Las Vegan Magazine of Las Vegas

There is a mystique to Jeep since World War II
when the soldiers returned home...

By Peter Allman

Peter Allman I recently had the privilege of talking wth Lou Bitonti, the Senior Manager for Jeep® Global. He shared his thoughts with me on why he envisions Jeep as America’s vehicle.

Q) When you think of off-highway vehicles, Jeep comes to mind. Tell us what Jeep is doing in regard to new innovations.
A) As far as new innovations, that’s something we’re always working on to better satisfy the needs of our owners. Suspension and engines have advanced over the years. The ride of the sport utility vehicle (SUV) has changed dramatically. We believe that the Jeep brand started the segment.
Jeep evolved out of World War II when Jeep vehicles transported our soldiers to where they needed to go. Since that time we’ve stayed true to our core values of matching the needs of owners and future prospects but always remembering who we are: an SUV.
We give our owners the opportunity of going off-highway but also have the comfort and safety of being able to drive on-road. It’s a combination of mixing the two driving capabilities.

Q) Where are Jeep vehicles tested?
A) All Jeep vehicles, no matter if it’s Grand Cherokee, Cherokee or Wrangler, have got to have the capability of going off-highway. We test our vehicles on the Rubicon Trail, near Lake Tahoe.

Q) Which is the Jeep luxury vehicle?
A) We manufacture Grand Cherokee, our luxury vehicle. Cherokee is the vehicle that started the SUV segment, while Wrangler is the icon for the brand, based off the derivative of the vehicle that came out of World War II.

Q) Why is Jeep America’s vehicle?
A) There is a mystique to Jeep since World War II when the soldiers returned home. There appeared to be a strong bond between the soldiers and the Jeep that couldn’t be denied. Jeep was the vehicle that helped them get to where they had to go. After the war, the soldiers came back home to the United States and started to ask where they could buy a Jeep vehicle. So, we went to the CJ2, which was called the Civilian Jeep.
From that era, we have grown to match the needs of our owners. It’s been that bond, the fact that the vehicle could take owners anywhere, be it skiing, off-highway or mountain biking. That’s true to the spirit of what the vehicle is all about, and it’s something that will never change.

Q) What do you do in promoting Jeep around the world?
A) We have product planners for different parts of the globe to ensure that we know the requirements for the different areas of the world. That all goes into the product advancements in the building of the vehicle.
We have a saying "You can take a Jeep vehicle from the canyon to the opera." It doesn’t matter. It can take you anywhere, and you can feel comfortable in any scenario. We believe that Jeep vehicles really support our owner’s lifestyles, no matter what those lifestyles are. As long as we can continue to keep that idea in our vehicles, I think the bond, as well as the image and mystique, will continue.

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The mini-Jeep course for children

Back

Lou Bitonti, the Senior Manager
for Jeep® Global

Q) Tell us about your responsibilities for Jeep and the events that are held.
A) I am involved with marketing from a non-advertising point of view. We believe in owner communication, so I’m responsible for Jeep auto shows, direct-mail pieces and events. The customer, the owner, the prospect can see a certain image on television that Jeep 4x4’s or vehicles can take you anywhere. We create events so owners can experience the "go anywhere, do anything" image of the brand.
What we decided to do to make the image real is to develop the peak experience where we take someone out of their comfort zone and give them an opportunity to try some new things with their vehicle, which brings me to this point. We’ve been holding Jeep Jamborees since the ‘50’s. We think it’s the oldest owner loyalty program in the auto industry.
Six years ago we created Camp Jeep up in Camp Hale Colorado, which was home of the 10th Mountain Division, the precursor to the Special Forces. Again, when the soldiers returned home, the vehicles were a part of them. We invited owners from 48 states to attend the first Camp Jeep.
This year, Camp Jeep was in Virginia at the Oak Ridge Estate in the Blue Ridge Mountains. There were over 8,000 Jeep owners who enjoyed a weekend of family fun. It’s an opportunity for people to try mountain biking, fly-fishing, rock climbing and activities they may not normally do. It also gives them an opportunity to meet with some experts and have some fun in a safe environment, to meet the people behind the Jeep brand and to enjoy some dialogue. They tell us what they like and don’t like about Jeep vehicles. We bring out 40 engineers, people from the design studios, manufacturing, product planning and marketing. It’s a big effort on our part, and our owners appreciate that.

Q) I would imagine that a Jeep vehicle is a necessity for people in all walks of life.
A) Absolutely! We want people to want Jeep vehicles. We can get out there and talk to them face to face, find out what their requirements are, let them know we appreciate and want their business; then we ask that they consider us. We can’t make anyone buy a vehicle, but what we can do is show what Jeep is all about.
There’s more to Jeep than the vehicle. It’s the lifestyle, the camaraderie at venues around the world, the image and heritage of the brand. As the brand marketer, those are things we want to protect and take care of. It’s up to us to make sure we get the right image and the right word out.

In closing, I thanked Mr. Bitonti for his time and information and told him I was looking forward to seeing the show to be held at the Silverton Hotel & Casino. He replied, "We believe our owners are going to love it. We’ll return to Las Vegas in April when we introduce our new vehicle and bring dealers from around the world." end