The unveiling of the first fully electric model from Ferrari triggered one of the most intense communication reactions the automotive industry has recorded this year. According to an analysis by Determ, based on 26,918 posts tracked by the platform during the first 72 hours after the launch of the Luce model, most of the public discussion was not focused on the vehicle’s technical specifications, but rather on what an electric Ferrari means for the brand’s identity itself.
The data collected by the Zagreb-based media monitoring and social listening platform shows that audience reactions, media narratives, and individual comments can very quickly become the dominant story surrounding a product launch, regardless of a company’s communication plans.
One of the most striking signals was recorded on Ferrari’s official Facebook page. The most common reaction to the post about the collaboration with Sir Jony Ive, which was a central element of the communication surrounding the model launch, was not “Like” but “Haha.” This reaction appeared more than 12,000 times, surpassing the combined number of “Like” and “Sad” reactions.
A similar tone was present in the comments. The most supported comment came from a user who stated that it was “the first Ferrari he doesn’t mind not being able to afford,” further demonstrating that part of the audience approached the new model through irony and a reassessment of the brand’s traditional values.
The analysis also identified the emergence of two parallel media narratives that developed almost simultaneously.
Global business and financial media primarily focused on the decline in Ferrari’s stock value, which lost more than eight percent during the first two days after the launch. At the same time, Italian media devoted most of their attention to criticism from former company chairman Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, who, during a meeting of the Confindustria organization, warned that the company could jeopardize its own myth.
According to Determ’s data, this statement became one of the key drivers of the online discussion.
A particularly interesting indicator relates to the relationship between traditional media and individual journalists on social networks. Journalist Antonello Guerrera from La Repubblica published an English translation of Montezemolo’s statement on the X platform, and his post generated 4.8 million views. By comparison, three corporate posts by Reuters on the same topic collectively attracted around 141,000 views.
This reach differential suggests that audiences are increasingly following individuals as sources of interpretation and commentary, even when information originally comes from established media organizations.
The data also shows that earned media had a greater communication impact than content published by the manufacturer itself. A Facebook Reel published by FormulaPassion, using Montezemolo’s statement, generated around 70,000 interactions. Ferrari’s most successful owned post achieved approximately half that number.
During the first three days after the launch of the Luce model, more than 62,500 reposts of content mentioning the new vehicle were also recorded. Most of these shares were linked to topics that the company neither initiated nor controlled, including criticism from the former chairman, audience reactions on social media, and comparisons between the vehicle’s price and competing electric models.
Determ’s analysis therefore raises a question that is becoming increasingly relevant for communication teams at major brands. Product launches no longer end with the release of a campaign, a press conference, or official social media content. A crucial part of product perception is now created through audience reactions, individual comments, and interpretations that spread beyond the communication channels companies own themselves.
For communication professionals, this is yet another reminder that reputation today is built not only through what a brand says about itself, but also through conversations it can no longer fully control.
