The first 100 days of Nissan’s President, Juan Manuel Hoyos
Presidents, whether of countries or companies, face an unenviable challenge: that of steering the proverbial ship towards its goals. As has now become a tradition, one of the early ways to measure their efficacy is by evaluating the first 100 days. Long a tradition in the United States, dating back to Franklin D. Roosevelt, the first 100 days were introduced to the Philippines by former President Corazon Aquino.
For Nissan Philippines, its new president, Juan Manuel Hoyos, has just marked his first 100 days. Juan takes over the reins from Atsushi Najima, and hopes to continue the strong momentum set by his predecessor. We look back at what the brand has so far achieved under his stewardship to get a glimpse of what’s to come.
Hoyos, who hails from Colombia, joined Nissan in 2017 as Marketing Director for the Latin America region. He then moved on to roles such as General Manager for Global Engagement Brand, and Division General Manager for Global Brand Execution and Engagement Division, taking charge of Nissan’s brand, global marketing contents, motorsports, sponsorships and strategies, motor show executions, and regional communications
Number 1 for the customer
With his background in marketing and engagement, it’s not surprising Hoyos puts a premium on how customers perceive the brand.
“I always aim for number 1. For me, number 1 is being top of mind in customers. I always aim to be number 1 with all customers that are in contact with the Nissan brand; so number 1 in terms of all customers journeys: website, best service at dealers, sales service. The customer has to feel effortless in their journey.”
Hoyos acknowledges that Nissan has already made headway in this aspect, but the efforts must continue.
“We just need to continue that. We’re investing a lot in digitization and investing in how the customer can interact with us,” he said. “We have a great team, great dealers, and this is why our customers love our products. This is an exciting situation to be in.”
Hoyos hopes to take advantage of the renewed interest in the car market, sharing how it compares favorably against the pandemic period.
“In the pandemic, it was very restrictive. Now there’s a lot of opportunities in the market. We are trying to catch up. It’s growing faster than last year.”
To catch up with that growth, Nissan has ambitious plans for the coming years.
“We just launched a Nissan app which brings a lot of benefits in terms of connecting, booking service, booking test drive, all that in our application. We keep bringing new products for new segments in the market. This is all good momentum for us. We’re launching six cars in the following 12 months.”
Kicks e-Power
Among those new cars is easily one of Nissan’s most buzz-worthy models, the Kicks e-Power. It’s an SUV that combines the benefits of electrified vehicles with the long range of conventional combustion vehicles.
“We know electrification is the future. We know there’s a lot of hesitation because of range anxiety. There are people who say, ‘I don’t know if there’s enough of a charging network for EVs.’ E-power brings that to everyone in the Philippines. It makes the range anxiety go away. With one tank, you can go almost 1,000 km.
“When we see the profile of the people buying , I would call them early adopters. These are people who understand, who want to have an electric vehicle. Now that they have the possibility without the range anxiety, they are buying it right away.
Hoyos explains that the Kicks e-Power isn’t simply for those who want to get an electric vehicle.
“That power, you cannot even get that from a 2.0-liter SUV. Once you get into the car and people start driving, they feel the power. And that power with the torque is pure excitement which they understand. It’s a new SUV, with good design, with power and fuel efficiency. That’s a unique combination. That’s when people start saying (especially now with the price of fuel) this is the best option right now.
The drive to collaborate
Nissan’s vision for electrification doesn’t just involve private individuals, but governments and corporations as well.
“One thing we want to work with the government is how those charging stations will work in the future to make the technology much more environmentally friendly.”
One of its projects is called the Blue Switch initiative which is a program that promotes the use of EV technologies to address social concerns. The Blue Switch initiative allows Nissan to establish partnerships with various stakeholders, to work together to power mobility and beyond for a cleaner, safer, and more inclusive world.
Nissan Philippines has recently partnered with local renewable energy firm First Gen Corporation to launch the GreenWheels Project, which is an integrated electric vehicle (EV) pilot program whose novel charging station gets its supply of electricity from solar energy.
“We also want to work more with local governments in terms of the MMDA Number Coding Scheme. These electrified cars benefit everyone. One way to encourage that is with an exemption from the Number Coding Scheme. Because they produce no noise, less pollution, that’s something that we also want to work with local governments.”
Team effort
Thus far, for the past 100 days, it certainly looks like Nissan has been generating that excitement. Nonetheless, Hoyos does not want to take credit.
“I will never claim it’s my achievement. Achievements are from the team, including not just Nissan employees but also our network of committed dealers. What we have achieved as a team in these 100 days is the very successful launch of the Kicks e-Power. It’s not just me, but the whole team including dealers. They understood and are helping us to explain the technology. That’s a very key element to success. We’re able to bring new technology. The customers really love it, and they want it.
For the next 100 days and beyond, Hoyos believes Nissan’s active approach — of seeking out collaborations and backing up their promises — will be the key to its success.
“Part of the DNA of Nissan is to dare to do what others don’t dare to do. We want to walk the talk. What we promised as part of Nissan’s Ambition 2030, we’re already doing it. We want to get a portfolio that’s electrified; we already have the LEAF and Kicks e-Power. We’re saying exactly what we want to do and we are doing it right now.
“We want to be recognized by how our innovations excite the customers. Once you get into a car, no matter what car, you will feel the excitement, from the GT-R to the Kicks e-Power.