A Journey of Success: Italy’s Welcoming of Jeep into the FIAT Family

The following Theory Application Paper examined the unique cultural acquisition of Jeep by the Italian automotive giant Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino (FIAT) Chrysler Automobiles. The CELM cultural analysis model (Gao, 2013) was used to examine the culture, business environment, consumer lifestyle and mentality that allowed an “All-American” vehicle to find a new home in the Italian market. The use of the CELM model gives an in depth look at the culture of Italian business practices and what drives Italian consumers to participate in the market. The ultimate purpose of this research was to acquire the knowledge of successful tactics used by FIAT to merge an American brand into a European market. The information gained by this research is valuable in not only understanding the Italian market but how American products might become more easily accepted by Italian consumers. The adoption of the Jeep brand by FIAT worked only by finding ways to fit the new brand into the Italian culture, business environment, lifestyle, and mentality. The acceptance of Jeep into the FIAT famiglia can be an example to many American brands trying to tap into a culturally tight market