Marketing Plan for Nissan Motor Company Ltd.

Marketing Plan for Nissan Motor Company Ltd.

I. Executive Summary

The demand on our nation's automotive industry is tougher than ever. Rising consumer costs and environmental concerns are changing driver's buying habits like never before. The future generation of drivers will evaluate a car's performance and price just as much as its impact on global climate conditions and Nissan is responding to the challenge. By 2011, we're releasing a new line of clean diesel-powered vehicles, the Maxima and the Titan. Our diesel engines vary from the traditional black smoke spewing diesel engines of the past. Our engines are redesigned and run with an improved performance battery. For a little more than a conventional gas engine, consumers will have the choice to buy the advantage of a car that will give them more gas mileage, increased durability, cheaper fuel costs and above all, a cleaner burning alternative to gas. We at Nissan are committed to bringing customers the best product and the best automotive value (Cerritos Nissan, 2007). We will introduce our new line of vehicles in a multi-stage process focusing on our target consumer profile. We are looking for the younger educated consumer with enough disposable cash to afford a higher premium on a car with advanced technology. This report, which includes a SWOT analysis, will detail our marketing strategy including a description of how the marketing mix plays a key role in our roll out. We know that there are other automakers out there vying for our business; mainly GM, Chrysler, and Toyota to name a few, but we have a product that can outperform what those other companies offer. Nissan's long established industry presence combined with its expansive facilities internationally will allow us to face our competition head on. We expect to secure at least 5% of the alternative fuel automobile market within six years of our launch and even more within a decade. At Nissan, "we wish to exceed your expectations and earn your business for life" (Cerritos Nissan, 2007).

II. Situation Analysis

Market Summary

America has long had a fascination for its cars and we here at Nissan know that there are few feelings of freedom that rival jumping in an automobile and going just about anywhere you please. As automakers, we have an increased responsibility not only to make sure our vehicles are safe and affordable, but also environmentally friendly. The Maxima has been one of our top selling cars since 1984 and since the Titan’s late debut in 2003, it has rivaled some of Detroit’s top trucks in sales including the Ford F150 (Nissan, 2007).

SWOT Analysis

Nissan is one of the leading automotive brands in the world. The company has a wide geographic base. It has operations in Japan, the US, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Middle East and Asia. Nissan is also well-versed in revenue generation from these locations. The wide geographical reach of the company proves to be strong catering to different markets and their emergence. However, we are threatened by rising raw material prices, which could adversely impact operating margins as the following diagram indicates.

SWOT Analysis OverviewStrengthsStrong brand nameWide geographic basePartnership with RenaultRobust revenue growth WeaknessesDeclining profitability Weak performance in the domestic market

OpportunitiesAcquisition of ATLET Strategic initiatives Increasing demand for hybrid cars Opportunities in India and China ThreatsRising raw material prices ELV directive Tightening emission standards

(Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. Overview, 2007)

Competition

Currently, Nissan’s biggest competitors are General Motors (GM), Toyota and Honda. All four automakers share the same opportunity when it comes to competitive edge: to embrace the environmental expectations of society (Annual Report, 2007). All automakers listed above have developed and introduced hybrid vehicles and crossover sport utility vehicles, which have shown to be less harmful to the environment. Nissan has devoted “40% of its budget for advanced engineering to the Nissan Green Program 2010, its five-year environmental blueprint” (Annual Report, 2007).

Current Market Position

According to Fortune Global 500, Nissan is ranked #7 in the industry