Dense atmosphere observed at Opel location.
In early 2022, Marketing Manager Huettl took over the sales, marketing leadership, and management of the Opel brand. This change came as the automotive industry was facing a significant shift, and Opel was no exception.
Opel, a subsidiary of Stellantis, has been underperforming compared to other brands within the company, such as Chrysler, Jeep, Peugeot, Citroรซn, Fiat, and others. This underperformance has been a consistent trend, and in 2024, Opel is expected to sell around 600,000 new cars worldwide, a significant decrease from its sales in the 90s in Germany alone.
Despite the challenges, Opel has been making efforts to boost its sales. The new Grandland, a significant addition to Opel's lineup, has been advertised since the end of 2024. The campaign for the new Grandland was developed by Jung von Matt, a renowned advertising agency that Opel awarded its advertising budget to following a pitch in 2022.
To attract more customers, Opel is offering high discounts on its cars, with the new Grandland available for lease for around 130 euros without an initial payment for the electric version and 120 euros for the hybrid version online. This aggressive pricing strategy has been noted by an Opel employee, indicating a conscious effort to increase sales.
However, the frugal former Stellantis boss Carlos Tavares has caused significant destruction at Opel. One of the cost-cutting measures taken was the end of fuel cell production at Opel, which is expected to affect 130 engineers.
The "Manager Magazin" emphasises that profitable growth is Opel's top priority. Under the new CEO Antonio Filosa, it remains uncertain whether and to what extent Huettl can invest in the Opel brand to achieve this growth.
Stellantis, Opel's parent company, works with Publicis Media for media, but the future of Opel remains uncertain as it struggles to regain its market position. Despite these challenges, Opel continues to push forward, hoping to regain its prominence in the German market and beyond.
