ANTONIO “Toti” Zara: Getting Nissan’s act ready for a “One Nissan, One Company, One Direction”
CHEERS and whoops of anticipation filled the air last Monday night when Nissan Philippines Inc. (NPI) president Antonio “Toti” Zara announced his company’s plans for 2015.
The occasion was NPI’s appreciation dinner for the media and the venue was the Skye roof deck restaurant in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.
Saying that NPI “took a step back in 2014 to build up momentum for 2015” and to “get its act together as One Nissan, One Company, One Direction,” Zara declared that NPI ended the year with the successful launch of the X-Trail, “a hint of what’s to come in 2015.” In the process, NPI also bagged the coveted JD Powers award as No. 1 in Customer Satisfaction.
Then Zara dared NPI’s competitors with “Let the truck wars begin for 2015! I challenge other brands to bring forward their newest and best pickups.” He revealed that the all-new Navara will be previewed by the media on Feb. 2, followed a few weeks later with a drive-tour in Northern Mindanao.
Zara confessed that he himself was excited about introducing the “best-in-class 2.5-liter, seven-speed automatic transmission, multilink suspension” Navara to the Philippine market.
He added that NPI plans to bring in the Nissan GT Academy to prepare Filipinos to win the $1-million prize, and that NPI is finalizing a partnership “that will make discovering the gems of the Philippines easier.”
Piqued by Zara’s strategy for 2015 aiming to “re-invent the way cars are marketed in the Philippines,” I arranged a cyber interview first thing the following morning and got the following results:
Inquirer Motoring (IM): What new Nissan vehicles did NPI launch in 2014? What old models did you continue selling? So far, which of the new models is the best seller?
“Toti” Zara (TZ): In 2014 we launched the Sylphy, Altima and X-Trail. We also had a minor change on the Patrol with its new engine. We carried over the Almera, Navara, Grand Livina and Urvan. Top-selling model remains to be the Urvan but we are bullish about the prospects for the coming new Navara.
IM: How many units did NPI sell in 2014? What’s your sales target for 2015?
TZ: We sold 7,100 units. Not a record year for Nissan since we went through a transition phase as we set up our new joint company. More important is how we are building momentum after the successful launch of the X-Trail and targeting to grow our business by at least 40 percent.
IM: In Campi (Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc.), what spot does NPI currently occupy? What spot are you aiming for in 2015?
TZ: We are still awaiting the official Avid (Association of Vehicle Importers and Distributors) for December but we would most likely be No. 9 in ranking in 2014. We aim to move up a notch or two in 2015.
IM: In your speech last night, you said, “Let the truck wars begin in 2015” and challenged other brands to bring forward their newest and best pickups. In the list of pickup sales, are you targeting second place, after the Ford Ranger?
TZ: We are conservatively putting our target to be the No. 3 pickup in the market. We don’t want to be too aggressive in pricing, and we have a dealer network we need to continue improving. Our focus would still be in building brand by sharing the story on how Nissan’s innovations excite everyone.
IM: You also said that the Navara is just the beginning of other new products this new year. How many new models are you launching in 2015?
TZ: We plan to introduce one model every three or four months in 2015.
IM: Why did you say that for NPI, Mindanao is “strategic”? What did you mean?
TZ: Nissan’s market share in Mindanao is lower than our national average. Especially with the upcoming launch of the NP300 Navara, we need to build up our capabilities since the pickup is a popular segment. Metro Manila is saturated so future growth will come from upcountry—Mindanao included.
IM: In what quarter of the year is NPI bringing in the Nissan GT Academy? Will it be located in the NPI complex in Sta. Rosa, Laguna?
TZ: We are very close to confirming the Philippines’ participation in this global event. The global training camp for all country winners is normally held fourth quarter of the year. If the Philippines gets to join them, we need to start our national contest by the second quarter. The venue for the Philippine finals is to be announced.
IM: Please explain how opening the Nissan GT Academy in the Philippines will allow Filipinos to vie for the $1 million prize. In what race, and where is this prize at stake? Is it an annual event?
TZ: GT Academy is a Nissan tie-up with Sony Play Station. The basic idea is to use virtual gaming to identify potential race car drivers. The top gamers will go through a real-life racing camp where not only their racing skills but also their physical and mental toughness will be tested.
IM: You said that NPI will announce a partnership this year that will make discovering the gems of the Philippines easier. Is this a domestic tourism promotion project with the cooperation of the Department of Tourism?
TZ: Yes, it is a domestic tourism project. At this stage, we are not in a position to confirm the partner but I do agree the Department of Tourism would make a very strategic partner. Good idea. Thanks.
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