Infiniti Wants Japan, But Does Japan Want Infiniti?
Johan de Nysschen, at home in Hong Kong
New Infiniti-boss and former Audi U.S. chief Johan de Nysschen wants to bring Infiniti home to Japan. He had said this to me last September in his office in Hong Kong, and he reiterated it again in Detroit when talking to the Wall Street Journal’s man in Japan, Chester Dawson. Back home in Yokohama, people are sucking air through their teeth. “Muzukashi desu ne.” This will be difficult.
Infinitis are sold in about 50 markets worldwide, but not in Japan. In Japan, an Infiniti G is sold as the Nissan Skyline for instance. De Nysschen wants to change this. Back in Hong Kong, he said:
“Ironically, we take models that are unique Infiniti platforms, developed for Infiniti, and in Japan, we put a Nissan badge on them. I want to go and speak to my colleagues who are responsible for the Japanese domestic market and explore a way in a pragmatic manner in which we can respect their needs and their expectations and their requirements for the Nissan dealer network, but also that we can give Infiniti the opportunity to establish the brand in its home market.”
To Dawson, de Nysschen said that a study is underway to determine how to integrate the brand into Nissan’s domestic dealer network. De Nysschen loves Japan, he was the head of Audi Japan before he took the U.S. job.
A usually reliable contact at Nissan’s Yokohama HQ gives the project low odds. It is tricky and costly to establish a new brand in Japan, even for a Nissan. In Yokohama, they point at Lexus’ lack of success at home, and that it was not for a lack of trying. At Toyota, the large Crown is an easier sell than a large Lexus. De Nysschen’s boss at Nissan, Andy Palmer, echoed that sentiment to the WSJ:
“It is tough to come into the Japanese market. If you look at Lexus, it hasn’t been an easy journey for them.”
Most likely, the study into Infiniti’s entry of the Japanese market will end in the recommendation to get a firm foot-hold in other markets first.
Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.
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Funny the whole point of the Acura/Infiniti/Lexus was that the Americans and others wouldn't buy a nicer car, also the new dealer network allowed them to give a better experience along with the nicer car, look at the dealer experience from Lexus. We were told Japan did not have those problems. But I guess just like the Germans are peddling to Japan status seekers, the Japanese luxury names have built up enough reputation around the world they want in. Problem is they already sell the products there under the parent name... @bloodnok I guess you don't really understand the genesis of the Lexus, the Celsior/LS400 was developed specifically to Launch the brand in America, and was a unique product to the American market. Does it really matter that they used a different name? You could say the JDM Celsior was a rebadged LS400 which would be more accurate. The other products were already existing JDM products. The ES was based on the Camry but was a home market Windom, how much "the same" is up to opinion but hardly a rebadge. The ES250 was weak but later generations were increasingly developed for the American market as sales ramped up. The story is similar for Acura and Infiniti. Cadillac sells pretty much a fancy (insert other GM car based on same platform here) but isn't taken to task by the same people it seems...so this is more a domestic vs. import lover thing or something. My Mom drove Audis and would never drive an Acura "just a fancy Honda" she said. I'm sure some Acura driver felt the same of her "fancy Volkswagen" and we know the Porsche 911 is just a fancy Beetle what a scam...
Will there be an Infiniti GT-R?