interview:Nissan's Executive VP
Andy Palmer is based at Nissan's HQ in Japan and sits on the ten-man executive committee that affords a broad perspective on the company's business. He offers a summary of the company's global highlights. “Obviously the fiscal 2010 year (to March 31 2011) ended on a rather bad note with the earthquake, but our volumes increased from around 3.5m units to a shade under 4.2m. That was partly driven by TIV [Total Industry Volume, or total market], but we have had great success with certain models.” Operating profit was also up by 72%, net revenue by 16% and ten new cars were launched. For Palmer personally, a highlight has been the New York taxi deal – a deal that took four years to do. “That was a particular delight.” Supplier disruption and the problem with chips This year has brought with it the need for crisis management. Palmer, a Brit, is based at Nissan's world headquarters at Nishi-ku, Yokohama . On March 11 he was in a regional planning meeting when the...
By Dave Leggett Posted Tuesday, July 12, 2011Winner of NASCAR Coke Zero 400 at Daytona
Q. Talk about winning here tonight. You came back so close in February, talk about winning here tonight with the Coke Zero 400. DAVID RAGAN: Yeah, it was a tough one in February, and coming back here, we knew we didn’t have a shot to win. I think there are 30 guys that can win this race. Just we felt good all weekend walking around. Went through practice, felt good about our race car, qualified great, the team did a nice job with our car when we qualified. That’s probably the first time that I felt we’ve got a car that’s fast enough that awe can win this thing if we make the right decision throughout the race. So we made a pact with our teammate Matt Kenseth that we’re going to work together through thick or thin. I was a little worried about that too. Sometimes falling to the back and to the front, you get jammed up throughout the race. So I didn’t know if that was the right...
Posted Wednesday, July 6, 2011BMW of NA CEO: “We will be expanding into new niches”
You’re talking further out with the small cars? Yes, the 2014 and 2015 period with the front-drive cars. But what I do see happening is that the premium segment will expand. At the New York auto show, Mercedes-Benz was showing the A class. We will be expanding into new niches. The consumer will be spoiled for choice. Are engine choices changing because of the cost of fuel? Not substantially. Diesel has changed it slightly. We have added the six-cylinder 740i sedan, and a four-cylinder engine is coming for the Z4, and I am looking at bringing the four-cylinder into the 3 series. All your competitors target the 3 series. How do you keep the momentum going? Each generation has been slightly bigger and slightly better and better equipped and has more safety features, etc. We keep setting a new benchmark, and the others follow. Is demand increasing for the small 1 series — and can you get more? We are not bringing in any more 1 series. W...
By Horatiu Boeriu Posted Tuesday, July 5, 2011Brands Have Become Transparent To Consumers-Interview With ANA’s Bob Liodice:
Q: In a nutshell, how would you describe the difference between brand marketing 15 years ago and today? Liodice: Brands have become more transparent to consumers. That’s the beauty of media evolution. The Internet and social media have essentially stripped the brands of any type of clothing. Now, they truly need to deliver and impress consumers if they are to get their vote. Q: How does this transparency play out in a specific product category? Liodice: Take cars. The auto industry had layers of obfuscation in the purchase process that have been stripped away by the amount and range of information available on the Internet. Features benefits, review, prices – everything right out there for the consumer to see and judge. That has changed the level of communications with consumers. Advertising enhance the image for consumers with substance – so the image is always presented as fused with the particular features that are being advertised. Or take travel. All the facts ...
By Marc E. Babej Posted Wednesday, June 8, 2011Hiroshi Inomata, consul general of Japan in San Francisco
Not long after 10:40 p.m. on March 10, Hiroshi Inomata received a frantic call from a staff member. Japan had just been hit with a devastating earthquake. Inomata, the San Francisco-based consul general for Japan, immediately called other staff members into the office to work overnight setting up an operational room, which was soon flooded with inquiries from Japanese-Americans and others concerned about loved ones and friends halfway across the globe. "We had calls from many, many people offering assistance and donations," Inomata said. "We were grateful. Some school students nearby came with flowers and a hand-made card." The magnitude-9.0 earthquake, the most powerful on record to hit Japan, triggered tsunami waves that severely damaged the Fukushima nuclear power plant, triggering a nuclear disaster. The overall cost of the disaster is estimated to be more than $300 billion. Inomata recently sat down for an interview with the Mercury News to discuss his country's recovery. ...
By John Boudreau Posted Saturday, June 4, 2011Renault says 70% of its vehicle sales would be diesel-based initially
India is becoming a major diesel market. What’s Renault’s plan to exploit this? Would most of your portfolio be diesel in India? Generally companies launch diesel variants slightly more expensive than the petrol variants. We did the other way around. Though there are some specification differences between the two variants and positioning is different. Fluence diesel, however, is very well received already in India. It’s a very strong proposition, with good fuel efficiency. Initially, we plan to have a mix of 70:30 ratio is favour of diesel. There is possibility that the sales mix could be taken to 85:15. The market could be stronger than expected. The focus, however, will remain on both cars but the sales mix will favour diesel. Every car that we will launch will have diesel and petrol or just the diesel like Koleos. Three cars that we will launch next year will also have diesel and petrol engines. We know it is our strength and we will gain advantage in India....
By Yuga Chaudhari Posted Saturday, June 4, 2011Rolls-Royce expanding in U.S. - CEO
Rolls-Royce ultimately expects to have 38 U.S. dealers and is considering several new locations, including one in the San Francisco Bay Area, CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos said. The company has 32 U.S. dealers and has said previously it would add four in 2011. Muller-Otvos did not say when Rolls-Royce planned to add the rest. Demand for Rolls-Royce's distinctive cars with large grilles, squared fronts and decorative hood ornaments depends in large part on consumer sentiment, Muller-Otvos said. "To buy a luxury car is something where you reward yourself for certain, let's say, 'achievements' in life," he said. "It's very much consumer sentiment based." Founded over a lunch at the Midland Hotel in Manchester in 1904, Rolls-Royce has become one of the world's top luxury brands. Part of its marketing includes positioning it as the car of choice for diplomats. As Rolls-Royce seeks to serve high-end customers, it is expanding in China, which is the world's largest auto market. It is still...
By To Melville - Clare Baldwin Posted Thursday, June 2, 2011