Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

The March 11 earthquakes in Japan took a huge toll on all of Japan's automakers. And while some companies, like Nissan, are recovering quicker than others, it's not exactly something to brag about. Or is it?

Nissan's two most recent advertising spots tout the fact that its dealerships have a better inventory than competitors, like Honda or Toyota – two car companies hit much worse by the earthquake catastrophes. Speaking to Automotive News, Nissan's vice president of sales and marketing, Al Castignetti, states that while Nissan was affected by the disaster's aftermath, the company is faring better than others and his dealerships are very well-stocked at the moment – a 54-day supply in most cases.

Commercial and source:
http://i.autoblog.com/2011/08/17/nis...an-quake-w-po/

mmarshall

I saw one of those ads on TV last night. I thought it was unethical. Normal buisness competition is one thing, but you don't try and profit from disasters that are beyond your control. Nissan facilities could have been affected by the earthquake just as easily as those of their competitors, and only by the grace of God were they not.....the company needs to remember that.

jadu

iTrader: (42)

i saw one of these too and honestly didnt care. I dont want a nissan just because they have more inventory. what were they thinking releasing that ad?

rominl

iTrader: (4)

i saw it, but i think it's just like normal business competition. fact is, if nissan really recovers faster, power to them.

mmarshall

If that were the case, Henry, I'd agree, but to me, it looked like Nissan was trying to paint a picture of them (by having more cars in stock) being better than their rivals just because they weren't as affected by the earthquake as much. My point was that the earthquake could easily (but didn't) put Nissan in the same bind as some of their competitors are in now....IMO, that's no reason to boast.

LexBob2

I agree. It's just normal advertising/marketing. Take it with a grain of salt, like all ads/mktg. They'll be moving on to a different campaign soon.

scgt652

The purpose of these commercials was not to denigrate Honda and Toyota. Rather, Nissan is just trying to refute the erroneous perception that all Japanese manufacturers have a shortage of inventory right now.

hypervish

I don't care if Nissan's lots are full. How is that something to brag about? <LOL
Why is Nissan bragging that no one buys their cars? < They probably had that big of an inventory before the earthquake.

Whatever, there's way stupider ad's out there. I get where Nissan is coming from with the ad.

I8ABMR

There is nothing wrong with this at all. I think its a good campaign. If I had a company and my competition had issues I would nail them as well. Its all about the money when it comes to making money

KillaIS250

iTrader: (1)

It sounds pretty brutal, but in the business world, there are a lot of companies that would jump at this kind of occasion if the competition was suffering. Businesses are meant to make money, and if people are looking for cars and can't find what they want because of limited inventory, you can bet another manufacturer is going to take advantage of that. Especially considering that after Toyota/Honda are all set and good to go again, they have to put even more effort into competing.

BMW/Mercedes/VW all jumped on this situation when the earthquake hit. I even remember hearing/seeing ads about bonuses (Forget which brand tho) if you trade in your Japanese car for one of theirs. I'm pretty sure that i just heard a BMW ad on the radio not too long ago that said now is the time to trade in your japanese car because of its increased value and move into a German car for less. -_-

mmarshall

How would you feel, though, if it was your company that got hit by the earthquake and was suffering, and others were trying to take advantage of it...at least in ads, if not real life?

Maybe, because I tend to be a nice guy by nature and treat others well, I expect others to be, too..........I guess that doesn't always work in buisness.

scgt652

There is a good reason why Nissan wasn't as adversely affected by the earthquake as Toyota and Honda. It is because they were smart enough to diversify their supplier chain and purchase more components from non-Japanese sources.

scgt652

I think it is smart for Nissan to go on the offensive and dispel all the untrue media reports that give people the impression that Nissan is suffering from the same inventory issues as Honda.

mmarshall

And Nissan is owned by a company (Renault) that is headquartered halfway around the world from them, in France.

scgt652

Exactly. One of the first things Carlos Ghosn and Renault did when they took over Nissan was to sever long-standing ties with many Japanese suppliers and start purchasing more parts from abroad. The main reason for this was cost, but an added benefit was that it reduced Nissan's exposure to any calamities endemic to Japan (like earthquakes).