Alfa Romeo leverages Tonale to build brand awareness in U.S.

Alfa Romeo is preparing to launch a TV ad blitz for the Tonale compact crossover, the Italian brand's first plug-in hybrid vehicle.

The Tonale has been making the rounds in an outreach tour highlighted by a display at a Formula One race in Montreal, various auto shows and an April 2022 appearance on "Live with Kelly and Ryan."

Now, with it arriving in dealerships this month, Alfa Romeo wants to make the crossover's presence known on a broader scale with a significant investment in TV advertising.

Stephanie Goldstein, the brand's head of North America marketing, said the TV campaign has the potential to boost Alfa's other offerings, the Giulia sedan and the Stelvio crossover, as well. Consumers heading online to search for the Tonale may perhaps find those nameplates to be more appealing, she said.

The Tonale is the brand's last new vehicle with an internal combustion engine. Alfa Romeo — which reported a 30 percent U.S. sales decline in 2022 and a 27 percent drop in the first quarter of this year — plans to go all-electric by 2027.

"We have an incremental spend of millions and millions of dollars through the balance of the year," Goldstein told Automotive News. "Yes, it will focus on Tonale. But I'll tell you, people are going to go online and they're gonna be like, 'Oh, shoot. I like the Giulia better or the Stelvio.' So brand coverage like you haven't seen. We're saying it's like unprecedented spending, and we're thrilled."

Alfa Romeo is moving forward with a two-pronged marketing strategy as it prepares to debut five new models over five years. One aspect focuses on its existing consumer base, whom the brand can reach through automotive publications and traditional media such as TV.

The next focuses on enticing new customers. Alfa Romeo formulated a profile of potential buyers that it dubs "Sydney." Sydney is a 35-year-old man or woman, making around $135,000 per year, unmarried but in a committed relationship, and living in a thriving metro area. This person has a passion for the arts, culture and the health of the planet, Goldstein said.

To attract this demographic, the TV push will include Bravo, HGTV and Food Network. Alfa Romeo has also aligned with social media influencers, and is displaying content on EV charging stations to get this crowd acquainted with the brand.

The Tonale comes in three trim levels, with the base Sprint version starting at $44,590 including shipping. The Ti opens at $46,590 and the line-topping Veloce begins at $49,090, both including shipping.

This price point isn't a major consideration for the new customers Alfa Romeo is courting. Goldstein said that pricing is "down like three or four notches from styling" with this target buyer.

While the persona Alfa created could be either gender, the brand has expressed hope that the Tonale will help draw in more women.

At the 2022 New York auto show where the Tonale made its U.S. debut, Larry Dominique, Alfa Romeo senior vice president of North America, talked about how the automaker has been carried by a performance-driven heritage over the years, with a macho feel more conducive to a male audience. Alfa skews 70 percent male, he said.

Now, with the Tonale, the brand is looking to convey it's more than that.

Yes, the peppy spirit is there. The Tonale combines a 15.5-kilowatt-hour lithium ion battery with a 90-kilowatt electric motor and 1.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that delivers 285 hp, 347 pound-feet of torque and an electric range of more than 30 miles. It zips from 0 to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds to best its competition.

The Alfa's value proposition reaches beyond fleetness with technology and design offerings. The goal, said Goldstein, is for it to stand out in a sea of gray utility vehicles on the road today. When people see the emerald green Tonale, she hopes they will say, "I want to know more about that."

If everything goes according to plan, the buyer Alfa Romeo is targeting will appreciate the styling and the technology features available, such as Apple CarPlay and Amazon Alexa that are extensions of their lifestyle.

The Tonale has a 10.25-inch center touchscreen and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster.

Following extensive consultation with prospective buyers, Alfa set out to create the image of a well-off, mid-30s consumer.

"We knew that we needed to branch out because we already have our customer base," Goldstein said. "We have to sell more cars, and to have this type of a [crossover utility vehicle] come to America with the [plug-in hybrid electric] technology, that in itself is going to attract new customers, so we went all-in on Sydney."

Vincent Noirbent, Alfa Romeo's vice president of product planning for North America, said the compact crossover segment where the Tonale slots in presents opportunities to pick up buyers the brand hasn't had before.

"We haven't been into that segment before; it's new terrain, it's white space. It gives us the opportunity to bring new customers into the brand," he said.

"What is interesting is that that female audience will grow in the next three, four, five years' time, and then that becomes your reservoir for your next-generation Giulia, Stelvio, whatever," Noirbent added. "I think it's super important that we capture that market and capture those new customers."