Renault: "Other electric cars look like fish"

We met Arnaud Belloni, Renault's global marketing director, who told us about the brand's changes in terms of product and communication

Photo by: Renault

By: Massimo Grassi

Dec 22, 2024 at 3:26am ET

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"People love cars, yet many (non-industry) journalists and politicians make us believe that they no longer like them. This is false and we put the car at the centre of our strategy".

These are the words from Arnaud Belloni, Renault's global marketing director, the man behind the French manufacturer's image change along with president Luca de Meo. We had the opportunity to speak with him at a press briefing, during which the French manager explained how he wants to change Renault's communication, without transforming it in a way that distorts its DNA. The recipe is simple: put the car back at the centre.

How did you develop your new communication strategy?

We have never doubted that people love cars. We started from the principle that all our lives we will be ambassadors of the car. For this to work you have to be intellectually honest, you have to make cars that people like, that people want. Rather than spending time making cars that people don't like and trying to convince them that they should like them instead. That is the basis of marketing. Since I've been at Renault I no longer look at what the car industry does in marketing, because it has lost its know-how. The industry that works best in this field is the luxury industry.

Arnaud Belloni

Photo by: Renault

What do you think is Renault's defining characteristic?

I think many manufacturers made a mistake with electric cars, imagining that BEV buyers didn't like cars. They made models with an ugly design, they look like fish. Why? Because they didn't believe in the electric car. I always thought that if we want people to buy electric cars they have to be more desirable, better, more beautiful than combustion cars. That is our strategy. With the Renault 5 you are looking at a beautiful car. And it is electric and since it has no other powertrain you will buy it that way. We realised earlier than others that customers will find it difficult to switch from diesel to electric without a discount. Many were wrong in their predictions, we were cautious and said: let's develop two technologies. We keep efficient combustion engines, we also have the hybrid, ideal for those who are afraid to switch to pure electric. Then there are those ready for BEVs. So we created two parallel ranges.

New Renault Twingo, coming in 2026

Photo by: Renault

If a customer is not made for the Renault 5 will they buy a Clio?

I don't think they are the same people. In November we launched the Renault 5 in France and we had the same number of sales as the Clio, so it didn't reduce its numbers. They are not the same buyers. But it is true that we will have to apply the same care on the next hybrid models, we will have to make sure that they are just as sexy and seductive as our electrics. However, it will take time to completely change the range.

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Renault 5

Photos by: Renault

Renault Clio

What are the elements that should make young people fall in love with cars?

The younger generation really loves technology. They want to find everything on the car that they have on their phone. For our generation it's unbelievable, because we think people like the car for the performance. They don't care. They want a car that looks good and is very technological. There is also a great sensitivity about the recycling aspect.