Bentley to up marketing staff by 25% as it prepares SUV launch
Bentley has revealed it will add 10 new senior marketers to its 40-strong marketing team in 2015 as it aims to boost sales and prepares to launch its first ever SUV.
The luxury carmaker will launch the SUV, the Bentayga, which it says will offer ‘a luxury vehicle that can cross any terrain,’ in early 2016. It says the new marketing roles will help it to facilitate the delivery and successful launch of the Bentayga as well as all future products.
“These permanent positions are in areas including digital marketing/digital content management, CRM, retail marketing, market planning, regional positions, and luxury brand management among others,” a Bentley spokesman told Marketing Week.
“We want to ensure we continue to increase overall sales and that we have the right marketing infrastructure in place to ensure the SUV is a big success.”
In 2014, the Volkswagen-owned car brand delivered a sales record 11,020 saloons, coupes and convertibles, up 9% on the previous year.
But citing slower growth in China, fears of deflation and weak oil prices, Kevin Price, a Bentley board member for sales and marketing, told Reuters earlier this month that he expects sales to fall in 2015. “If I was one car ahead of last year, I’d be happy – I’m taking the balanced view and predicting growth will be less,” he admitted.
The investment in marketing is part of a wider £40m investment to improve the company’s Crewe-based headquarters, which will see Bentley take on 300 new workers.
Bentley, which will also build a new 45,000m research and development centre at its HQ to house 1,300 engineers, will host a recruitment open day on 21 February as part of the recruitment drive.
