Branding in China ; Fiat, Land Rover, Jennifer Lopez & Victoria Beckham !

China has been referred to as the �New Detroit,� and it is. Aside from attracting famous automobile manufacturers, it has recently attracted Fiat�s �futuristic concept� for a brand, and the concept is becoming a new trend in China�s automobile industry. 
Fiat, began to sell its vehicles in the US market in 1908. It pulled out in 1983, but it will re-enter in 2012 as a joint venture, and it is expected to stay. The Italian company 'Gucci and part Fiat', have collaborated to create the �500 by Gucci�- a luxury vehicle which combines the two stylistic approaches. 

The concept goes beyond combining two stylistic approaches; it goes beyond the form-function relationship, and aims at making the user and their necessities the center of attention; and it goes beyond conventional concepts by facilitating the driver�s approach to life using material and immaterial components that the driver can appreciate. 
Quality materials and simple, but yet refined elegance can go a long way, especially in a market that no longer wants to only produce conventional models. 
As companies compete to brand new vehicles, each company searches for a new formula, a new way to combine stylistic approaches, while Fiat searches for new channels to promote its models. Aside from being promoted by a BMW commercial, which featured a porch that plays a nostalgia Fiat, Fiat promotes its new concept in its own commercial, and it is gaining public interest. 

The commercial sends out a powerful message: Drinking and driving kills many people a year, please don�t drink and drive. It begins with a cyclist�s reflection in a can, and on the side is caption that reads, �Now you see.� A hand then opens the beer can; suddenly, the cyclist disappears, and the caption reads, �Now you don�t.� Although the message isn�t new, the old message presented in simplicity and elegance has made it powerful, in addition to Jennifer Lopez in a Fiat commercial.

To further promote its �futuristic concept,� Fiat is set to build a Fiat in China for China: The Viaggio. Essentially a Flat-badged Dodge Dart with minor tweaks, many Viaggio�s will be produced in China starting in June of 2012, through a joint venture with Guangzhou. Buyers will be able to choose between two versions of the Fiat�s 1.4 Liter T-Jet four with either a five- speed manual or a six- speed duct. One will be with 120 horsepower, and the other will be 150 horsepower.
Fiat�s marketing strategy is simple, but yet effective. It aims at delivering a lot of information in a simple way. The simpler the strategy, the better, but how effective will it be if other automakers take on similar strategy partnering with Brands and Celebrities? 

For instance, Land Rover and Victoria Beckham unveiled the exclusive new Range Rover Evoque Special Edition at the 2012 Beijing Automobile Show on April 22nd. Victoria Beckham, who was the winner of the Designer Brand of the Year award at the 2011 British Fashion Awards, collaborated with Land Rover Design and Gerry McGovern to create this luxury vehicle, which boasts custom, hand-finished details and a �His and Her� luggage set, among many other bespoke additions.
Will it affect the image of branding, or contribute to the greater Detroit 'China', for all the branding done in China? 
Rumour has it, that Amsia Motors is working on some new models for the International market, which will be introduced exclusively without any Celebrity endorsement. 
By Nour Saqqa.