This is one of my final year projects undertaken. My favourite assignment I have done throughout University.

1. LEEDS BECKETT UNIVERSITY
Contemporary Brand
Management
Nissan
C3289835
5/12/2015
BA(hons) Marketing
Word Count: 4392
Dr Kenneth Henrie

2. 1
Table of Contents
1.0 The Brand............................................................................................................................... 3
1.1 What is a Brand? ................................................................................................................. 3
1.2 Brand Versus Product..........................................................................................................3
1.3 Nissan Background.............................................................................................................. 3
1.4 Market Insight..................................................................................................................... 3
1.5 Brand Architecture.............................................................................................................. 4
2.0 Brand Positioning.................................................................................................................... 5
2.1 What is Brand Positioning? ..................................................................................................5
2.2 Nissan’s Brand Positioning Statement................................................................................... 5
2.3 Nissan’s Perceptual Positioning Map .................................................................................... 6
3.0 Brand Analysis ........................................................................................................................ 8
3.1 Brand Identity..................................................................................................................... 8
3.1.1 What is Brand Identity...................................................................................................8
3.1.2 The Brand Identity Prism ............................................................................................... 9
3.2 Brand Image...................................................................................................................... 11
3.2.1 What is Brand Image................................................................................................... 11
3.2.2 The Brand Love Curve.................................................................................................. 11
3.2.3 Self-image and Image Congruence Hypothesis.............................................................. 12
3.3 Brand Equity ..................................................................................................................... 13
3.3.1 What is Brand Equity................................................................................................... 13
3.3.2 Nissan’s Brand Equity and The Customer-Based Brand Equity Pyramid........................... 14
3.4 Brand Loyalty.................................................................................................................... 16
3.4.1 What is Brand Loyalty.................................................................................................. 16
3.4.2 Percy and Elliott Brand Loyalty Model .......................................................................... 16
3.4.3 Rosenbaum-Elliot, Percy and Pervan (2011) Steps to Brand Loyalty................................ 18
3.4.4 Nissan’s Brand Pyramid (De Chernatony, 2010)............................................................. 18
4.0 Special Interest..................................................................................................................... 20
4.1 Corporate and Ethical Branding.......................................................................................... 20
4.2 The Aim of Corporate and Ethical Branding......................................................................... 20
4.3 Nissan as a Corporate and Ethical Brand............................................................................. 20
4.4 Nissans CSR Model............................................................................................................ 21
4.4.1 Carroll’s (1991) CSR Pyramid vs Nissan’s CSRApproach................................................. 22
4.4.2 Schwartz and Carroll’s (2003) Intersecting Circles Model vs Nissan’s CSR Model ............. 23

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4.4.3 Quazi and O’Brien’s (2000) Two-Dimensional Model of CSR........................................... 23
5.0 Recommendation.................................................................................................................. 25
5.1 Rationale .......................................................................................................................... 25
5.2 The Recommendation ....................................................................................................... 25
Bibliography............................................................................................................................... 27
Appendices ................................................................................................................................ 30
1.0 ......................................................................................................................................... 30
2.0 ......................................................................................................................................... 30
3.0 ......................................................................................................................................... 30
4.0 ......................................................................................................................................... 31
5.0 ......................................................................................................................................... 31
6.0 ......................................................................................................................................... 32

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Contemporary Brand Management –
Nissan
1.0 The Brand
1.1 What is a Brand?
There are twomain perspectiveswhenlookingatthe definitionof abrand, the financial perspective
and the legal perspective.The financial perspectivedefinesabrandas “a setof mental associations
heldbythe consumer,whichaddto the perceivedvalue of aproductor service”(Keller,2013).This
definitionhighlightsthe gaininperceivedvaluetothe consumerdue tothe brand values.The legal
perspective,citedbyKapferer(2008) definesabrandas “a signor set of signscertifyingthe originof
a product or service anddifferentiatingitfromcompetition“. The keypointinthe legal definitionis
that brands,once registered,canbe defendedagainstinfringementsandcounterfeiting. This
definition focuses onclearlyidentifying anddifferentiatingitselffromcompetition.Itcreatesvalue in
the mindof the buyerthroughbuildingareputationforthe producerordistributor (Kapferer,2004).
1.2 Brand Versus Product
Keller’s(2013) definitiondifferentiates the productorservice fromthe brand,whichisimportantin
trulydefiningwhatabrandis. The brand itself providesthe productorservice withintangible
dimensionsthataddvalue,inNissanscase the brandadds value throughtheirreputationfor
innovation.A strongbrandiscreatedwhenthe productand brand are effectivelyaligned.Thisis
summedupby Batey(2008); “a product becomesabrand whenthe physical productisaugmented
by somethingelse- images,symbols,perceptions,feelings- toproduce anintegral ideagreaterthan
the sum of its parts”.
1.3 Nissan Background
Nissanisa Japanese automotivemanufacturer,establishedin1993. Theymanufacture automobiles
in20 differentcountriesandhave analliance withRenaultwherebybothcompaniesworkas
partners,howeverkeepseparate brandidentities(Mason,2015). Theirmissionis;“toprovide
unique andinnovativeautomotive productsandservicesanddeliversuperiormeasurable valuesto
all stakeholdersinalliance withRenault” (Nissan.co.uk,2015).
1.4 Market Insight
The UK automobile marketcan be segmentedintofoursectors;Mini/Supermini,Lower
Medium/UpperMedium,Dual/Multipurpose,Exec/LuxurySports(Mason,2015). Nissan competes
withinall foursegments, howevertheirtwokeysegmentsare LowerMedium/UpperMediumand

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Dual/Multipurpose (Nissan.co.uk,2015).Theirproduct range standsthemingoodstead forthe near
future withthe marketseeinga“risingdemandforDual/Multipurpose cars”(Mason,2015).
Nissanisthe sixthmostpopularcar manufacturerwitha 5.6% marketshare of the UK automobile
market.The marketleadersare Ford andwitha 13% share (Mason, 2015). Nissanscompetitorsare
listedinFig1.1 below.
Figure 1.1 - Nassan'scompetitors and theirmarket share % (Mason,2015)
1.5 Brand Architecture
Nissan’sbrandarchitecture strategyis‘source’.Itisa two-tierstructure,similartoumbrellabrands
where there isa house brand, Nissan, butthe productscontaintheirowndistinctlydifferentproduct
names(Dahlen,Lange andSmith,2010), for example,NissanMicra,NissanNote orNissanJuke
(Nissan.co.uk,2015). Beinga source brand createsdepthof customercommunicationforNissan as
certainthingsare associatedwiththe source brandand othersfromthe product-brand-specific
communication (Moss,2014), forexample the new NissanJuke hasconnotationstodowithstyle
and fashionwiththeircolourpersonalisationoptions(See appendix 1.0),whilstthe brandNissan
carriesan image associatedwithbeing eco-friendly,innovationleaders.

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2.0 Brand Positioning
2.1 What is Brand Positioning?
Brand positioningintroducedby RiesandTrout,citedby Parameswaran (2006) they defined itas
“the mental positionoccupiedbythe brandinthe mindsof consumers”.This definitionhoweveris
basicand ignores the ‘segmentation’and‘targeting’stages of brandpositioning,byusingterm
‘consumers’,implyingthere isnodifferentiationbetweenthem.Italsofailstoemphasise the
importance andvalue of the ‘place’or‘position’occupiedbythe brandinthe consumersmind.
KotlerandKeller(2012) recognise thisand developthe definitiontoinclude thesebystatingthat
brand positioningis“the actof designingthe company’sofferandimage sothatit occupiesadistinct
and valuedplace inthe targetcustomer’sminds”. Keller(2013) developsthis evenfurthertoinclude
whywe use brand positioning.He definesbrandpositioningas“findingthe proper“location”inthe
mindsof a group of consumersor marketsegment,sothattheythinkabouta productor service in
the “right” or desiredwaytomaximise potentialbenefittothe firm”.
Brand positioningiscompetitionorientatedasitsprimaryconcernisattacking competitors’market
share (Kapferrer,2008). However,there are differentinterpretationsastowhatbrand positioning
actuallyaimsto do. For example,Rosenbaum-Elliot,PercyandPervan(2011) put the focus much
more so on the brand benefittothe targetaudience;“inthe eyesof the targetaudience,the brand
mustbe linkedtoabenefitthatprovidesamotivatingreasontoconsiderit”. However, Chernatony
(2006) statesthat itspurpose isto “identifyabrandsdifferential advantage” whichKapferrer(2008)
agreeswiththisandadds that itaimsto identify,take possessionof andcommunicate a‘strong
purchasingrationale’.
2.2 Nissan’s Brand Positioning Statement
A positioningstatementisaspecificandbrief statementthatlaysout whatyouwant consumersto
thinkabouta brand or product.It summariesstrategyandacts as a guide forstrategicmarketingand
brand management(Temporal, 2010).A positioningstatementdescribeshow yourbranddiffersand
issuperiorto competitorbrands,andgives reasonasto whyconsumersshouldbuyyourbrand
(ShimpandAndrews,2007). Kanzler(1998) arguesthat itis alsobeneficial toemployeesasit defines
a company’sdirection andcreatessynergybetweendepartments.
Rosenbaum-Elliot,Percy&Pervan (2011) put forwarda model orformat forcreatingan effective
positioningstatement.The basicformatisas follows;
“___ is the brand for(targetaudience) thatsatisfies(categoryneed) byoffering(benefit)”
(Rosenbaum-Elliot,Percy&Pervan,2011)

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Nissan’sproposedpositioningstatement:
For environmentallyconscious,urbandrivers,Nissansatisfiestheneed for affordable,
reliableand trustworthyproducts whilstofferingthe most innovativeand exciting
automobilesavailable.
Nissan’spreviouscampaignshave focusedpredominantly ontheir“innovative andexciting”product
range whichis conveyedthroughthe imageryandmessages intheircommunications forthe Nissan
Juke,forexample (Seeappendix2.0) (Nissan,2015). However,whenlookingatfactorsconsidered
whenbuyingacar, price wasthe single mostimportantcriteria,followedbyreliability(Mason,
2014). For thisreason it isimportantthat Nissanpositionthemselvestobe affordableandreliable
whilsthighlightingthe ‘benefit’of being innovativeandexciting(Rosenbaum-Elliot,Percy&Pervan,
2011). Pointsof difference(Keller,2013) can be communicatedthroughthe ‘innovative’features
that Nissan’scurrent productrange offers,forexample, ‘lane departure warning’and‘blindspot
warning’.Thiswouldbe advantageousassafetywasrankedthe 3rd
mostimportantfactor to
consider(behindprice andreliability) when buyingacar (Mason, 2014).
2.3 Nissan’s Perceptual Positioning Map
Before a brandpositioningstrategycanbe implementeditisimportantthatthe market’s
perceptionsare understood(DibbandSimkin,1996). To do this,a perceptual map canbe used.This
isa “twoor three dimensionaldisplayof customerperceptionsof competingalternativesina
market”(Lilien,RangaswamyandDe Bruyn,2013). A brands positioninthe marketis determinedby
the comparisonsmade byconsumers,of the brandagainstits competitors (JohanssonandCarlson,
2013). It is therefore vitalthatwe considerNissan’spositioninthe contextof itscompetitors.
The functional attributeschosenforthe axescouldincludefunctional,physiological-emotional,and
personalitycharacteristics(JohanssonandCarlson,2013).In Nissan’scase ‘Overall Satisfaction’and
‘Trust’will be used.‘Trust’givesagoodindicationof brandintegrityandstature and‘Differentiation’
givesaninsightintothe perceivedenergyandvitalityof the brand(Mason,2015), somethingthat
Nissanislookingtocommunicate initspositioning.
The data in Figure 2.1, whichhasbeenplottedinFigure 2.2 wasgainedfromMintel’sreport, UKCar
Review (Mason,2015)

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Figure 1.1 Perceivedlevelsoftrust, perceivedlevelsofdifferentiationgainedfromMintel (Mason,
2015)
Figure 2.2 - Nissan'sPerceptual PositioningMap
The distance inbetweenbrandsindicatessimilaritiesinthe mindsof consumers(Lilien,Rangaswamy
and De Bruyn, 2013). FromFigure 2.2 itis clearthat customersperceive Nissantobe alike to Fiatin
termsof trustworthinessanddifferentiation. Volkswagen holdsaunique positioninonthe
perceptual map.Theyare perceivedtobe more differentiatedincomparisontoitscompetitors;this
couldbe due to its premiumpositioningthatgivesthem apointof difference (Keller,2013). Ford are
perceivedtobe more trustworthythanNissan(andthe othercompetitors) possibly due totheirlong
historyandmany yearsleadingthe automobile industry(Mason,2015). IdeallyNissanwouldlike to
positionthemselveswhere the greendotisplaced.Their‘innovative andexciting’positionsuggests
that theywantto be seenasenergeticanddifferentiated.
Ford Volkswagen Fiat Nissan
% % % %
Trust 35 30 12 20
Differentiation 28 42 18 19

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3.0 Brand Analysis
3.1 Brand Identity
3.1.1 What is BrandIdentity
Chernatony(2010) describesbrandidentityasthe “distinctiveorcentral ideaof a brand andhow the
brand communicatesthisideatothe stakeholders”.Kapferer(2004) agreeswiththisandadds that
brand identitystemsfromthe brandsheritage,andall factorsthatgive it its“unique authorityand
legitimacywithinarealmof precise valuesandbenefits”.The keyassumptionof the identity
approach isthat all activitiesand communicationsshouldbe “integrated,alignedandelevated”from
a product and tactical level toastrategicand corporate one (Heding,KnudtzenandBjerre,2009).
Figure 3.1: Hedging,Knudtzenand Bjerre (2009) state that Brand Identityis a bridgingfacet to
induce a relationshipbetweenthe corporationand consumer.
Nissan’sbrandidentitycanbe categorised intofive components,highlightedbyKeller(2013) shown
inFig 3.2 below.

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Fig 3.2 – Keller’s (2013) Five components of a brand applied to Nissan
3.1.2 TheBrandIdentity Prism
Kapferer(2005) identifiesthe BrandIdentityPrism, inwhichhe statesthatbrandidentityis
composedof 6 facets;Physique,relationship,reflection,self-image, culture andpersonality (Fig3.3).
The prismitself communicatesthatall six facetsare inter-relatedandare an echo of one another
(Kapferer,2005).This meanstheymustcommunicate aconsistentmessage inordertocreate an
effectivebrandidentity thatwill create brandequity,the endgoal of building astrongbrand (Keller,
2013).
There are several facetsof the prismthatNissanuse more thanthe others,forexample the
‘personality’facet.Nissanaimstobe exciting,urban,innovativeandstylish.Theydothisfirstly
throughthe products theycreate;Nissanisone of the UK’s leadingbrandsin,in-cartechnology with
an 83% score for theirinnovationwithintheirvehicles(AutoExpressDriverPower,2014). Thisisalso
conveyedintheir2014 televisionadverts forthe NissanJuke forexample (Youtube,2014), where
the in-cartechnologyisused indifferentandexcitingways inordertoovercome certainobstacles,
usuallywithinanurbanenvironment.Itisalsopossibletopersonalise anew Nissan Juke (Nissan,
2015). You can do thisby choosingthe vibrantcolouryouwishforinteriorandexteriorfeaturesof
the car. Thisisall aimedat buildingapersonalitytothe brand.These featuresare incorporated
withinthe brandandhelpdefine whothe ‘sender’is(Kapferer,2005).

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The ‘self-image’facetisalsoprominentinthe case of Nissan.Nissan’scommunicationsare focused
on projectingthe emotionsyoufeel whendrivingyourNissan.Theydothisbycentringthe
campaignsaroundthe word (or feeling)‘thrill’,forexample‘BuilttoThrill’,‘TestedtoThrill’and
‘Personalise yourThrill’(See appendix 3.0) (Nissan,2015).The communicationsaimtoencourage
the viewertovisualisethemselvesdrivingthe Nissanandbuildanimage of whatthis mightbe like.
Thisform onbrand communicationbuildsarecipient,whobelongstothe brandsidentity(Kapferer,
2015).
The ‘culture’facetof the prismcan alsobe appliedtoNissan,thisformof communicationbuildsthe
gap betweenthe senderand receiver.Eachproductshouldderive fromthe brandsculture,be a
representationof theirculture andameansof communicatingthistoo(Kapferer,2005).Nissan
drawsheavilyontheirJapanese heritage,notjustwiththe brandname ‘Nissan’ (whichisa
combinationof itsJapanese parentcompany’s abbreviated name,NiSan(Nissan, 2015)),butwithits
innovationandbusinessvision,apillarof Japanese businessculture; Nissanhaspartneredwith
NASA inorderto create a driverlesscarby 2016 (Mason,2014). This isreinforcingtheiridentityas
innovationleaders,whichisone of the pillarswithinNissanthatguide itsoutwardsigns(Kapferer,
2015).
Fig 3.3 – Kapferrer (2005) Brand identityprismappliedto Nissan

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3.2 Brand Image
3.2.1 What is Brand Image
The AMA definesbrandimage as“the perceptionof abrand in the mindsof person”.Franzenand
Moriarty (2009) supportthishoweverelaborate to describe brandimage as the “mirrorreflectionof
the brand personalityorproductbeing.Itiswhatpeople believe aboutthe brand- theirthoughts,
feelingsandexpectations”.Creatingapositive brandimage involveslinkingthe brandtostrong,
favourable andunique brandassociations (Rosenbaum-Elliott,PercyandPervan,2011). These brand
associationsare ‘brandattributes’and‘brandbenefits’.The aimof developingapositivebrand
image isto create customer-basedbrandequity,builtbyinducingadifferential response inthe mind
of the consumer.Inorderfor thisdifferentialresponse tooccur,the brand mustmake sure that the
brand associations held,are notonlyfavourable butunique,andnotsharedwith competingbrands
(Keller,2013).
3.2.2 TheBrandLove Curve
Nissanare the 6th
most popularcar manufacturerinthe UK, with14% of respondentsstatingeither
Nissanis‘theirfavourite carbrand’or they‘preferredNissanoverothers’(Mason,2014). Mason
(2014) alsostates that althoughNissandoesnothave a brandimage as well establishedasAudi or
Volkswagen,theirreliability score meansthatconsumersare likelytoconsiderthemwhen
purchasing. Forthisreason, Nissancanbe placedat the ‘Like It’stage of The Brand Love Curve (Fig
3.4). The strategicsuggestionatthispointis“drive rational andemotionalbenefitstoclose the sale”
(Robertson,2015). ThisissomethingthatNissanisalreadydoing;itsnew campaignsare emphasising
the emotional benefitsof drivingaNissan,forexample,“builtto thrill”and“innovationthatexcites”
(Appendix 3.0).The targetin thismodel istoget to the ‘BelovedBrand’stage,atthisstage “demand
becomesdesire,needsbecome cravings,thinkingisreplacedwithfeelings andconsumersbecome
outspokenfans”(Robertson,2015).

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Fig 3.4 – The Brand Love Curve (Robinson, 2015)
3.2.3 Self-imageandImageCongruenceHypothesis
The concept of a brand image isdiscussedin Section3.2.1,however, itisdevelopedfurtherto
include the notion of ‘self-image’. Thisisthe thought thatan evaluationof Nissanforexample,might
not be the resultof justthe brandimage,butalsoof the consumer’sself-imageandthe image they
holdaboutthe type of personwhobuysa Nissan (Harris,2009). Lantos(2011) describesself-image
as “howconsumersviewthemselvesorthinktheyreallyare”.De ChernatonyandMcDonald (2011)
state,the sole purpose of buyingandusingparticularbrandsiseithertomaintainorenhance the
individuals‘self-image’. ThisissupportedbyFranzenandMoriarty,2009) whoadds,consumersare
naturallydrawnto brandsthat have a similarself-imagetothemselves(FranzenandMoriarty,2009).
The Image Congruence Hypothesis postulatesthat“anevaluationof aproduct will be influencedby
the degree of congruence betweenbrandimage andself-image (Harris,2009) .Thiscan be achieved
by eithercreatinganimage thatconsumerscan identifywith(actual self-image) orone that
consumerscan aspire to(ideal self-image) (Lantos,2011).
The NissanQashqai brandfor example, issaidtobe economical,classyandrefined(WhatCar,2015)
and wasvotedWhatCar? Car of the Year 2014. It achieved 5 stars for‘qualityandreliability’ anda
top 20 place,withan80% score in JD Powerscustomersatisfactionsurvey(AutoCar, 2013). The
combinationof the above ratingsdemonstrate the achievementof Nissaninthe craftingof a close

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relationshipbetweenthe NissanQashqai brandandthe consumerwhichhasledtoa positive brand
evaluation;thisisdepictedin Fig3.5 below.
Fig 3.5 – Image Congruence Hypotheses – Adapted from Heath and Scott (1988)
3.3 Brand Equity
3.3.1 What is BrandEquity
There are manydifferingopinionsonthe definitionof brandequity(Keller,2013) however,awidely
accepteddefinitionis“the setof assetsandliabilitieslinkedtoa brand’sname and symbol thatadds
to or subtracts fromthe value providedbyaproduct or service toa firmand/orthat firm’s
customers”(Aaker,1996). Brandt andJohnson (1997) agree withthisanddevelopitfurtherto
specifythe range of assetsthat make upbrand equity,highlightedinfig3.6.The aim isto create
positive customer-basedbrandequity,whichKeller(2013) describesiswhenconsumersreactmore
favourablytoa productwhenthe brand isidentifiedthan whenitisnot.

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Fig 3.6 – Brandt and Johnson (1997) “Brand equityis the unique setof real or perceived
distinctionsattached to a brand by consumers”
3.3.2 Nissan’sBrandEquityandTheCustomer-BasedBrandEquityPyramid
Full line automotive carbrandshave beenbenefittingfroman improvedeconomy,pent-updemand,
attractive loanratesand easingcreditrestrictions,andasa result, brandequityisatan all-time high
for the industry (Chadsey,2015).Nissan placedin5th
inthe EquitrendBrand EquityIndex forall full
line automotivebrands (HarrisInteractive,2014),showninFig 3.7 Theyhave shownsustainedand
improvingbrandequityandhave ranked above the categoryaverage fornine of the lasttenyears
(HarrisInteractive,2014). Thiscouldbe as a resultof marketingactivitiessuchas theirLinkedIn
SponsoredUpdates campaign,whichaimedtoreacha high-valueaudience byappearingin
members’newsfeedsalongsideorganiccontent. The campaignreachedasenior-levelaudience
across the globe,gainedinstantfeedbackonwhichcontentgainedthe mostengagementand
createdbroad global impactforbrandmessages.Itdrove engagementandbuiltrelationshipswitha
keyaudience (NissanCase Study,2015) whichisa vital part of buildingpositive customer-based
brand equity(Keller,2013).

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Fig 3.7 Harris Interactive (2014) Equitrend Rankings
Nissanis currentlyranked56th
biggest(revenue) brandinthe worldandover2014 hasearnedthe
title of a ‘topriser’,increasingprofitby23% (Global Brands,2014). ThiscoupledwithNissan’sbrand
equity ranking(HarrisInteractive,2014) placesthemat the ‘customerbrandresonance’stage of
Keller’s(2001) customer-basedbrandequitypyramid,showninFig3.8.At thisstage Nissanare
achievingloyalty,attachment,communityandengagement also(Keller,2001).
Fig 3.8 – Customer-BasedBrand EquityPyramid (Keller,2001)

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3.4 Brand Loyalty
3.4.1 What is BrandLoyalty
A still widelyaccepteddefinitionbyJacobyandChestnut(1978) definesbrandloyalty as“the biased,
behavioural response,expressedovertime,bysome decisionmakingunit,withrespecttoone or
more alternative brandsoutof a setof such brands,andis a functionof physiological (decision-
making,evaluative)processes”(Anandan,2009). KotlerandPfoertsch(2010) agree,however
simplifythis as;“brandloyaltygenerallyentailsastrongcommitmenttoa particularbrand onthe
part of the consumer”.
3.4.2 Percy andElliottBrandLoyaltyModel
Thismodel iseffectiveinassessing the loyaltyof Nissanscustomerbase.It isbaseduponhow
‘involved’apersoniswitha brandand illustratesthe ‘perceivedrisk’inswitchingbrands
(Rosenbaum-Elliott,PercyandPervan,2011). Involvementwithabrandisa keydimensionin
determiningbrandattitude andinturn,brandloyalty(Rosenbaum-ElliottandPercy,2007).
Plottedonthe model isNissan1 andNissan2. Nissan1 representsthe majorityof Nissancustomers
(approx. 65%,shownin the largerbubble) andNissan2representsthe minorityof Nissancustomers
(approx. 35%).
Thishas beenapproximatedbasedonthe researchconductedinthe UK Car Review (Mason,2015)
statesthat 72% of customerswhohave everused a Nissanautomobile wouldrecommendit.Italso
foundthat 63 % of Nissanownersratedtheirsatisfactionwiththe productsfrom‘good’to‘excellent’
(Mason,2015). Due to the price paidfor a car, the perceivedriskinswitchingisnaturallygoingtobe
higher(Rosenbaum-ElliottandPercy,2007). It isfor these reasonsthat‘Nissan1’(Fig3.9) has been
plotted as‘Loyal’.Forthese customersNissanhave todoverylittle otherthanmaintainapositive
brand attitude.Nissanmustbe alerttoshiftsinpositivebrandattitude tocompetitorbrandsthat
couldleadto a change in brandattitude towards Nissan(Rosenbaum-ElliottandPercy, 2007).
In anothersurvey, Mason(2015) foundthat30% of respondentsratedtheirsatisfactiontowards
Nissanas‘average’,alongwithanother75% of respondentsstatingtheyhave nopreferencefor
Nissanoverotherbrands(Mintel,2015). Inthis situation,itcouldbe assumedthat althoughtheyare
not dissatisfiedwith Nissan, perceivedriskinswitchingisloweras they show little preference
betweenbrands.These customersare classedas‘vulnerable’ (Rosenbaum-Elliott, PercyandPervan
2011) andrepresentedbyNissan2(Fig3.9).For thisgroup it isimportanttoreinforce the already
positive brandattitude,this shouldstrengthenbrandequity,reducingthe likelihoodof switchingto
otherbrands(Rosenbaum-ElliottandPercy,2007).

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Fig 3.9 – Percy and Elliott Brand Loyalty Model (Rosenbaum-ElliottandPercy,2007) appliedto
Nissan.Plottedusing Mintel (2015).
Aaker’sBrandLoyaltyPyramidcan alsobe usedto assesNissanscustomerbase,howeveridentifies
five levelsof brandloyalty.Thisisshownbelow inFig3.9.1, highlightingwhere Nissan1and2 are
positionedcurrently.
Fig 3.9.1 - Aaker Brand Loyalty Pyramid appliedto Nissan

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3.4.3 Rosenbaum-Elliot,PercyandPervan (2011)Stepsto BrandLoyalty
Thismodel (Fig3.9.2) setsoutthe stepsthata brandgoesthroughin orderto create brand loyalty
(Rosenbaum-Elliot,PercyandPervan,2011). The underlyingmessagethe model carriesisthata
strong,positive brandattitude (afterthe brandawarenessstage) isessential inbuildingbrandloyalty
(Rosenbaumn-Elliott,PercyandPervan, 2011). The Brand LoyaltyModel (Rosenbam-Elliottand
Percy,2007) has beendiscussedtoagreaterdegree asit isan effective wayof assessingNissans
customerbase and offersabasic strategicoutcome,dependingonwhere the brandisplotted.
Fig 3.9.2 – Rosenbaum-Elliot,Percyand Pervan(2011) Stepsto Brand Loyalty Model.
3.4.4 Nissan’sBrandPyramid(DeChernatony,2010)
The brand pyramiddescribes the ‘essence’orthe ‘core’of the brand (De Chernatony,2010). It
summarisesthe identityandthe positioningof abrand by relating,values,personality,benefits,
emotional awards andattributes(Kapferer,2004). This“enableseffectiveinternal communication
and encouragesstaff withinthe organisationtopull togetherinthe same direction”(De Chernatony,
2010).

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Fig 3.9.3 – Nissan’s Brand Pyramid (De Chernatony, 2010)
Nissanbeginbuildingtheirbrandwithproductsthathave ‘attributes’suchasbeingtechnologically
advanced,oreco-friendly.They conveythisfirstlythrough the productstheyproduce andalso
throughtheiradvertisingtheyuse forexample,demonstratingthe variousdifferenttypesof
technologywithinthe car(See Appendix 4.0).However,customersare lessconcernedwiththe
attributes,thanthe benefits.Astheyexperience the brand,the benefitsthe customeris
experiencing(asa resultof the attributes) leadtoemotional rewards(Baker,2003). Appliedto
Nissan,customersmaybe ‘safe’,asa resultof some of the safetytechnologywithinthe car
(Appendix 5.0),which thenleadtoa feelingof ‘confidence’. Nissan’saimisthatthiseventuallymay
leadto a feelingof being‘tech- savvy’ forexample (See Fig3.9.3).

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4.0 Special Interest
4.1 Corporate and Ethical Branding
Wolf,Issaand Thiel (2015) define corporate brandingas“developingandmanagingthe relationship
betweenthe organisationanditscustomers,itsstakeholdersandthe general public”.Itisimportant
to recognise the distinctionbetweenacorporate brandand a product brand.Keller(2013)
distinguishesbetweenthe twobysaying corporate brandscan carry a much widersetof
associations,forexample,“associationsof commonproductsandtheirsharedattributesorbenefits,
people andrelationships,programsandvalues,andcorporate credibility”.
The fieldof corporate brandinginvolvesconceptsof morality,ethicsandsocial responsibility
(Podnar,2015). These issuesare becomingincreasinglyprominent fororganisationstoaddress due
to relative prosperityindevelopedcountries,affordingthe consumersthe luxuryof worryingabout
these suchissues,coupledwiththe ease of communicatingtheirapproval ordisapprovaltoa wide
audience (Proctor,2008). Their‘corporate reputation’beingaprimaryconcern(Keller,2013).
4.2 The Aim of Corporate and Ethical Branding
As withproductbranding,one of the mainaimsof corporate brandingisto create ‘corporate brand
equity’thistime asoppose to‘productbrandequity’.Thisoccurswhena “relevantconstituency
respondsmore favourablyto a corporate ad campaign,a corporate-brandedproductorservice,or
corporate-issuedPRrelease,andsoon,than if the same offeringwere attributedtoanunknownor
fictitiouscompany”(Keller,2013). Morely(2009) agreeswiththisandstatesalso thata strong
corporate brand allowsforexpansionwithnew products, variationsandsub-brands,whichis
particularlybeneficial inNissanscase whenreleasinganew car model forexample.
As a resultof corporate branding,a corporate brandimage,personalityandreputationisbuilt
(Keller,2013).
4.3 Nissan as a Corporate and Ethical Brand
Firstly,whendiscussingcorporate branding, itisimportanttoacknowledge NissanMotor
Corporationasa whole brandthatincludes‘Nissan’,‘Datsun’and‘Infiniti’.
“Blue Citizenship”isNissanscorporate social responsibilitystrategy.Itsmainaim, alongwith
generatingsustainable profits,istocontribute tothe sustainable developmentof society(Nissan,
2015). Nissandescribessustainabilityasacornerstone of theirbusinessandadriverforinnovation.

22. 21
Thisis shownfirstlyandmostobviouslyintheirproductoffering,forexample the NissanLEAF0%
emissionselectriccar (Nissan,2015). Accordingto Keller’s(2013) corporate image associations,
Nissanisachieving‘commonproductattributesorbenefits’ suchasinnovativenessthrough
promotingtheirSafetyShieldtechnologiesandtheirvisionof bringingthe firstautonomous
automobile tomarket(Nissan,2015). Theyachieve “valuesandprograms” (Keller,2013) such as
concernwiththe environment byprioritising‘the environment’as1st
intheirthree sustainability
strategies(NissanCSRReport,2014), the other twobeing‘safety’and‘philanthropy’,bothaimedat
achieving“corporate credibility”(Keller,2013).
4.4 Nissans CSR Model
NissansCSRmodel (Fig4.1),guidedbytheircorporate vision,“toenrichpeople’slives”,aimsto
“contribute tosustainable societal developmentthroughall itsactivities,globally”(NissanCSR
Report,2014). Nissanisuniquelypositionedinordertopursue actionsunderthree strategies,
‘Environment’,‘Safety’and‘Philanthropy’.The fivestrategiesplacedatthe bottomof the pyramid,
‘Quality’,‘Value Chain’,‘Employees’, ‘EconomicContribution’and‘Corporate Governance&Internal
Control’are strategiesaimedatensuringNissan remain“trustedandneededbysociety”(NissanCSR
Report,2014), whichProctor(2008) highlightsasone of the primarygoalsof corporate and ethical
branding.

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Fig 4.1 – Nissans Eight SustainabilityStrategiesaimedat achievingthe CSR vision(NissanCSR
Report, 2014)
4.4.1 Carroll’s(1991)CSRPyramid vsNissan’sCSRApproach
Carroll’s(1991) Pyramidof CSR (Fig4.2) highlightsthe ‘Economic’layerasthe base,and the
foundationforthe three otherlayerstobe built.Itstates that these layersshouldnotbe fulfilledin
sequentialfashionbuteachlayeris tobe filledatall times (MaduandKuei,2012). The model
generallyagreeswithNissan’sCSRstrategy (Fig4.1) as it holds’Philanthropy’andthe ‘Ethical
Responsibilities’atthe heartof itsCSR approach. However,itdiffersinthe sense thatNissandonot
agree that everythingisbuiltfromaplatformsuchas ‘Economical Responsibilities’inCarroll’s(1991)
model. Instead,Nissan hasfive strategiesplacedatthe bottom, of equal importance thataims to
buildtrustaroundNissanas a corporation.

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Fig 4.2 – Carroll’s (1991) CSR Pyramid (Madu and Kuei,2012)
4.4.2 Schwartzand Carroll’s(2003) IntersectingCirclesModel vsNissan’sCSRModel
The IntersectingCirclesmodel of CSR (Fig4.3) wouldagree withNissan’sCSRapproachina sense,as
it rejectsthe hierarchical structure of importance thatCarroll’s(1991) model emphasises,and
highlightsthatthe differentCSRdomainsare interrelated (Zu,2009).Nissanagree and place
importance onthese interrelationshipsbystatingthatthe separate strategiestheyemployneedto
be pursuedtogetherinorderto achieve maximumefficiency (NissanCSRReport,2014).
Fig 4.3 - Schwartz and Carroll’s (2003) IntersectingCirclesModel ofCSR
4.4.3 Quazi and O’Brien’s(2000)Two-DimensionalModelofCSR
Quazi and O’Brien’s(2000) Model of CSR (Fig4.4) may argue that Caroll’s(1991) Pyramidtakes a
‘classicview’of CSRas itsmainfocus,or its base is‘economicfactors’ thatholdprofitmaximisation

25. 24
as itsprimarygoal (Zu,2009). It couldbe arguedthat Nissanonthe otherhandtakesa ‘modern
view’toCSR,as it holdssocietyatthe heart of its operationsandfocuslargelyonthe benefitsof CSR
actionrather thanthe cost (Zu,2009).
Fig 4.4 - Quazi and O’Brien’s(2000) Two-Dimensional Model ofCSR

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5.0 Recommendation
It is recommended thatNissan createan online, impartialcustomerreview platform
in order to improvecustomerservice quality, to in turn build brand trust.
5.1 Rationale
It has beenhighlightedinthisreportthatNissan’sbrandtrustislow in comparisontosome
competitors. Clarke andFlaterly(2005) state that improvingcustomersatisfactionisaneffectiveway
of buildingbrandtrust.CurrentlyNissan’scustomer service ratingsare verypoor,withonly3.9% of
overall commentsbeingpositive (CustomerServiceScoreboard,2015), see appendix 6.0forfull
report. This couldbe a reasonthat Nissan’sbrandtrustis lowerthanitskeycompetitors(20% of
customerstrustedNissan –See appendix 7.0).Davies(2015) foundthatcustomerreviewshave been
shownto be extremelyimportantwhenlookingatpurchasing products,forexample,30% of
consumers write onlineproductreviewswhile 50% readthemregularlybeforemakingapurchase
decision(Mintel,2015).
5.2 The Recommendation
It isrecommendedthatNissancreate anonline,impartial customerreview platform. Thiswouldbe
platformwhere customerscanleave uncensoredreviewscategorisedbythe differentproducts
Nissanoffer,withnointerventionfromNissanthemselves. The reviewsshouldbe correlatedwith
each otherandpresentedinaneasyto readformat,car-by-car. It is imperative thereisno
interventionfromNissanasthissuggeststransparencyandhonesty,akeydriverof brandcredibility
(Berghand Behrer,2011).
Throughthe platform,acustomerservice teamshouldbe available torespondtocustomerswith
problemsregardingNissan’sproducts whichshouldimprovecustomerservice ratings.Studiesshow
goodqualitycustomerservice leadstofavourable customerresponsessuchasrepurchase
intentions,positive wordof mouth,customerloyalty,customersatisfaction,brandtrust,andprice
insensitivity(Zhang,2009).These responses wouldbe extremelydesirable toNissan.
Duesto Nissan’sproductsbeingclassedaslarge ticketitems, an‘AskAnOwner’sectionwill be
included where potential customerscanask currentNissanownersquestionsabouttheircar. Since
88% of consumerstrustonline reviewsasmuchas personal recommendations(BrightLocal
ConsumerReview Survey,2014),thiswill be an effectivewayof alleviatingsome of the insecurities
associatedwiththe purchase decisionandencourage sales(Clarke andFlatherly,2005).

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A disadvantage touncensoredcustomerreviewsisthatNissanhave little control overthe ratings,or
whatis beingposted.However, KiaMotorsimplementedasimilaractivityin2013 where they
createda platformthat aimedtoprovide verifiedandauthenticcustomerreviews viaaplatformon
the Kia website (The Drum,2015).It gained10,000 independentreviewswithinthe first12months,
monthlyvisitstothe Kiawebsite exceed1millionandcar salesrise 8% year-on-year(E3,2015).

28. 27
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Appendices
1.0
Nissanemphasisestyle andfashionthroughtheircolourpersonalisationof the new NissanJuke
2.0
Nissanusesinnovative andexcitingimagery intheircommunicationssuchasthe NissanJuke advert
3.0
The majorityof Nissanscommunicationsare centredaroundthe wordthe word‘thrill’.

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4.0
Nissan’scommunicationshighlightthe differenttechnologycontainedwithinthe cars.
5.0
Communicationsdemonstratedifferenttypesof safetytechnologywithinthe cars,aimedatmaking
the userfeel safe.

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6.0
Nissan’scustomerservice scores(The CustomerService Scoreboard,2015)