Some dealers say Nissan’s marketing strategy aimed at Star Wars fans is building brand awareness and enthusiasm around Nissan and the Rogue, though they suspect it may be the popularity of the Rogue crossover alone driving actual sales.
The Rogue already emerged as Nissan’s top-selling vehicle this year through November.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story opened Dec. 16 and grossed $155 million in the U.S. its opening weekend. Nissan’s Rogue One campaign launched at the end of October and runs until April.
Jeff Rosen, dealer principal of Rosen Nissan of Milwaukee and Rosen Nissan of Madison in Wisconsin, said the partnership between Nissan and Rogue One has pulled a Tier 1 marketing effort down onto a valuable local level for dealerships and brought in more customers.
Rosen bought 200 tickets for the Rogue One premiere at a local movie theater, where he filled the lobby with employees, Nissan-Star Wars branded merchandise and a Rogue vehicle.
“I’ve had [dealer friends] say they have had events at their stores, events at the movie theaters,” Rosen told Automotive News. “It’s just a great way to brand the Nissan Rogue and get people aware and really on a Tier 3, local level aware of the dealerships.”
Frank Kuna, a general sales manager at Avondale Nissan in Arizona, said the debut of the 2017 Nissan Rogue: Rogue One Star Wars Limited Edition vehicle and Rogue One movie have “definitely” driven customers into the store. He said he’s sold only one of his four limited-edition vehicles.
Kuna said the traffic is especially important to help sales spill over to other vehicles if the Rogue isn’t the “right fit.” Rosen also said his staff has shown plenty of customers, who’ve come in recently for Rogues, other models.
Jeff Collura, a new-car sales manager at Kelly Nissan of Route 33 in Easton, Pa., said he hasn’t really seen an increase in store traffic. Collura said Rogue sales have been hot, with eight sold the day after Christmas. But the store has yet to sell any of its four limited-edition models, despite lots of interest.
Collura said the popularity of the Rogue is what drives strong traffic in the store, not so much the Star Wars marketing campaign. Collura, Kuna and Rosen agreed December will be a month to match the Rogue’s record November sales.
