Nissan Unveils New Brand Image to Dealers

Nissan USA (Gardena, Calif.) has announced what it calls its Nissan Retail Environmental Design Program, a planned changeover of signage and interior/exterior look for all of Nissan's U.S. dealerships, set to begin early next year.

The company said the redesign will impact all current dealerships, as well as those planned for construction over the next several years. “The changes will be both internal and external, with a distinctive nod toward the futuristic styling echoed in all of Nissan's 2002 vehicles,” the statement announced, “as well as the many concept and show cars debuted over the last year. While the specific dealership layout is intended only for the U.S., the design's iconic brand elements are part of a global retail dealership design that ultimately will be implemented worldwide.”

Dealers entering Nissan's New Car Salon in Las Vegas were greeted by a full-size dealership mock-up where they could view the exterior architecture and signage as well as walk through the interior layout. The facilities program is designed to accommodate both new build sites and retrofits that can be applied to a variety of architectural styles. Using computer imaging, several “before and after” photos of actual Nissan dealerships were displayed to demonstrate the iconic design elements.

U.S. dealers will begin enrolling in the Nissan Retail Environmental Design Program in November, with the official launch in January 2002. Nissan estimates that the new signage will be in place within three years while the new facilities program will be fully implemented in seven to nine years.

Nissan said it consulted extensively with its Dealer Advisory Board during the development of the new facility and signage program. the company also partnered with Lippincott & Margulies, a brand identity and image management firm, to deliver the primary facility and sign design concept; Turner & Townsend Group, which has extensive experience with the implementation of automotive facility image programs; and Gensler Architecture, Design and Planning Worldwide, which will provide initial architectural consultation services to the dealerships enrolled in the program.

“Nissan's new retail brand identity must not be a reflection of what we currently are, it has to represent the vision of where we want to be,” said Carlos Ghosn, president of Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. “One world. One brand.”

“Our goal is to create a unique but uniform retailer channel that is easily identifiable to the consumer and that reflects the company's new brand identity,” said Bill Kirrane, vp and general manager, Nissan Division. “From a functional standpoint, we're striving to make all dealership facilities more customer-focused and to employ the most modern retailing practices, which will be vital to their ability to attain enduring profitable growth.”