Tuesday, Sep 24, 2013
Dubai: Nissan and its regional importers are putting in a big push behind its small car. When the model in question, Tiida, enjoys market-leading status in the hatchback category and now comes with a sportier feel to it, why not?
The Tiida Moments campaign will be launched across multiple platforms in coming weeks, with special emphasis on social media channels, given the nature of the model and its target demographic — the young and the trendy.
“The fact is that today 70 per cent of those coming to our showrooms would have based their decisions by prior exposure to social media campaigns and feedback on models,” Michel Ayat, CEO at Arabian Automobiles and the Nissan dealership for Dubai and northern emirates, said. “Brands and models have to win over buyers at the social media interaction phase itself.
“The idea behind the campaign is to create awareness about the full model change Tiida has gone through and it’s important to talk about its dynamics. There is still an impression that a sedan is always bigger than a comparable hatchback, which is not so. The new Tiida has got a longer wheel base and cargo volume too has been raised.”
With the new version now available at regional showrooms, Nissan has set sights on taking Tiida’s market share in its category to 60 per cent from the current 54 per cent. Available in 1.6- and 1.8-litre versions, there are five variants available. Prices in the UAE start from Dh57,000 and go up to Dh64,000.
The hatchback category in fact has been growing at a fairly comfortable clip, and higher than the market average. All of the volume carmakers have come in with a contending hot hatch or plan to do so.
“Of late, there has been a distinct trend in the A, B and C [where Tiida is pitched] categories that buyers prefer a hatch as opposed to a sedan; it’s seen as the ideal urban vehicle,” Ayat said.
By Manoj Nair Associate Editor
Gulf News 2013. All rights reserved.
