000 vehicles against 127000 for Infiniti

It is nothing like the others. In the global automotive, when most of the stalls wear Green Green on all tonal palette, his slice, black and purple. And if manufacturers offer a wide opening to the public, Infiniti is confined in a closed space, very "VIP". Because the new range of Nissan brand arrived in Europe without kick his ass door tires. The French concession entrusted exclusively to Neubauer , located in the very-16th arrondissement of Paris, displays an astonishing discretion: here, none of its four models are visible from the street, its front black smoked glass has nothing to envy to the boutiques of avenue Montaigne, while an awning gives him the appearance of a new hotel connected. Meanwhile, the shiny BMW and colourful Mini strut on display appear almost vulgar!

That is how the strategy designed by the group led by Carlos Ghosn contrasts with the fundamentals of the sector. "The study of the customer experience in the automotive top range, we have developed two findings: it remains first concentrated exclusively on the vehicle;" "it is, moreover, extremely remote from those of the other universe of luxury", tells Gaëlle Le Grouiec, Director of customer service. "Today, a customer who buys a car to 50,000 euros is less well served than spending EUR 200 in Hermes." "It is all just if it provides information about delivery times," says Frédéric Pereira, Director of the Parisian Infiniti centre, which promises to "sell more a philosophy than a car".

Scripted sales process

In fact, customer experience Infiniti borrows from all segments of the luxury... except that of the automobile. It is the very opposite of the "bling bling", more close to the simplicity and discretion. No question therefore entering a showroom: after a very chic lobby, in a large living room, the cars are adjacent spaces with deep sofas, low and decorated the walls of paintings by contemporary artists. Sitting with a beautiful flat screen, remote control in hand, the potential buyer waiting can play dress up his future car outdoors as indoors with the colours and desired... matter or browse a beautiful book design! In an adjoining closet, large peausseries on hangers are available for testing on the seats of the car next to the sofa the intended effect. Is the small pieces of usual leather, way subway ticket...

"It is exploration and discovery without commercial pressure," explains Gaëlle Le Grouiec. An approach which is continued, a new customer, "entrepreneurs successful and keep a rationality in their relationship to money.". "They are familiar with the workings of the business, they like to be associated with the marketing". The sale process is scripted. In the loan of the keys to the test, a nice black and purple record is given to the person concerned: inside not documentation extolling of the spacecraft, but one audio CD of ambient concocted by the creator of musical dressing of Kenzo boutiques. The brochure is given, it as a DVD in a small bag very "shopping bag" with black ribbons. Finally, the fact sheet client, called "I 4 (for"for") YOU" contains a "Recreation" box to adjust the gift to the delivery of the vehicle the day "J".

Once the car acquired, commitment is made to assist the client in all efforts for maintenance and repair: it will get home, the cost of assistance will be supported and, if you are driving with friends falling down, the manufacturer is committed to repair their cars on site. A valid commitment also to the spouse or older children.

The brand experience starts "with the product, its quality, its design and its appeal", provides the constructor. Side product, the world meets its discovery mission. With a large flat: despite a range of carefully studied colours (dark chocolate or a mordoré, unpublished in the car), the mark, who said he wanted to build on its difference, present at the show than grey metal models! Attractive side, dealer Neubauer mounted a seduction operation, a rally between Méribel and Saint-Tropez, with 80 drivers of Porsche Cayenne (maxi 113.300 euros without option) taken at the wheel of the vehicle icon of Infiniti's FX50 (about 75,000 euros). This powerful "crossover" between directly compete with the Mercedes class M, the BMW X 5 and X 7, Lexus RX, the Audi Q7, the Range Rover Sport and Porsche Cayenne. "We will multiply the events to impose the trade mark in a relational fabric and create a network of fans, that is to say people who share the same values and who seek more to make pleasure to show others their success," points out Frédéric Pereira. The brand has already 102 customers in France with strong reservations, 80 per cent for one of the two "crossover", the FX or the EX, the stylish compact EX37 rather a female clientele. The bet is to climb to an average of 30 orders per month in Paris in the coming weeks, pending the opening of another concession in Lyon in July 2009.

The difference bet

The recipe Innovate in the way of targeting potential customers: "Usually, on part a competitive automotive customers file." "Then we sent 18,000 invitations for trials to individuals of files in the universe of luxury, as lovers of fine wines, caviar or works of art", explains the head.

In fact, Europeans interested in an Infiniti are unlikely to "frimer" with: she arrives just in Europe, after its lines in the United States since the beginning of the 1990s, with more than 1 million cars sold. But its competitor Lexus (Toyota), arrived much later on the market and which specialists emphasize ecological advance, sold in 2007 transatlantic 329.000 vehicles against 127,000 for Infiniti. The mark should nevertheless have 15 points of sale in Europe by end of 2008 and a maximum of 80 centres by 2010 in Western Europe.

The bet is clearly that of the difference in the image of the slogan that extends on the advertising posters of the FX: "your neighbor does not like it." So much the better! "No question of play on the volumes. But on the glamour, Yes. The young mark deploys great energy in effect to seduce stars: Emmanuelle Béart and Sofia Coppola already posed alongside an Infiniti, pending that Roman Polanski is, perhaps, the star of his next film.