Marketing Suggestions for Nissan: Let's Get Serious

[cwerdna]

Perhaps. By that time, Tesla should have production up to 100 per month.

Oh, and you sold your Z-car, Mr. Cwerda? Shame on you! :evil:

Hahah.

Yes, I sold my Z a bit over a year ago. I sold it instead of having it shipped back to CA. :| I was planning to replace it with a Leaf anyway. I don't have one yet because of the reasons I've mentioned many times before. Hope that can change by EOY, just in time (?) for the '13 Leaf...

 

[TonyWilliams]

Agreed that it isn't much bigger than the LEAF, but it is still on a truck frame and looks like a truck. But that is semantics... I wouldn't drive the normal Rav either... just not an SUV person as they feel too top heavy. Maybe the EV version would fix that though. :?

A Suburban is the original SUV (well, some would argue International Travelall, or the Jeep Wagoneer). Both were on "real" truck type chassis with a standard ladder style frame, and optional 4 wheel drive. The Chevy Suburban is still built that way, almost 80 years later, even with truck ratings of 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton.

The Rav4 is not on any truck chassis that I would recognize. Manufacturers, first Chrysler with the minivan, tried hard to convince the government that they were "trucks" so they didn't have to meet more stringent auto safety and emission requirements. There's nothing truck, or SUV, about it. The Rav4 is a high profile, 4-5 seat car, now popularly dubbed a Crossover.

 

[ztanos]

Agreed that it isn't much bigger than the LEAF, but it is still on a truck frame and looks like a truck. But that is semantics... I wouldn't drive the normal Rav either... just not an SUV person as they feel too top heavy. Maybe the EV version would fix that though. :?

A Suburban is the original SUV (well, some would argue International Travelall, or the Jeep Wagoneer). Both were on "real" truck type chassis with a standard ladder style frame, and optional 4 wheel drive. The Chevy Suburban is still built that way, almost 80 years later, even with truck ratings of 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton.

The Rav4 is not on any truck chassis that I would recognize. Manufacturers, first Chrysler with the minivan, tried hard to convince the government that they were "trucks" so they didn't have to meet more stringent auto safety and emission requirements. There's nothing truck, or SUV, about it. The Rav4 is a high profile, 4-5 seat car, now popularly dubbed a Crossover.

True, but it's still ugly. :lol: Xuv, Suv or truck whatever you want to call it.

 

[Deleted member 1622]

To get back to the OP, I just saw a new Leaf ad in California that does a better job of touting the "You'll Never Buy Gas Again" line. I can't find it online or I would post it, does anyone know a way we can track the Leaf ads nationwide? For some reason, not a lot of new ones on YouTube.
Anyway, what worried me is the line in the ad that said the Leaf was "safe, comfortable, and xxxx", can't remember the third descriptor. Safe and comfortable? That won't sell cars.
I have seen the lease prices coming down, as low as $199/month in one newspaper ad. But if the idea is to come anywhere near 15,000 cars sold for the year, I'm not sure "safe and comfortable" is going to do it. This car is turning into a niche product before our eyes, and I don't think any of us wants that.

Josh

 

[davewill]

...Safe and comfortable? That won't sell cars. ...

I don't see why not. Lots of people like comfortable and tons more like safe. Why else do they advertise when a car does well on crash tests?

 

[cwerdna]

To get back to the OP, I just saw a new Leaf ad in California that does a better job of touting the "You'll Never Buy Gas Again" line. I can't find it online or I would post it, does anyone know a way we can track the Leaf ads nationwide? For some reason, not a lot of new ones on YouTube.
...
This car is turning into a niche product before our eyes, and I don't think any of us wants that.

I think I saw the ad you're talking about. I wouldn't be surprised if it's done by a regional dealer group and not a national ad. IIRC, the gas prices shown in the ad were pretty old (much lower than current CA prices).

Turning into a niche product? Unfortunately, IMHO, it's always been that. Problem is, there are only so many EV enthusiasts.

 

[Nubo]

To get back to the OP, I just saw a new Leaf ad in California that does a better job of touting the "You'll Never Buy Gas Again" line. I can't find it online or I would post it, does anyone know a way we can track the Leaf ads nationwide? For some reason, not a lot of new ones on YouTube.
Anyway, what worried me is the line in the ad that said the Leaf was "safe, comfortable, and xxxx", can't remember the third descriptor.

Saw it twice this evening; during the news and then Jeopardy. I think the third attribute was "powerful".

edit: This is the one:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9alLkMQyM0[/youtube]

 

[cwerdna]

^^^
Yep! That's the one I've seen.

 

[Nubo]

At least they dropped the 100-mile pitch, even if they couldn't quite bring themselves to say "73 miles" outright. Ummm. the range is 2 1/2 x 29....

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

could always have someone else do the foot work

 

[KJD]

One has to wonder if Nissan would match the discounts on leases for the Volt, how many more sales would Nissan generate.

http://green.autoblog.com/2012/08/28/colorado-chevy-volt-lease-199-month/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

199 per month sounds pretty aggressive to me.

 

[Deleted member 1622]

To get back to the OP, I just saw a new Leaf ad in California that does a better job of touting the "You'll Never Buy Gas Again" line. I can't find it online or I would post it, does anyone know a way we can track the Leaf ads nationwide? For some reason, not a lot of new ones on YouTube.
Anyway, what worried me is the line in the ad that said the Leaf was "safe, comfortable, and xxxx", can't remember the third descriptor.

Saw it twice this evening; during the news and then Jeopardy. I think the third attribute was "powerful".

edit: This is the one:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9alLkMQyM0[/youtube]

Thanks for finding this ad, I think it's one of their best ones yet... "powerful" sells cars. "Safe and comfortable," not so much unless you're a soccer mom (no offense, moms). Now they just need to show you the CA carpool sticker, like the Volt and the PiP do.
How about: The Nissan Leaf -- efficient, powerful and unexpected.

JG

 

[Nubo]

...How about: The Nissan Leaf -- efficient, powerful and unexpected.

JG

Or for the younger folks, I should put together one of those "motivational" posters with a view of a LEAF from behind, through a windshield:

"Innovation for the Planet...

just Pwned you!" :lol:

 

[Deleted member 1622]

Or for the younger folks, I should put together one of those "motivational" posters with a view of a LEAF from behind, through a windshield:

"Innovation for the Planet...

just Pwned you!" :lol:

Man, now I do feel old. I had to look up "pwned", but at least I knew how to Google it!

JG

 

[leafkabob]

I have not been following this thread, but I have noticed that the leaf is not advertised much on the stations I watch and listen to. Yesterday I met with a Nissan Field Rep (oversees 42 dealership repair shops in three states) to test my battery. While we were waiting for the test results I mentioned to him that I see the Altima being pushed much more than the Leaf. He said that Nissan is not pushing the leaf because they only want people to buy it who are a good fit for it. I took him to mean that they were going to rely more on word of mouth advertising from current owners, or that folks who truly want an electric car will research the car on their own.

Take it for what it is worth. We didn't get into it in any more detail than that.

 

[edatoakrun]

Anyone seen any new LEAF ads mentioned in the story below?

I doubt the Japanese commercial below would translate very well...

Did you watch TV this weekend? If so, you likely saw the reemergence of the 73 mile electric LEAF in at least one or two ad placements.

Up until very recently, Nissan has been hesitant to promote the LEAF, other than a casual reference in its ‘family of cars’ advertisements. But why would they? They lose money on every discounted LEAF they sell.

However, for the first time since the great polar bear drive (‘making of’ ad below), Nissan has brought the LEAF back into the forefront in a big way.

Nissan sales, although improved last month (984 units), have been mired below 4 digits since September of 2011 (1,034 units). However, according to Edmunds.com and Truecar.com, Nissan (on average) bumped incentives to $4,200 during the month of September to move each of those 984 units.

As point of reference, the two outlets determined that GM had bumped incentives on the Chevrolet Volt to $6,500 to induce their best selling month ever in September (2,851 units).

So, why the return to aggressive marketing?

The answer is fairly simple. Nissan is telegraphing the start of production in Smyrna, TN for December, which also means the introduction of a much cheaper, entry level LEAF, while trying to clear pricey 2012 inventory off their dealer’s lots...


Below: Not Nissan’s newest ad campaign for the US…because that would be boring. Instead check out this Nissan LEAF commercial from Japan, complete with huge CHAdeMO plug.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hziFUg-7wzQ&feature=player_embedded" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


http://insideevs.com/nissan-restarts-ad-program-in-us-in-anticipation-of-lower-priced-leaf/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[edatoakrun]

The public charge station infrastructure is "The ultimate range extender"

The new slogan (?), in the new LEAF commercial:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdVsh9NqfxE&feature=player_embedded" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[PaulScott]

I like this ad. It succeeds at making the LEAF a mainstream vehicle. The husband and wife are believable. Charging infrastructure is helping a lot. Now that we have a few DC quick chargers in the LA region, it's helping, but we need more. I understand there might be good news on this front very soon.

 

[edatoakrun]

I like this ad. It succeeds at making the LEAF a mainstream vehicle. The husband and wife are believable. Charging infrastructure is helping a lot. Now that we have a few DC quick chargers in the LA region, it's helping, but we need more. I understand there might be good news on this front very soon.

I like it too.

Very understated.

"A LEAF is...just a car, that doesn't need gas..."

I only wish it also said:

"by the end of 2013, there will be over 24,000 charge stations in the USA, including over a thousand quick-charge stations..."

How about an announcement on the CHAdeMO station goals, Nissan?

 

[edatoakrun]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGGP6LZ0jCg&feature=player_embedded" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Another Commercial,

"Drive the future today"

Smart ad, IMO, for featuring what you get with a BEV that an ICEV can never do.

Preconditioning: Now.

Powering your home: Now in Japan, in the future in the USA.