It is their third product launch in three years and this time, it marks Datsun’s foray into the entry level segment of cars in India. Guillaume Sicard, President – Nissan India Operations talks about the all new Datsun redi-GO and why he feels it will resonate in the Indian market.
By NEETA NAIR
Q] What was the insight behind launching redi-GO in the Indian market?
Styled in Japan and made in India, the redi- GO is an ‘Urban Cross’ which brings you the best of both worlds. It’s perfect for urban mobility and yet ready for a challenge at places where the roads end. With best-in-class ground clearance of 185 mm, a high seat position and unique personalization kits, the redi-GO definitely comes across as a unique proposition in this segment. We believe that with the Datsun redi-GO, we can address a totally different market segment, as compared to the other models in our portfolio – Go and Go Plus.
Q] How are you positioning the car and what is the target audience for it?
A great value for money package, the new Datsun redi-GO is cleverly built to appeal to the Indian consumers who are confident, go-getters and seek the best value propositions which support not only their everyday needs and wants, but also fulfil their dreams and ambitions for a better tomorrow. Redi-GO takes the best features of a crossover and mixes them with the major attributes of an urban hatchback. It combines the roominess, high eye point and high seating position, best-in-class ground clearance (185mm) and sheer fun of a crossover and blends that with the agility, zippy driving performance and fuel efficiency of an affordable compact hatchback, offering the best of both worlds.
Q] Apart from Television what are the other mediums you are targeting to promote the redi-GO?
With our TVC for redi-GO we have also launched our ‘Ready India’ campaign which supplements the Datsun brand philosophy along with the attributes of the Datsun redi-GO – Fun, Freedom and Confidence. Our focus is to capture and extend this sentiment to all the young risers, to look at their choices boldly with a new outlook on life. Additionally, we have come up with a 360 degree integrated marketing and sales campaign. The first step towards it has been the introduction of an innovative dynamic digital app- ‘Datsun India App’ which is currently available on android platforms and can be downloaded from Google Play store. The app has been introduced to keep customers updated on the latest news about the Datsun redi-GO and give them an option of booking the car, test drive all at one touch and make the process hassle free. Also, we had announced the pre-booking for redi-GO online on Snapdeal.com. You will see us coming up with innovative marketing campaigns for the redi- GO in the coming days, which is a continuation of our successful #ISayYes brand campaign.
Q] You also experimented with virtual reality ahead of the launch via the app, what kind of response did that get?
The response to the ‘Datsun India App’, has been great and it has been downloaded by over 1.5 lakh users.
Q] The entry level car segment is heavily tilted in the favour of Maruti Suzuki while Nissan has less than 2% market share, how will you change the dynamics?
We continue to make strong progress towards our aim of becoming a major force within India with a 5% share by 2020 for Nissan Group of India. It is a measure of our ambition and level of commitment to the market. We, as a company, believe in keeping the customer at the heart of everything we do and shall continue to invest in evolving our local operations. With our Chennai manufacturing facility and R&D presence contributing significantly to the local economy and ensuring our core products are fully ‘in tune’ with Indian customers, we are well on track to achieve the market share in India.
Q] You are the youngest car maker in the country, is that an advantage or a disadvantage?
Datsun is a young challenger brand in India, however, globally, the origin of Datsun goes back a century with the DAT-GO (the DAT-car) in 1914. Datsun continues to expand and enhance its product offering in India; with three model launches in three years. With the addition of third model – the Datsun redi-GO – Datsun will serve the needs of all groups of aspiring customers --graduates and young professionals, young couples and families. At the moment Datsun is contributing hugely to Nissan Motor sales in India, over 50% and growing.
Q] When Hyundai came to India it roped in Shahrukh Khan to build an instant connect with the people, will we see Datsun doing something similar?
We continue to look for such opportunities however there is no such plan at this point.
Q] The first two cars from the Datsun stable didn’t get an overwhelming response in the Indian market, where do you think you went wrong?
Post the re-introduction of the Datsun brand, it has already garnered 150,000 satisfied customers across four markets in the world. The Datsun brand has had an excellent track record in India – today, 50 per cent of our cars sold in India wear the Datsun badge. We have updated our existing models and they are offering steady volumes, with loyal customers in varied parts of the country. With the launch of new Datsun redi-GO, we are extremely confident of succeeding in this highly competitive market. It is also attracting an all-new customer base for the brand.
Q] How different is the Indian market for Datsun as opposed to other markets globally where you have a stronghold?
The Indian customer’s expectations, needs and desires have gone up and rightly so. Rising aspirations are leading to everyone wanting more and better. This gives us a lot of scope for innovation and offering products that people here want and value. Secondly, the competitive landscape has changed entirely. Earlier there were not many players in the market but today, anybody who is present in the world is present in the Indian market.
Q] How different is your marketing strategy for urban and rural audiences?
It is imperative to consider three aspects here: what is the opportunity in the urban and rural contexts, what do we know and what is the roadmap? In recent years, there has been a dramatic change in the rural economy. One of these is improving road connectivity, which has led to more Tier II, III and IV cities getting connected implying the rising need to travel. Our first step in this context is to create and improve our network. We plan to have 300 sales and service centres across the country by the end of March 2017 and reach out to 90 % of the existing and prospective customers. We currently have a wide network of 274 touch points to give customers easy and immediate access to sales and after sales services.
Q] What is the biggest challenge you are facing in the Indian market and who is your toughest competitor?
The biggest challenge is that everybody is eager for growth. All the players in the market are keen to witness reduction in interest rates and growth in economy; leading to an improved consumer sentiment, and more positive outlook. That’s what everyone is hoping for. We, at Datsun, are cautiously optimistic while looking at the future because the economy needs to start peaking at a much higher rate. When this happens, everything else falls into place.
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