Nissan 2006 Annual Report Download - page 45

Nissan Annual Report 2005 43
Fiscal 2005 was the sixth straight record-breaking
year for Nissan in our GOM region. Our business
grew about 19 percent overall. The growth was
led by a 24.1 percent rise in Latin America and
the Caribbean and a 21.4 percent jump in
volume in the Middle East. Since geographical
expansion is one of the four business
breakthroughs under the Nissan Value-Up plan,
we are encouraged by this success.
Driving our geographic expansion are lineup
enhancements and lean yet significant industrial
investments that lend us the power to attract new
customers in these regions. Firstly, in Egypt, we took
control of our local operations, invested significantly
and started local production of the new Nissan
Pickup. We sold more than 4,500 vehicles—nine
times the 2004 volume—and aim to exceed 10,000
units in fiscal 2006. The second locally made
product—the Nissan Sunny—is already in production,
and later this year we will start manufacturing a third
product, the acclaimed Nissan X-TRAIL SUV.
Secondly, our strong ambitions for South Africa
are materializing as we expand our lineup there,
including a new locally produced model. During fiscal
2005 we began completely transforming the way we
make vehicles and manage the plant in South Africa.
Thirdly, our momentum in Latin America and the
Caribbean has been moving us forward during the
past five years. There, and in the Middle East, we’ve
taken advantage of buoyant local economies
prospering thanks to oil and raw material price
increases. Pickup trucks, SUVs and crossovers are
clear favorites in all these countries—segments of
the market where Nissan enjoys a strong image. We
are also broadening our lineup in other product
segments. For example, we are expanding our
passenger car lineup with the Nissan Tiida, which will
attract a new and younger customer to our brand.
Making Intelligent Choices
in a Rich and Highly Diversified Market
GILLES NORMAND
Corporate Vice President
Middle East, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean
GROWTH MOMENTUM
The world’s largest Nissan showroom, in Oman
Turning to the Infiniti, we are pleased to have
contributed to its development as a global tier-1
brand. Sales volume grew eightfold in the Middle
East to around 3,700 units thanks to the lineup
expansion, particularly the very popular M45, and the
deployment of dedicated Infiniti outlets.
In addition to geographic expansion and Infiniti
development, we have undertaken far-reaching
activities to enhance Nissan’s brand value in the
GOM region. To accomplish this, GOM has been
undergoing a “silent” yet deep business
transformation the last few years, shifting our
mindset, behavior and standards upward both
internally and externally. Extensive work has been
performed to improve dealer standards, retail
environment and customer handling.
These actions have effectively leveraged the
ongoing hard investments in our new retail visual
identity and facilities worldwide. One welcome result
is the Synovate Platinum award we won in South
Africa for outstanding performance in the competitive
customer satisfaction index. In 2005, we also tracked
competitive survey results in 17 countries. We ranked
in the top three in the sales satisfaction index in ten
countries and in 12 of them in the customer
satisfaction index, an even tougher feat.
This shows what we are all about: combining
strong, bold products with a top-of-class customer
experience. In 2006, we expect to keep our
momentum and break another record for GOM.