand has never diminished. I would never have dreamed that about 35 years later I’d actually own one – not a Countach (unfortunately) but a Gallardo.
Funnily enough, it was indeed the option of purchasing through finance that made it possible for me and indeed the vast majority of supercar owners to own their car these days as they use this method.
I mean, who really has around $150,000 of cash just lying around that they can spare to fund a car like this?
Do Lamborghini Advertise Differently From Other Supercar Manufactures?
Lamborghini advertises differently to other regular car manufactures as we’ve just discussed but no different to others in the same category, such as Ferrari, Porsche, Aston Martin and McLaren (for example). This type of supercar manufacturer tends to approach their demographic, broadly, in the same way.
However, there is another set of supercar manufacturers who do things even more different than these. If you’re in the market for a hypercar rather than a supercar (we’re talking about Pagani’s, Koenigsegg, Bugatti, etc.) then things are even more different.
For these companies, very little is actually done as far as advertising their products. Word just gets around and yes, you may see something in the press about some high-speed run or a fast lap around the Nürburgring.
Or maybe an article on the news or in social media about a new ‘ridiculously priced’ hypercar that no one can afford. These guys don’t need to advertise as their cars and their performance do the talking for them.
Lamborghini and Social Media
I mentioned earlier about the importance of social media and these days it’s become even more important and influencing. There are countless channels where people of a young age have supercars. The impression these channels can give is that their lifestyle is achievable and many people who watch these want the life their idols have online.
How they got their money in the first place though is usually a mystery. Of course, it’s not that easy in real life, and let’s face it unless you’ve got a fair amount of disposable income, you’re not going to be trading in your Honda Civic just yet!
Social media does work though and supercar manufacturers know this. Lamborghini garages (or even Lamborghini themselves) will get in touch with the owners of the YouTube channel and offer them a car for a period of time, on the proviso that they create content around the car.
Many of these YouTube channels have over 1 million subscribers and so it is a very cost-efficient method of promoting your cars.
Also, what a fantastic way to ensure you are targeting your demographic. Everyone who has subscribed to these channels and watches the content is interested in supercars! Admittedly, the majority may not be able to afford to buy one (or finance one) but some will, it’s worth it.
The owners of the YouTube channels are often invited to an all-expenses-paid trip to the launch of a new car. Here they’ll get the chance to drive this new car around the track.
It’s great exposure for the manufacturer and it’s good quality content for the owner – a perfect win/win. All I’m thinking whilst I’m watching these videos though is…I want that job 🙂
It should be said that this certainly isn’t restricted to just Lamborghini. Many makes, such as Ferrari and McLaren will offer the same.
Dealer Promotions
A dealer of Lamborghinis needs to get the right people into their garage to (ultimately) sell them something. They can do this by arranging car-based events such as supercar convoys (where anyone can join) or an organized gathering where supercar owners can bring their cars and it is sponsored by the garage.
As a supercar dealer, it’s hard to get many people through your doors that can genuinely afford one of their cars. Targeting the right demographic is difficult and they need to be quite resourceful to find those people.
Car-Based Television Programs
Anyone interested in cars tends to watch the car-based tv shows and especially the ones with the enormous viewing figures can obviously make an impact. Although there’s several out there these days, the biggest must be BBC’s Top Gear or Amazon’s Grand Tour.
Although their content doesn’t revolve around supercars (well, not always), when there’s a new one, such as the Huracán – then what the presenters say, matters.
When prospective buyers are looking for their first (or next) supercar, these days a lot of their research is on YouTube and the opinion of those more knowledgeable than them has an influence.
I know it does on me, as these guys drive all sorts of cars and they know better than me. Although, of course, this isn’t always true – there is a certain amount of personal opinion involved and if someone has loved Lambo’s since a kid then there’s a good chance they’re going to like the most recent.
If someone (for instance) has loved Porsche’s for the best part of their life, then maybe they won’t be as keen.
Whether you agree with the presenter’s opinion or not, their opinion does matter and it does affect sales.
Geneva International Motor Show
The Geneva motor show is an annual event that occurs in Geneva (err as you may have guessed from the name) in Switzerland. It is the biggest, most influential motor show in the world.
I was talking about social media earlier and YouTube, well – have a look at all your favorite car channels during this time as they will be plastered with Geneva-based content.
This is easy for them. Take a camera around on the press-day (if you’re lucky enough to get a ticket) and record what you see with some nice voice-overs. Do a bit of editing and you don’t have to worry about thinking about new content for a couple of days.
New cars and concept cars are launched at this event. There is build-up, hype, speculation and then fan-fair at the launch of the new car itself. This is where it’s usually done and it’s the most obvious place.
The eyes of the motoring world descend onto Geneva every year and if you want publicity for your new model, this is the place to get it.
It’s not just supercars that can be seen at this event (although arguably these are the ones that are usually remembered) and since its launch over a hundred years ago in 1905, all manufacturers will show off their cars here. Lamborghini has been no exception, including the Aventador LP770-4 SVJ, which was revealed at the Geneva motor show in 2019.
Car Magazines
Another way for supercar manufacturers, such as Lamborghini, to target their demographic is to use focused publications such as car magazines.
The best, in my honest opinion, is Evo to Top Gear, which has a heavy focus on supercars. Within these magazines, you will find reviews and also the odd advert from the manufacturer themselves.
Summary
I hope you got what you wanted out of this post as it was enjoyable to write. Being in the fortunate position of first, looking for a supercar and then buying one – I recalled what steps I took when looking.
Initially, it was predominantly social media. I looked at many reviews from owners and ‘influencers’ who all had their own opinion. I looked at car magazines and analyzed old Top Gear reviews (now on YouTube). I think this is the norm now when looking for a new car. You ‘Google’ it or look at YouTube and work from there!