Memory Marketing: The Speed and Longevity of Porche and Lamborghini

 Memory, a term used to define moments, experiences, events and people over time stored as our own interpretation of reality, absent in the present but not forgotten memories are the driving force of our behavior as consumers and market experts.

Memory is the most important aspect of marketing as it is how a consumer has and is going to identify your brand, form a perception about it and communicate their opinions for the same. The Time Decay Theory which was first coined by Edward Thorndike states that when a person does not access or use a memory representation they have formed, it will decay over time and the memory trace will fade away. It is also stated that actively rehearsing information is believed to be a major factor contracting this temporal decay.

It is this theory that brands are constantly able to re establish themselves and remind their target audience about who they are and how they started. Lets take for example the Lamborghini Countach which was Lamborghini’s most prolific model and has become an emblematic Raging Bull, produced from 1974 and 1990 it was an icon, showcased in dozens of films and was the poster car in numerous bedrooms, this was one of the pioneers of the supercar, it was this car that put Lamborghini on the map.

Earlier, in 2021 Lamborghini debuted the Lamborghini Countach LPI 800-4 to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the legendary Countach of the 1980’s, some key points to take away was that this was a limited edition release with only 112 models made, With a naturally aspirated V12 engine, it has the heart of a true Lamborghini paired with a 48-volt electric motor making it a hybrid supercar.

The campaign achieved success by appealing to the nostalgia of the original model that launched in the 1970s, reigniting the memories of those who wished for one of these. This was big in the performance automotive industry, reestablishing the brand image of the Raging Bull.

Another example is the consistency of Porsche in its production line called 911, which is a series of high-performance cars that have been produced since the 1960s. One standout factor about these cars is the consistency in design, which is a perfect example of the phrase ‘If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it’. Keeping the same core design for over 50 years these cars are still eye catching to this day, with the same design being intricately crafted year by year, making new changes to the style and performance but most importantly keeping the core design intact, making it one of the most sought after car brands in the world as of today.

Memory marketing is a vital strategy to preserve the brand image and to refresh the target audience’s memory of the company’s identity, vision and reputation, which may have faded over time.