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When you’re a legacy brand like Mercedes-Benz, everything you do is larger than life. This is why it was no surprise that the luxury automobile company held an exclusive world premiere party in Rome, Italy, to debut its new CLA car last month. Not only were there performances from Grammy Award-winning artists (Tyla being one of them), but there were also red carpet appearances from Hollywood’s elite and an on-stage demonstration of the electric car’s high-tech features. And the best part is that Rolling Stone was there to witness it all.
At the event, we sat down with Bettina Fetzer, Vice President of Mercedes-Benz Digital and Communications, to talk about everything from the inspiration behind the latest model to Mercedes-Benz’s storied legacy, which you can read about below. Plus, we’ve also included some of our favorite Mercedes-Benz merch that you can buy online — from the brand’s new clothing collaboration with Moncler Genius to the official Mercedes-Benz Formula One jersey. All of these (in our opinion) are great second options while you’re waiting to buy the new CLA. Shop now.
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What was the inspiration behind the new car?
Oh, gosh. The CLA is different for us because it’s really the entry model of Mercedes-Benz. This is the smallest car we do — and it’s not even small — but this is a car that needs to just be absolutely stunning. Ninety-two percent of the people buy it for its looks, which is already high, but it’s the highest within the segment. Everything in the CLA is next-level, and we’re specifically proud of how digitized it is. You can go 792 kilometers in one charge, or you charge it for ten minutes, and you can go 325 kilometers; it takes me longer to have a coffee.
Do you have a favorite feature in the CLA?
I’m an actual mom, not just the mom of Mercedes, and I have a big job with millions of people who want stuff from me, so I love that it’s really intuitive. We call it a hyper-personalized companion because we have our own software, but we also enhance it with AI. And then we partner with all of the big brands like Google and Microsoft to really give it that perfect intuitive handling. It saves me a lot of energy and time, and I love that about it.
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What makes it different than other cars on the market that are built with similar tech?
Next to all of the features, the beautiful design. It’s gorgeous, it’s effortless, and it is absolutely flexible because you can also drive it as combustion. So it has everything that you would imagine from Mercedes. But what makes it better or different is that our engineers always go to the max with everything. They want to create nothing less than perfection.
What do you think makes Mercedes-Benz transcend time and generations?
I always want to make sure people understand what it means to work for a brand like this. I say to my team, and I’m quoting Spider-Man, but with great power comes great responsibility — we have always inspired beyond just car enthusiasts. We’re featured in more than 16,000 songs, and people use us in art and other creative ways. We speak to the audiences of tomorrow with our collaborations, but at the same time, we stay true to what Mercedes-Benz stands for: status, latest technologies, and craftsmanship.
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What’s one song you listen to while you’re working or driving in your Mercedes-Benz?
I’ll go with Sia — I love Unstoppable. Also, Green Day, [Fetzer breaks into song here]: Do you have the time? To listen to me whine? And then, since I have a six-year-old, I unfortunately have to listen to other different things.
What does it take to put on an event of this scale?
A great team and great partners. It takes a lot of effort and dedication from the team, and then obviously a lot of trust. I can’t control everything myself.
Why Rome?
Rome is the eternal city, and it’s culturally and absolutely rich. This is what Mercedes is as well. But at the same time, we brought a bit of contemporaneity to it. It’s just mind-blowing what this city has to offer.
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Is there anything that surprised you about Mercedes as a brand?
I was not aware of how much dedication everyone puts in to achieve perfection. This is really an engineered-driven brand, and everyone who works here is just really in love with the product. You can feel this in everything.
You work in a very male-dominated industry. What advice would you give to other women who want to find themselves in a similar role?
First of all, you have to make sure to work hard. I mean, you don’t get anywhere without working hard — but work those extra hours, extra projects, and extra shifts. The other thing is to make sure you have a surrounding where other people acknowledge your work. Attribute the work that you do to you. And then, be confident about what you do. It’s something that I had to learn as well — you earn your way through, and you prove them right or wrong. You also need to claim what you want. It took me a few years to really stake that claim and say, ‘No, no, I want this now, or I can do that.’
I’m very grateful for all of the opportunities Mercedes has given me because I’ve never had to change myself. I could be authentic. Whereas in other companies, if you reach a certain position, people expect you to be very harsh, direct, and demanding. I’m a very kind soul, and I instantly trust people; and most of the time, that works out.
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