Motoring
Mercedes, Nissan, Toyota: Auto Industry back from recession with a bang!
“We are bringing the Total Motor show to the Kenyatta International Conference Centre where it all began,” Cattermole told journalists. There was concern about quality of fun for show goers. Would there be flypast helicopter and fixed wing aircrafts performance? Will there be the attraction of the 4x4 challenge that is a big attraction in this show? How would those popular horse-back rides work indoors? KMI had been clear about who they were attending to first: we are a new car show first and a fun event second! Motor Vehicle Manufacturers want the focus back on them, again.
The Zangalewa clowns would get no space and our friend Glen Mathews and team of drivers would not be displaying their exemplary 4x4 off-roading skills. "Hey, but how about fun?" Somebody persisted. “We want exhibitors to create the fun for their visitors; the challenge is theirs- we want them to devise ways of keeping their fans, customers and attendees flowing to their exhibition stands,” issued the Show Chairman, Nawaz Popat. It is always good to have a plan for fun and good food for show goers- it is always a central part of a good show. I have recently attended larger motor shows like the South African one at the NASREC Johannesburg Expo Center, and I wanted to visualize exactly how these changes would work out. Car Manufacturers, the spare parts manufacturers, the after market industry, the luxury products sectors and related services are centre stage.
The attendees experience will be richer, offered John Thuo, a career communicator who sat in the Motorshow planning meetings all through. To return the focus on dealers, They would be tasked to create their world of fun, displays and plan for glamour the companies usually reserved for these larger international Motor shows.
There were rumors that a leading local dealer was bringing in an expensive launch of an AMG model to the Nairobi show- an early sign that dealers were already taking the challenge seriously. As it turned out during the day of the event, the dealers were way ahead in the plot.
John Troughton the CEO at Subaru Kenya for instance, erected a box-like stand with royal Purple and Blued drappings complemented by matching LED lighting and smoke . A Catwalk runaway was at the centre. His guys hauled in a pride of boxer engines; the Legacy, the Forester and the outstanding Tribeca. An engineer by background Mr. Troughton ensured his presence all through taking customers’ questions and getting down to explaining the nitty gritty of Subaru examplary performance. But the Subarus are losing at the Safari rally recently, somebody said and walked away without waiting for an answer. There was no doubt how serious Subaru was taking everything and it all added up to a big difference for most of the loyal fans. .
At the stand nearby, an equally industrious Toyota Kenya CEO Hylton Bannon was leading his team from the front. He had won in the scramble for the centre stage, just across the shiny display by Mercedes and Ford’s heavily pampered pick-up. The Toyota stand was glowing in rich red and white drappings and simple lighting, perched on raised mahogany flooring. All the attendant staff clad in economical apparels and matching uniforms.
On the first day of the Motorshow, Toyota unleashed excitement at its stand as it made a surprise reveal of the Fortuner, Toyota’s mid range SUV. Mr. Bannon has a cafeteria like display for Toyota’s accessories and a spare parts stand. We are ready to support it, he told the Toyota fans.
The Motor show has become a platform for dealers to grow influence in the market and shape perceptions. Cattermole’s decision shifts expectations of the show goer from organizers to the dealers and turned out to be a master stroke.
Most dealers commented that they witnessed a dramatic improvement in visits to their stands, and quality engagements. Similarly visitors were impressed by high quality of customer care. “I do not look rich.I am an optician in town and I like to drive new cars. But the attendants here treated me like they expected me to walk into their showroom the next day and hand them a cheque for what they just launched here. It will take me some time before I can afford that, but I already know what it is I will go for," said Guchu Mwaura, who attended on the first day of the show.
With the spotlight squarely on them, new car dealerships displayed an unprecedented seriousness with exhibiting at the Motorshow. There was not the car-bazaar attitude of "quick deal quick kill" in selling cars.
“The industry is maturing and this observation may indicate a switch to specialist sales strategies,” analyses Ms Cattermole, herself a former salesperson.
Usha Nagpal, of DT Dobie who showcased Nissan and Mercedes brands said: “We came here to dazzle.We came to make you want choose to be with us, in spite of the all the options available here. We came prepared to shine.” DT Dobie imported grass into the venue for their Nissan Navara Pick-up, laid a green artificial grass turf carpet for the new Nissan Murano and threw in a boulders from the quarry to showcase the commander of off road terrains: the new Nissan Patrol.
This year’s Motor show provided a unique peek into an increasingly sophisticated car market. Previously, government, parastatals and listed companies and their employees constituted the focus market for the new car dealer. The rise of the private sector and successful startups is giving rise to a new market for the new car. “Focus has changed from making a quick buck to winning the clients' loyalty. Winning on superior customer care and after sales support,” commented Safraz Premji from Mercedes.
With the rise of a booming second-hand car market, the East African new car dealer has to work harder to sell by leveraging appeal, prestige and value from buying a brand new car straight from the manufacturer's showroom.
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