Nissan is using big data as the tool that will help it evolve to suit the next generation of consumers.
Speaking at the Advertising Week Asia conference in Tokyo, Nissan executive Asako Hoshino said that the company is putting analytics and big data at the heart of its growth strategy, using it to measure marketing ROI and increase its conversion rate.
Deep marketing strategies are helping Nissan to make better business decisions – from using marketing budget effectively, to pricing for dealerships in various locations.
Hoshino spoke of using analytics to examine trends at key sales locations – arming decision makers with better information that ever before to price and market product, even where to put new dealerships.
“We look at the population distribution and what kind of Nissan models are selling by region,” said Hoshino.
“If you have a dealer shop here, then what is the competitive landscape of that particular dealer’s shop? Perhaps in a specific region a certain model is preferred.
“If sales are decreasing, then perhaps that dealer shop should be moved to some other area,” she said.
Hoshino said that data science was the best way to help a brand evolve without costly mistakes – meaning better use of R&D spend, and allowing Nissan develop and showcase upcoming technologies while still building and marketing cars.
She said it is impossible to make really innovative decisions that move a brand forward without a solid foundation of data.
“You can’t just be bold, because your success rate will not increase. You have to couple boldness with science,” she said. “It has to be grounded in science, and it has to be a data set that will underline and support the big decisions you make.”
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