2:27 pm, August 3, 2023
Nissan’s dealer network can benefit from the Japanese brand’s involvement in Formula E.
That is the verdict of Andrew Humberstone, who says the buzz it creates around the outfit can only be good news for those selling the cars.
Humberstone, managing director of Nissan Motor GB said the all-electric motor racing championship was a ‘true reflection of Nissan’s brand story’.
He also told Car Dealer that the series dispelled the myth that life at the wheel of an EV was anything other than an enjoyable experience.
He said: ‘We have given a lot of thought to the benefits our involvement in Formula E delivers to our dealers.
‘From their perspective, it’s about excitement and innovation – and I don’t mean just talking about that in terms of our brand strategy, but delivering and sharing it.
‘What Formula E gives us is an opportunity to dispel one or two myths around EV – one of which is around the lack of excitement. This race series gives us a great opportunity to extend our brand and let people know what an exciting and innovative company Nissan is.
‘Formula E reflects our story as a manufacturer. It’s about our commitment to the future of the planet; it’s about the development of our vehicles and our technology. Excitement, innovation, zero emissions, sustainability – the values of Formula E are perfectly aligned with our own.’
Humberstone was speaking to Car Dealer at the ExCeL Arena, East London, where the 2022/23 Formula E season reached a rainy conclusion last weekend.
Over the course of the race weekend, Nissan went to huge lengths to make its presence felt by creating a special ‘Feel Electric Festival’ in London’s Covent Garden.
The brand also projected a dramatic image of a racing driver’s protective helmet onto the City Hall building next to Tower Bridge.
It is hoped that the efforts, which included inviting a swathe of influencers along to the race, will see Nissan – and Formula E – reach a new, young audience.
Humberstone said: ‘All these activities have created a lot of fame for Nissan.’ We estimate our Formula E activity will have reached around 40 per cent of the UK population. That’s an incredible number of people and can only be good for our dealers.
‘Millions of young people, potential customers of ours, don’t watch broadcast TV, they don’t read newspapers. We have to find different ways of talking to them.
‘They’re not just interested in what we have to say about our cars; they want to know what their favourite influencers think. So they use a platform like TikTok almost as a search engine.
‘By inviting influencers to join us at a Formula E event, we’re feeding interesting information and excitement about the Nissan brand into a wide variety of channels.
‘The big difference is that we’re not doing it – these talented content creators are doing it on our behalf.’
