HOT HATCH DRIVER INSIGHTS
BY DAN PANKRAZ

Dan Pankraz
Youth Planning Specialist,
DDB Sydney
Danpankraz.wordpress.com

I RECENTLY SPENT SOME TIME LOOKING INTO THE
HOT HATCH TRIBES.
THESE LITTLE POCKET ROCKETS ARE TYPICALLY DRIVEN BY GEN YERS SO I WANTED TO TAKE A LOOK INTO THE DRIVER MINDSET, WHAT THESE CARS REPRESENT AND HOW THEYRE MARKETED.
HERES WHAT I FOUND.

WHEN IT COMES TO SMALL POCKET ROCKETSITS ALL ABOUT BELONGING TO A TRIBE

HOWEVER SOME CARS ARE MORE TRIBAL THAN OTHERS

A SPECTRUM OF FOLLOWING FOR CERTAIN BRANDS
Exotics
Alfa
ACTIVE
TRIBES
NO TRIBE
-
CULT BRANDS LIKE SUBARY WRX, STI AND COOPER S HAVE ACTIVE TRIBAL FOLLOWING WITH MASSIVE ONLINE COMMUNITIES

HOT HATCH TRIBES IN AUSTRALIA
C30 T5
EVERYDAY
PERFORMANCE
CULTURED CHIC
FAST TRACK
VXR
XR5
Exotics
FUN
FASHIONISTA
POCKET
ROCKET
RETRO
RACERS
Alfa
TRIBAL
(Active
Belonging)
INDIVIDUAL
(Passive Owners)
PASSIONISTA
PERFORMANCE
AFFICIANADO
-TECH
IMPORT
-BOY RACER
RAW
PERFORMANCE

SO WHO BELONGS TO THESE TRIBES?

SUBARU WRX BOY RACER TRIBE
OWNER TYPE
Competitive, Poser, Car Nut, Showy, Techies
CAR SAYS
I want the real deal..its powerful, respected and intimidates.. Ive got street cred and I like that people check out my wheels and know what it can do
CAR MAKES ME FEEL
Powerful, Aggressive, Masculine, Knowledgeable
Fabio, 33

MINI COOPER FUN FASHIONISTA TRIBE
OWNER TYPE
Fashionista, Playful, Colourful, Queen Bee, Creative Class
CAR SAYS
Im all about having fun and looking good 24/7....Im in a rush, get out of my way
CAR MAKES ME FEEL
Stylish, Classy, Vibrant, Personalised, Cute
Anita, 30

JOHN COOPER WORKS RETRO RACING TRIBE
OWNER TYPE
Fashionista, Design with a sense of history, Quality, Appreciates Uniqueness, Loves motor racing heritage
CAR SAYS
Im stylish with an appreciation of old school motoring, I dont mind embarrassing bigger more powerful cars
CAR MAKES ME FEEL
Stylish, Trendy, Retro cool, One step ahead
Adam, 34

GOLF GTI FAST TRACK TRIBE
OWNER TYPE
Sporty, Forever Young, Fast Life, Connected, Competitive
CAR SAYS
Im on my way up and love driving hard, but Im no poser or rev head..its not how fast I go, but how I go fast ..
CAR MAKES ME FEEL
Understatedly Cool, Dynamic, Alive
Flo, 26

GOLF R32PERFORMANCE AFFICIANADO TRIBE
OWNER TYPE
Professional, Super ambitious, One pay rise away from an M3, Enemy of ordinary
CAR SAYS
Im a wolf in sheeps clothing, catch me if you can
CAR MAKES ME FEEL
Successful, Dynamic, Agile, Adventurous
Chris, 30

CIVIC TYPE R TECH IMPORT TRIBE
OWNER TYPE
Asian with a love of fast cars, street racing, tech/gadget enthusiast, little guy syndrome
CAR SAYS
Im a little dangerous and want something with racing tech and unique design..a feisty import, just like me
CAR MAKES ME FEEL
Naughty, Futuristic, Unique, Techy
Jet, 25

THE FOLLOWING CARS DONT HAVE TRIBAL FOLLOWING PER SE, BUT ATTRACT A CERTAIN DRIVER TYPE

VOLVO C30 T5CULTURED CHIC
OWNER TYPE
Cultured, Understated, Educated, Minimalist, Passive
CAR SAYS
I hate the status quo, want a small car thats unique , just like me...I appreciate minimalist design, less is more
CAR MAKES ME FEEL
Cultured, sophisticated, environmental, ethical
Bel, 31

MAZDA MPS A LITTLE BIT SPORTY
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OWNER TYPE
Conservative, Covert, Mainstream, Follower, Want the best of Zoom Zoom
CAR SAYS
I want a weapon, but I dont want everyone to know about it...its undercover like me.
CAR MAKES ME FEEL
Sporty, Satisfied, Smart, Confident
Simon, 32

ALFA ROMEO MIOPASSIONISTA
OWNER TYPE
Passionate Italian, Image is everything, Obsessed by visual appeal, Loud
CAR SAYS
Its sexy, Im the one you should be looking at, but dont look under my bonnet
CAR MAKES ME FEEL
Sexy, Extroverted, Distinctive
Marco, 27

SEMIOTIC CODES OF HOT HATCH ADVERTISING

IN TERMS OF MARKETING COMMUNICATION, ALL HOT HATCHES ARE MARKETED AS
CREATURES OF THE NIGHT
THEYRE PORTRAYED AS SERIOUS, AGGRESSIVE, MASCULINE, PRIMAL, MENACING AND BROODING.
ALL THE LANGUAGE AND IMAGERY DEPICTS TRANSFORMATION - THE VEHICLE HELPING BRING OUT YOUR DEVILISH SIDE TO PLAY..

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