Is Nissan using the WRONG marketing strategy
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philaphonic
Well-known member
I sincerely like the sentiment, but almost all of our uranium is imported. Luckily, mostly from friendly countries.MrFish said:
tps
Well-known member
I'm not the biggest environmentalist, but the LEAF as an alternative to what we have now, especially in urban area, is more and more appealing to me. I think about all the mass of gasoline which goes into cars daily here in Philadelphia, and the fact that all that mass, plus the mass of the air which is used for combustion, comes out the tailpipe! I am more and more anxious to be able to stop contributing tailpipe emissions. I am excited about the fact that the car is electric, since I like things electrical and electronic. The more than 300 miles I drove in the Hertz rental LEAF have shown me that the LEAF is fun to drive and practical for my daily routine. But Nissan doesn't need to market the LEAF to someone like me; I'm already planning to buy one as soon as they let me.
I'm not sure there's any reason to split hairs as to exactly the right marketing strategy at this point. So long as they get the LEAF name into the public's minds, that's probably good enough. Right now, the LEAF is a hard sell because of:
1. The tourtuous reservation/order/sale process. This is more than enough to completely turn off the average car buyer. It's even rather hard on pro-LEAF potential customers such as me.
2. The quick charge infrastructure needs to be at least somewhat in place.
Advertising will not help those problems...
I'm not sure there's any reason to split hairs as to exactly the right marketing strategy at this point. So long as they get the LEAF name into the public's minds, that's probably good enough. Right now, the LEAF is a hard sell because of:
1. The tourtuous reservation/order/sale process. This is more than enough to completely turn off the average car buyer. It's even rather hard on pro-LEAF potential customers such as me.
2. The quick charge infrastructure needs to be at least somewhat in place.
Advertising will not help those problems...
thankyouOB
Well-known member
Fabio, you are just repeating yourself without providing any new information other than restating your opinion.Fabio said:
It is just another unsupported statement.
links, please.
surely, you understand what I am asking.
Herm
Well-known member
Most conservatives (especially hunters, big time Biophiliacs) are environmentalists, the part that is not conservative is "Environmental Ethics", that is mostly doom&gloom liberalism. Dont confuse the two..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_Ethics" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_Ethics" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
thankyouOB
Well-known member
Herm said:
are you talking hunting for food or trophies?
dont confuse or conflate the two.
DaveinOlyWA
Well-known member
i think Nissan's strategy is a toss up. the environmental approach is "supposed" to work best in the West where they are concentrating distribution now, but many of us take "green" issues for granted mostly because we have been legislated into caring.
also, many other parts of the country are less prone to the electricity saving money part of it because they have expensive coal based electricity and no solar options to speak of, iow; this is a big country with a huge diversity of people, circumstances, needs and environmental advantages/disadvantages. i don t think there is one type of advertising that works every where.
personally; its easy for me to see the benefits of EVs. they are cheap to operate especially when i am paying 10½ cents/Kw at peak rates. for those of you with solar, its a no-brainer, but in these tough economical times, i think an advertising campaign by a large company like Nissan touting the savings you get AFTER paying for a $30,000 car may come under fire
also, many other parts of the country are less prone to the electricity saving money part of it because they have expensive coal based electricity and no solar options to speak of, iow; this is a big country with a huge diversity of people, circumstances, needs and environmental advantages/disadvantages. i don t think there is one type of advertising that works every where.
personally; its easy for me to see the benefits of EVs. they are cheap to operate especially when i am paying 10½ cents/Kw at peak rates. for those of you with solar, its a no-brainer, but in these tough economical times, i think an advertising campaign by a large company like Nissan touting the savings you get AFTER paying for a $30,000 car may come under fire
adric22
Well-known member
To the original poster - I have said it before and I'll say it again.. Yes, Nissan is focusing too much on the environmental aspect. Toyota is guilty of the same thing with their hybrid advertising. I hate being labeled a hard-core environmentalist just because I drive a Prius or a Leaf. And I strongly believe that tree-huggers are probably less than 50% of the buying crowd. I wish they'd focus on the high-tech aspect of the vehicle, or on national security, or convenience, or just the fun-factor.
Now, i did like the "gas powered everything" commercial. That wasn't so much about environmentalism as it was showing how dirty gasoline is and how we are so accustomed to using it that we don't really think about it. Now when I talk about dirty here, I'm really referring to something different from environmentalism. I just hate working on gasoline cars. I've done it plenty of times in my life. My hands and arms will be covered in black grease. Dirty oil dripping on the garage floor, etc. In my opinion, going from gasoline cars to electric sort of reminds me of going from VCRs to DVD players. If you ever saw inside of a VCR, there were all of these gears and things designed to handle the moving tape. They were slow and noisy and had a lot of inconvenience, like rewinding, etc. The Leaf is so much more high tech, and at the same time so much simpler. So fewer parts.
Now, i did like the "gas powered everything" commercial. That wasn't so much about environmentalism as it was showing how dirty gasoline is and how we are so accustomed to using it that we don't really think about it. Now when I talk about dirty here, I'm really referring to something different from environmentalism. I just hate working on gasoline cars. I've done it plenty of times in my life. My hands and arms will be covered in black grease. Dirty oil dripping on the garage floor, etc. In my opinion, going from gasoline cars to electric sort of reminds me of going from VCRs to DVD players. If you ever saw inside of a VCR, there were all of these gears and things designed to handle the moving tape. They were slow and noisy and had a lot of inconvenience, like rewinding, etc. The Leaf is so much more high tech, and at the same time so much simpler. So fewer parts.
Nekota
Well-known member
philaphonic said:..
I sincerely like the sentiment, but almost all of our uranium is imported. Luckily, mostly from friendly countries.
Is this because of the weapons conversion to make reactor fuel
http://www.usec.com/megatonstomegawatts.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
or are you looking at mines with high grade ore sources?
thankyouOB
Well-known member
The real truth here is that Nissan has done mucho marketing and consumer surveys and your supposition is almost certainly wrong.
the market is not apart from the "tree-huggers."
there are some ev lovers and geeks and conservo-national security folks who are buying as patriots, but the heart of the market for the next 100k cars must be environmentalists. Unless you think the folks who knew enough to build such a fine car dont know enough to sell it to the market they have identified.
it has happened before, but I dont think that is what is happening here.
or you can buy the real truth, which is the whether you buy a Leaf to save money, reduce dirty maintenance, tired of paying off to texas and the mideast, hate the oil gang, support the future, reduce pollution =
we are all tree-huggers now.
the market is not apart from the "tree-huggers."
there are some ev lovers and geeks and conservo-national security folks who are buying as patriots, but the heart of the market for the next 100k cars must be environmentalists. Unless you think the folks who knew enough to build such a fine car dont know enough to sell it to the market they have identified.
it has happened before, but I dont think that is what is happening here.
or you can buy the real truth, which is the whether you buy a Leaf to save money, reduce dirty maintenance, tired of paying off to texas and the mideast, hate the oil gang, support the future, reduce pollution =
we are all tree-huggers now.
adric22 said:
Herm
Well-known member
thankyouOB said:
It would be good for enviromentalism and the planet if tree-huggers groups were purged of extreme liberals.. you know the ones that spike trees and so on. If we are to progress the need for self-criticism is great.
Herm
Well-known member
thankyouOB said:
I really dont make a distinction, your problem if you dont want to eat what you kill, at least the dead animal will fertilize the soil and feed vultures.. trophy hunting is an expensive sport, lots of long distance trips to Africa and so on, also very rare. The only trophy hunter I know is very rich and very progressive, he develops shopping malls for a living.
thankyouOB
Well-known member
Herm said:
i dont think anyone but you, Herm, (oh, ok, perhaps your right-wing friends) would agree that tree-spikers are liberals or progressives, of any kind.
that is a syllogism too far.
(you also might consider the welfare of our community here, and make a donation. free-ridership seems to be a specialty of the conservo-business crowd, which forgets that its success is built on the stability of our society, and that in turn is built on good schools, good roads, working courts, a settled system of laws, social peace, and taxes.
besides, you dont want to see a tree-hugger imply that your are cheap--when you can erase that lie with a $30 bill.)
GPowers
Well-known member
tps said:
The on-line order process was very simple, once Nissan got rid of the requirement to buy the EVSE from AV. You just place your order, wait a few months, then the dealer calls you when your Leaf is ready.
They could make it easier by do more of the paper work on line.
thankyouOB
Well-known member
GPowers said:
i agree and it was the only way (and a genius way) to keep some predatory dealerships from gouging.
Spies
Well-known member
I feel this is WAY off topic but if said dead animal was shot and killed with lead ammunition its certainly not doing the vultures any favors by giving them lead poisoning.Herm said:
This is one of the polls that gets me worried:
http://www.gallup.com/poll/146681/americans-increasingly-prioritize-economy-environment.aspx
This is reinforced by many comments I read even on this board, where people are environmentally friendly as long as it doesn't take them an extra effort.
I extrapolate my conclusion from the trends I've seen in polls like the one above.
It's my opinion, and I would be happy to be proven wrong.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/146681/americans-increasingly-prioritize-economy-environment.aspx
This is reinforced by many comments I read even on this board, where people are environmentally friendly as long as it doesn't take them an extra effort.
I extrapolate my conclusion from the trends I've seen in polls like the one above.
It's my opinion, and I would be happy to be proven wrong.
thankyouOB said:
TRONZ
Well-known member
Fabio said:
Their should be a more direct reminder that "extra" effort means "extra" labor to achieve "extra" pay to hand over at gas stations for the "extra" costs of burning gasoline. Suddenly electrification is very convenient and prevents "extra" effort to afford.
The financial "extra" efforts during Peak Oil are not felt as a supply problem. Peak Oil is felt as a cost problem! Who cares to speculate about supply when gas is $4.00 a gallon?!? The financial realities of Peak Oil are here and have been here since 08. People that are gifted at denial will still get overdrawn at the bank. Math is funny that way.
tps
Well-known member
It would not be so bad if it actually worked the way Nissan wants us to believe. For instance, I'd like some advance notice that, on such-and-so date, I'll be permitted to order. So far as I can tell, Nissan just opens ordering for existing reservation holders with no notice. (At least that's what appeared to happen for Tier 3.) I've been proactive and got a deal worked out with my dealer; I guess I'll just have to check my dashboard every day starting soon, since Nissan has not been more specific than "before the end of 2011". I don't feel I can trust Nissan to make my more-than-a-year-wait from the time of my reservation worth something by notifying me and allowing me to order before, as they have been called, "the unwashed masses."thankyouOB said:
Notification is one place I think Nissan has dropped the ball. Another example is the Drive Electric event here in Philly. IMHO, they should have taken reservations at the event. It would have been a great way to get more reservations in the queue. As it was, if a potential buyer liked the 5 minute drive, what could he do? He couldn't order, he couldn't make a reservation to order, he couldn't do anything, really. I wonder how many potential customers were lost this way?
I agree that the current reservation and ordering process keeps dealers from gouging even in the face of Nissan's supply-side issues. I don't think it's all bad, I just think it needs some tweaking. (As many here at MNL have commented, communication with potential buyers does not seem to be Nissan's strong point.)
GPowers
Well-known member
thankyouOB said:
I have seen orphans going for $10K over sticker. But we are getting off topic.