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Re: NOROC: Strategic Session on the "Way Forward": 2017-01-1

Posted: 26 Apr 2017 16:48
by David M
georgeb wrote:Good afternoon everybody

It has been very quiet on this front for some time now and I must admit (never thought that the day would come for me), I have now given up on getting the Club going again.

The only feedback we have received from Nissan is that they are interested in supporting the Club, but only after the Navara launch - when and in what way, no-one knows.

We have compiled a list of "Club" events and have published this on the Forum and from what I could determine, there were also complaints about doing this?

Where to from here? I will communicate to all Club members (paid up for 2017) and obtain there input on next steps from a Club continuation perspective. If they indicate that we must continue, then I will stick it out and continue my involvement - just with no Nissan dependency - as in the old days as per Uncle Mac below.

I will still be enjoying driving my Patrol and attending events that are organized here on the Forum - will even avail myself to organize some of these....
Very sad and unfortunate but with those Turkeys at Nissan I was expecting nothing less. :sad: :sad:

About the only good hing that came out of that meeting was that the lady in my office that was sponsored by MWN yet towed her horsebox with a Prado now has a brand new 4X4 Navara..... :woo: :woo:

At least we know where we stand.

Re: NOROC: Strategic Session on the "Way Forward": 2017-01-1

Posted: 26 Apr 2017 16:50
by David M
George - Check out the latest Wegry. Pages and pages of free advertising for Nissan thanks to the Forum. Other than pg 98 where Graham cumming supposedly drives a Cruiser now :biggrin: :biggrin:

Re: NOROC: Strategic Session on the "Way Forward": 2017-01-1

Posted: 26 Apr 2017 18:46
by georgeb
David M wrote:George - Check out the latest Wegry. Pages and pages of free advertising for Nissan thanks to the Forum. Other than pg 98 where Graham cumming supposedly drives a Cruiser now :biggrin: :biggrin:
Evening David - yes, have seen that. It is their lost unfortunately. "Fortunately" I am not linked to Nissan except for driving a Patrol and loving the brand!

Re: NOROC: Strategic Session on the "Way Forward": 2017-01-1

Posted: 26 Apr 2017 19:51
by Alex Roux
Hi George

Did the NOROC committee ever meet since the 14 January session?
All the action points decided on at the time were not just for Nissan SA, but also for the club to do?

You may recall, subsequent to the meeting on 14 Jan I emailed the committee members to volunteer my help. I had no reply from anyone.

Re: NOROC: Strategic Session on the "Way Forward": 2017-01-1

Posted: 27 Apr 2017 04:36
by Tinus lotz
Hey George. .. Nissan Sa is probably the only motor company showing their fans and people that love the brand the middle finger .....why i dont know....anyway at the meeting we said that we as a forum will do our best to take the brand forward. .....as everyone can see around 15 pages in one of the top magazines is not to shabby ....and the guys are making some more in swaziland this weekend.
Anyway thanks for your efforts and remember the rivier trip in august not to be missed.
Iam not gonna carry on about the nissan involvement becouse they made it very clear on the meeting that they do not value us as clients and brand ambassadors.
The poor guy reading the articles and rocking up at nissab trying to buy a patrol.....sad very sad indeed

Re: NOROC: Strategic Session on the "Way Forward": 2017-01-1

Posted: 03 May 2017 11:20
by Overdrive
I was also thinking the other day - what has happened? Did anyone make a follow up with Nissan? Just in case there was an important email that got lost in the ether somewhere.
Maybe our strategy for Nissan to take us seriously is wrong? Maybe we need to reconsider that and figure out what it is that we could do that will get them to take us seriously. From a business point of view what are we really offering them? A different way of thinking about it is how can we put pressure on Nissan? And are our demands clear and targeted. :think:

If at first you don't succeed, try and try again.................. :mytwocents:

Re: NOROC: Strategic Session on the "Way Forward": 2017-01-1

Posted: 03 May 2017 12:13
by ricster
I thought about this too, more out of frustration to be honest. I was wondering what kind of a reaction Nissan SA would provide us "bottom of the totem pole" loyal Nissan Brand ( Patrol specific ) ambassadors if an article was written about the ( Patrol and off road specific ) vehicles that we ( Patrol Forum and for that matter the Nissan Club ) drive, cherish and defend passionately against the likes of the Toyota, Landy, Fords and all other vehicle brands. What if this article was written by someone from a well known magazine like who are currently filling pages and pages of articles featuring Patrols. In this article the owners of off road Nissans can voice their views and opinions on the Nissan brand, and on how they treat their "loyal" followers and Ambassadors. I think in this article it should be called as it is.... in other words, a spade is not just a spade, its a @#&*^%# shovel.

I would then like to see a proof copy go to Nissan SA for comment, as they need to also have a fair chance to counter anything we have issues with. Much like in the newspapers the 2 parties comments are printed for public view.

I am pretty sure that many of the comments from us Nissan owners will not be very complimentary towards Nissan, and even though they say that even bad publicity is good publicity, I seriously doubt that this kind of slandering will even do much good for the Navara brand that they are so feverishly advertising.

The sad thing is that there are good Nissan Dealers out there trying their best to work within the boundaries set out by the head office, but their hands are tied..... JUST LIKE US !! Nissan SA clearly has the wrong plan of action with regards to customer care, and on taking the "FREE" advertising and exposure and using it for the good of the brand. We know that the Patrol ( Y60 and Y61 ) is at the end of its life, and that there is probably sweet stuff all we can do about it, but had Nissan SA dug their heels in and rolled up their sleeves to promote the Patrol Brand against the likes of the Cruizers, then the Aussies would probably be importing aftermarket goodies from SA instead of the other way around. Nissan your top management is clearly kak and have no clue on how to hold onto a market share that can and could have generated a good profit margin. They are just interested in putting on 1500% markups on some spares cause hopefully some sucker will buy them.

ok Cedric.... calm the heck down and chew on a Valium...... :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

Re: NOROC: Strategic Session on the "Way Forward": 2017-01-1

Posted: 03 May 2017 13:52
by Picasso
Cedric............. I fully agree with your well written post.. :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

Just looking at the latest Drive Out Magazin... its dominated with direct and indirect advertising for the Nissan brand.

i.e.

Camp like a pro
eating Sand for Breakfast,
Patrolling the dunes
Weekend Getaways / Moegatle, Brits

A word or two of acknowledgement from Nissan (in this Forum) would already go a long way..... :eureka:

Re: NOROC: Strategic Session on the "Way Forward": 2017-01-1

Posted: 03 May 2017 14:53
by SJC
Picasso wrote:
A word or two of acknowledgement from Nissan (in this Forum) would already go a long way..... :eureka:
And discount on spares/parts... :rolleyes:

Re: NOROC: Strategic Session on the "Way Forward": 2017-01-1

Posted: 03 May 2017 15:40
by ricster
The discount on spare parts is in the grand scheme of things just another issue Nissan needs to sort out. It feels like there is such a lack of enthusiasm within Nissan for many years now. I mean look at when Voetspoere took the Patrols up into Africa, with if I'm not mistaken, only the diesel filter blocking up ( probably from crappy diesel that was bought, not a Nissan fault) on I think the 3.0 diesel Patrol. Nissan should have jumped on this, sealed a contract to use the Patrols for the next 6/ 7 / 8 or however many episodes. You cannot get better advertising than that. Anybody and everybody that has an adventurous bone in their body has watched at least 1 series, and if ever there was any doubt of a person in the market for a 4x4 or overlanding vehicle, then a seed would have been planted, and that possible new client would have popped into a Nissan Dealership to give a Patrol the once over, a test drive, and then simply sign the purchase agreement..... but no, Nissan SA clearly doesn't want new customers, nor do they want returning customers, cause they NEVER have a Patrol on there showroom floor. They also cannot say "but that isn't the market we want to be in...". Hang on, I just want to want to wash my ears out, cause i cannot believe what I'm hearing..... ( I'll be right back )......

Ok my ears are now clean. Lets just look at the vehicle history of ( please correct me if I'm wrong ) 90% of the Nissan 4x4 Club. When I joined the Nissan 4x4 Club, there were maybe 4 or so Patrols driven my the members ( if that many ). Most of the vehicles were Hardbodys, a few SANI's, a couple of Safari's, the odd new Navara, and then a few Pathy's. What is amazing is that almost all these vehicles have been sold and replaced with .... wait for it...... wait for it..... Yes Nissan, your flagship vehicle .... the Patrol !!.... the vehicle that isn't high on the agenda for Nissan SA. We all want to upgrade to a "bigger" better vehicle. I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with a Hardbody, or Navara or Pathfinder, or even a good old SANI from 1995 !!! My old SANI, If I could find it, I would buy it back in the blink of an eye, purely cause it was a beaut of a vehicle, but the Patrol was the better vehicle for me and my family, so I "upgraded" ( ja ja ok I know it is a smokey diesel....hahaha ), but we will only as a last resort sell our Patrols, why, cause what else can be better than a Patrol??

This Patrol fan, will probably land up HAVING to buy a Cruizer if anything happened to the Iron Maiden...... Toyota 1 vs Nissan 0...... well done Nissan, you now win the chocolate starfish award