Piaggio & C. SpA the Vespa and Ciao case study – a parallel analysis of qualitative and quantitative research approaches.

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to analyse the differences and similarities emerging from the study of the same company with two different approaches. The analysis is conducted both via quantitative and qualitative approaches to the Piaggio & C. SpA company, in a time period ranging from 1950s to 1980s, relative to two products: the motorcycles Vespa and Ciao. The discussion starts from an analysis of the history of the Piaggio & C. SpA company to then introduce the two methodologies used. From the quantitative perspective the analysis focuses on the financial data available, primarily from those coming directly from the company in the specified period, and subsequently from those reported in more recent articles. Particular attention is placed on the financial results obtained by the two products, and on the implications for both the company and the market. From the qualitative perspective the ethnographic approach is used to understand what was the culture at the time of the introduction of these products, and how it was affected. Moreover, the company marketing and advertising is analysed in order to understand: how it related to the consumer, what strategies were used, and how this changed customers’ perception. As a matter of fact, Vespa and Ciao at the time of their introduction became a symbol of the Italian culture and design. Now they are a classic.