The countdown to the launch of Datsun Go, owned by Japanese car maker Nissan, has begun and excitement is building steadily. Around mid-2013, it was announced that the Datsun moniker would be re-entering the global scenario and would be targeting emerging markets, such as India, Indonesia, Russia and South Africa. Many experts feel that Nissan's plans for its brand are quite ambitious and the way to the top is highly challenging. Coming to the Indian market, the Japanese car maker, according to sources, will be looking to challenge the likes of Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai by launching aggressively priced compact cars. In order to back this highly ambitious project, Nissan has decided to devise a comprehensive marketing strategy. As per recent reports, a roadshow has begun, which aims at covering around 100 places and a million people. It is being said that this roadshow will last for around ten weeks.
This sort of a marketing gimmick is not unheard of but the scale on which it is being covered is really huge. There are a couple of other car makers that have adopted the same approaches in recent times. Indian subsidiary of Japanese firm Toyota was involved in a similar event, which was aimed at promoting Liva hatchback and Etios compact sedan. The other company that conducted roadshows in prominent Indian cities for showcasing the EcoSport and needless to say, results are there for everyone to see.
Experts feel that this sort of extensive marketing, for the launch of a brand, has not been seen in recent times and will surely catch the fancy of people. Datsun, as a name, has already registered itself in minds of critics and media related to automobiles. The showcase event was a pretty massive affair and was covered by top names in the business. The intent of Nissan was evident at the unveiling of Datsun Go as there were clear signs of directly taking on Maruti Suzuki Alto 800. A report in Economic Times suggests that the initial few days of this roadshow have proved to be pretty encouraging for the Japanese car maker. As per company officials, people in five cities, Delhi, Hyderabad, Faridabad, Chennai and Mumbai, have liked this car and the firm has been able to generate around 4800 leads.
The main aim of this campaign, according to company officials, is to provide direct accessibility to potential, which would be willing to have a close look at the model. Industry experts feel that this is an excellent idea and might prove to be master stroke in the long run. By putting the Datsun Go hatchback on display throughout the country, Nissan can connect with first time car buyers, who in turn, could be the medium of word-of-mouth publicity. It is also likely to create a niche for Datsun, which is a new entrant and certainly needs recognition on a large scale. Notably, getting people's attention is one thing and transforming the same into sales is another. While achieving the former is relatively easy, it is the latter that requires tremendous skills and business acumen. This task is even tougher for Datsun Go as it will go up against the best brands in the business.
John Kullu, General Manager for Marketing at Datsun India, spoke about the behavioural patterns that have been noticed in this event. "During our customer clinics, we found that the purchase behaviour of the first time car buyer is very different. They invariably take 3-4 months to finalise their purchase decision. Through these roadshows, we intend to inform them about who we are and how do we stand apart from the competition, so that when he is ready to make his final decision, we are part of the consideration set," he was quoted as saying.
Nissan will commence the revival of Datsun brand by launching the Go hatchback in coming months. The starting price of this hatchback is expected be around Rs. 2.8 lakh and it is likely to attract first-time buyers, who do not have their loyalties placed with a particular brand. Sources close to this development claim that the firm has cut-down effectively on production cost to keep the price low. Expected to compete with the likes of Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 and Hyundai Eon, this car might attract lots of buyers.
