How Marquez’s signing elevates Ducati’s presence in the global spotlight

Fashionable civilisation has fully modified its habits in consuming data. Social media, not only for the youthful technology, is now the first supply folks use to remain knowledgeable about present occasions. Two key elements come into play right here: the packaging of the product and the media determine presenting it.

The signing of Marc Marquez, the one rider on the present MotoGP grid who transcends the paddock and the game itself, locations Ducati at a stage far above the worldwide visibility of its model and that of its sponsors.

Whereas Ducati could not have wanted Marquez from a sporting perspective, his signing may propel the Italian producer into the massive leagues when it comes to media presence. The communicative affect of the crew presentation final Monday in Madonna di Campiglio alone justifies the affiliation.

When Ducati determined to signal Marquez final June, foregoing a rising younger expertise like Jorge Martin, some doubts arose in regards to the motivations behind this transfer. It did not align with the latest hiring philosophy and compelled Ducati to depart out the Spaniard and lose Italian rider Enea Bastianini.

There have been additionally different vital implications, such because the irreconcilable enmity between Marquez and Valentino Rossi, an Italian nationwide idol, Ducati companion, and good friend of Francesco Bagnaia, and what which means when the Spaniard visits circuits in his new crew’s house nation.

Campioni In Pista with Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Staff

Picture by: Ducati Corse

Nonetheless, throughout the two-day presentation in Madonna di Campiglio, the place Ducati gathered over 400 friends together with shoppers, distributors, personalities, media and influencers, any doubts in regards to the threat of signing the eight-time world champion had been fully dispelled.

The affect on social media and conventional media was colossal in comparison with earlier years or different groups, and the model’s followers ended up captivated by the attraction of the brand new star.

The query of whether or not Ducati wanted Marquez has answered itself with out the rider even taking to the observe but. The crew’s Instagram put up in regards to the presentation crossed 2.5 million views within the first 24 hours, reaching 3.6 million simply two days later.

A 12 months in the past, when the 2024 line-up that includes two-time world champion Bagnaia and Bastianini, an all-Italian duo, was introduced on the similar venue, the put up, which might nonetheless be seen right this moment, would not even attain half one million views.

Marquez is a ‘international product’, recognized past the game and an enormously enticing hook for the sponsors that assist Ducati’s sporting venture.

“Setting apart the efficiency facet, which we analysed totally within the months main as much as the choice, Ducati held fixed conferences with our essential sponsors, together with in fact Lenovo, with whom we rigorously analysed the opportunity of signing Marc,” explains Mauro Grassilli, Ducati’s advertising and marketing and communications director, to Motorsport.com.

“On account of these conferences, many analyses and knowledge research, Lenovo conveyed their curiosity to us: ‘We would like Marquez as a result of when it comes to visibility, he’s a world rider, a worldwide rider. We’re a worldwide firm and we want an envoy who’s common,’ that was their reasoning,” explains the Italian government.

Campioni In Pista with Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Staff

Picture by: Ducati Corse

“An evaluation based mostly on research and knowledge that lead our title sponsor to imagine that Marc brings the added worth of brand name visibility that transcends the MotoGP paddock,” Grassilli continues.

“Aside from the efficiency contribution at a sporting stage, the info from the evaluation from a communication and visibility perspective had been extraordinarily necessary for Lenovo, and so they conveyed this to us.”

The affect of social media

As talked about, these days folks keep updated by means of social media, whether or not to get knowledgeable, entertained, or immediately make purchases, and whoever has extra followers has extra worth for manufacturers.

Final 12 months in Assen, 15 days after Ducati introduced Marquez’s signing, the Spaniard was immediately requested if he ‘offered’ greater than Martin: “Sure, in fact. That is not a nasty factor,” stated the Catalan, earlier than making an attempt to prioritise his sporting worth over his industrial worth.

“But when that had an affect it is one thing it’s important to ask Ducati, I’ve solely spoken with Gigi Dall’Igna,” added Marquez, who presently has 7.3 million followers on Instagram, plus 2.7 million on X, previously Twitter.

These are numbers that no different rider on the present MotoGP grid can compete with, and solely Fabio Quartararo exceeds two million (2.4) and 4 different riders exceed a million followers: Bagnaia (1.7), Maverick Vinales (1.5), Alex Marquez (1.3) and the champion, Martin (1.1). The remainder are under, with Alex Rins at 905,000 followers and Pedro Acosta and Jack Miller barely reaching 0.9 million.

This media energy, this worth on social networks with such a constructive affect as Instagram provides, had been arguments thought of by Ducati when making its selections.

“It is a essential piece of knowledge,” acknowledges Grassilli. “We do not have the ultimate figures but, however this 12 months’s crew presentation has damaged the file for views in Ducati’s historical past for an occasion of this nature.

“These are the most effective numbers since we began doing streaming displays,” he reveals. A hit for which Marquez and his fascinating energy of seduction amongst followers and most of the people are largely accountable.

Campioni In Pista with Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Staff

Picture by: Ducati Corse

“Every part Marc brings from the Instagram and social media perspective is extraordinarily necessary. It is an instrument that Ducati will have the ability to use sooner or later to extend its model worth,” provides Grassilli, conscious that Marquez alone has extra followers than the Ducati Corse crew (1.5 million) and the producer itself (6.2), the Italian contemplating the rider’s signing absolutely justified “in any respect ranges, each commercially and, clearly, on the sporting entrance.”