• by Nina Lentini , Staff Writer @Nina_Lentini, April 17, 2019

That sexy Italian has been playing games with you.

Alfa Romeo, back after an extended absence in the United States, is partnering with Unity Technologies on a video game that is a virtual test drive. In just two weeks, 85,000 people have been taken for a ride. 

It is one of several efforts undertaken by Bob Broderdorf, Director, Alfa Romeo North America, he told MediaPost’s Marketing:Automotive conference on Wednesday. Another is taking part in events like the New York Auto Show. “Anytime we can showcase what the car is capable of doing,” he said, we can drive incremental sales. We can take the experimental showcase content of people [driving an Alfa], having an incredible experience.” Certainly, the brand shows up where it knows Alfa buyers will be.

“We want to leverage data to be very finite as to who engages with the brand,” said Broderdorf. Sixty percent of sales volume comes from New York, Miami and Los Angeles so advertising is hyper focused. The more touch points we can have with you will help us that much further.

At a basic level, Alfa has gutted its website and retrofitted it to be a mobile-first application since 65% of its traffic is coming from mobile. The result? A 10-point life in conversion, he said. “It pays for itself infinitely.”

The American buyer is still learning what Alfa Romeo is. Which is why it ran an ad on the Super Bowl this year. Visits to the website skyrocketed ten-fold, he said. Such an ad states that “you’re strong, you’re proud.”

What kind of person buys an Alfa Romeo? The kind that appreciates an Italian brand “you don’t see every day on the road.” The kind that wants a particular cachet.