THE VESPA IS BACK!

In 2000, PLI founder Peter Laitmon was named "Piaggio U.S. Representative" by Piaggio & C.S.p.A., maker of the Vespa motor scooter. His assignment: Re-launch the Vespa brand in the U.S. after an absence from the market of almost 20 years.

The Summary:

Laitmon accomplished this task by developing the marketing plan, creating an interactive website, establishing a national dealer sales network, and setting up a back-end and port-of-entry infrastructure. Concurrently, he began advertising, public relations, sales promotion, branding, and co-branding initiatives. Most importantly, he forged strategic alliances with such high-end co-marketing partners as Neiman Marcus, The Sharper Image, Hammacher Schlemmer, and Coach. Vespa's current most successful dealers were among the first 25 initially launched by Laitmon.

The Details:

Laitmon's first priority was to create a website to showcase Vespa scooters and accessories for potential consumers and dealers. Piaggio was able to build a cohesive database of early adopters. Laitmon engaged a web marketing group to undertake support for the site and supervised construction of all aspects of www.VespaUSA.com. He wrote the initial copy to set the appropriate tone for this lifestyle product.

Contrary to what Piaggio had planned, Laitmon chose Los Angeles over New York for Vespa's U.S. headquarters. He recognized that Los Angeles, with its weather, celebrity/entertainment access, and branding/promotion opportunities, was the appropriate choice for the joie de vivre associated with this product (Vespa's fame originated in Hollywood with the 1950's movie classic, Roman Holiday, in which Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck fall in love while zipping around Rome on a Vespa.). Los Angeles proved to be the right choice.

Laitmon directed all U.S. marketing, sales and promotion activities and orchestrated the first Vespa Boutique, which opened in November, 2000, in Sherman Oaks, California. At the time of this opening, Laitmon had 25 pre-approved applicants ready to open Vespa Boutiques, and the Vespa website had already logged in over 7,000 registered consumer respondents.

The Vespa Boutique opening was coordinated with a themed launch party at the Paramount Studios movie lot, creating the perfect venue for the slogan Laitmon created for Vespa: "Everything old is new again." It was a star-studded evening, with Vespa center-stage. Featured guests included Audrey Hepburn's son and Gregory Peck's daughter.

The amount of media coverage and promotional value created by this opening generated interest in companies (both in and outside the entertainment industry) that later committed to co-marketing and promoting with Vespa. Laitmon enticed Neiman Marcus to place a specially outfitted Vespa in its 2000 Christmas catalog, and the following year Hammacher Schlemmer featured the Vespa on the cover of its 2001 Christmas catalog. The public relations firm hired by Laitmon to support the U.S. launch saw comparable ad values reach upwards of $4.4 million from September, 2000 through May, 2001.

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