Latest news with #AllysonWitherspoon
Business Wire
23-07-2025
- Automotive
- Business Wire
Battle-Tested: Nissan Quality Isn't Just Promised – It's Recognized
NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Amplifying the company's dedication to offering vehicles that meet or exceed customer expectations, Nissan today debuted a new campaign dramatically demonstrating the intensive testing and development that goes into its vehicles. The campaign underscores how every Nissan department, from design and development through marketing and sales, aligns around one core goal of maximizing customer satisfaction. Nissan was recently named #1 for New Vehicle Quality among Mass Market brands in the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Initial Quality Study, reflecting the company's customer-centric commitment to producing vehicles that deliver quality. 'At Nissan, our customers aren't just along for the ride—they're why we do what we do,' said Vinay Shahani, senior vice president, U.S. Marketing & Sales, Nissan Americas. 'We're not just building cars; we're creating experiences that bring joy, build confidence and help people go after what they love. These latest J.D. Power IQS results are a great reminder that our vehicles don't just perform—they inspire every step of the journey.' This new quality-driven campaign spotlights Nissan's rigorous testing processes through dynamic social media content, reinforcing the brand's commitment to reliability and performance. Longer-form videos take viewers behind the scenes with real engineers from Nissan Technical Center North America and the Nissan Arizona Testing Center, offering an inside look at the extreme testing vehicles undergo before production. Running in parallel, a series of TV spots, digital videos and long-form content on will showcase Nissan Rogue taking on extreme stunts inspired by real-world testing. Later in the campaign, additional creatives will spotlight Nissan Frontier's impressive capability and durability through bold, high-impact demonstrations. 'Deeply inspired by a trip to our Americas research and design center, our new series of digital, social and TV spots will hammer home – sometimes literally! – the extremes Nissan goes to deliver dependable, satisfying new vehicles,' said Allyson Witherspoon, Chief Marketing Officer, Nissan U.S. 'This is our promise to every driver: we put our vehicles through the worst, so you get their best.' See the launch spot here. For more information about our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter) and LinkedIn and see all our latest videos on YouTube.
Newsweek
30-06-2025
- Automotive
- Newsweek
Nissan Executives Getting Creative, Listening to Feedback
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Nissan's North American arm is in the midst of a major pivot. After a few years of wading through shallow water, the company has a barrage of new product on the market, with even more coming soon. To match that, a new marketing era will debut in July, part of the efforts by Chief Marketing Officer Allyson Witherspoon to change the perception of the company in buyers' eyes. Witherspoon will be on stage as part of Newsweek's Women's Global Impact event in August. Ahead of that, she shared the details of Nissan's change with Newsweek, and spoke about what lessons she has learned during her career and how she is carrying those forward. This year is a big year for the company. Despite the negative press regarding its billions of dollars in debt and four CEOs in five years, the company has a host of new and refreshed product coming to market. That started in January with the new-generation Nissan Armada and continued with the redesigned Murano and refreshed Rogue and Pathfinder – all SUVs. The automaker just debuted the third-generation Leaf, which has become a crossover and will enter the U.S. market later this year. Nissan is also taking on Trump's tough tariff talk head-on, creating an ad campaign surrounding it that debuted in unison with the New York International Auto Show earlier this year. In short, Witherspoon has had her plate full. Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty/Nissan "One of the things that I'm really looking forward to, which will roll out in July, is a new look and feel for us, a new brand and model approach focused around quality, durability, reliability and safety," Witherspoon told Newsweek. "We've had very, very strong dependability and initial quality studies that have come out. When I look at our brand metrics, I think that there is a perception gap between what is the reality with our refreshed lineup that we have in the market today and some legacy challenges that we had, over 10 years ago around quality," she continued. Witherspoon also faces other brand storytelling challenges. "We've lost differentiation," she said. "Our advertising has been misattributed to other brands. This is a big thing that I wanted to tackle when I came back to the U.S. for this role. [I wanted to] make sure that when people see our marketing or our advertising, it's notably, distinctly coming from Nissan." That new marketing will go back to Nissan's roots, Witherspoon relayed, saying to expect edgier and bolder marketing that has been seen in recent years that conveys a more confident attitude. "I want us to tell distinctly Nissan stories and have that visual identity and the attitude that we're telling it to be distinctly Nissan," she said. With over 25 years in the industry, Witherspoon is in a position to offer advice to young marketers and business leaders: "Be curious." Gone are the days of sitting back and riding the wave. "You have to be really curious about what's going on. Look at what the trends are. Look at what other brands are doing, look at what influencers are doing. I think, that's where a lot of interesting marketing is happening right now, especially in the digital and social media space. "I think curiosity is important, and I think that also leans into leadership, because I don't have the answers to everything. When I was younger, I thought everyone did at the executive level, but the reality is that we're working with the information that we have. We're working with the experiences that we have and trying to make and guide the right decisions," she said. "I want to make sure that as a leader, and I try to instill this in my team, that I am open to feedback - what people are saying, what consumers are saying, what are the key trends, what the things are that you need to look at." Nissan Americas CMO Allyson Witherspoon. Nissan Americas CMO Allyson Witherspoon. Nissan Witherspoon and the company she works for continue to be open to feedback. In April, Ponz Pandikuthira, regional senior vice president and chief planning officer at Nissan Americas, stated that the company has been leaning in and listening to dealers more, working to address their needs as one of the pathways forward of success. The turnaround is underway. Nissan brand sales were up 6.3 percent in the first quarter of 2025.
Newsweek
21-04-2025
- Automotive
- Newsweek
Nissan Responds to Trump Tariffs with Agile, In-Your-Face Marketing
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Nissan's U.S. arm is responding to the evolving Trump tariff situation with a full-throated marketing campaign boasting about its tariff-free stock. Advertising and promotion surrounding the campaign kicked off late last week, on the eve of the New York International Auto Show, one of the biggest industry events in the world. President Trump announced on March 26 that he would be imposing a 25 percent tariff on auto and automotive parts imports. The announcement has caused many automotive companies to rethink their sales and marketing strategies in the country. The tariffs are scheduled to go into effect on May 3. Though new vehicle sales rose in March, analysts predict the trend to be a momentary blip rather than a trend. S&P Global's monthly reporting showed that March sales were up about 9 percent year over year, reaching 1.6 million units compared to March 2024's 1.5 million. Analysts believe that much of that increase is due to concerns over price increases related to tariffs. Nissan is fighting battles on many fronts. Not only is there another new CEO at the helm, its fourth since 2017, sales have dipped as product has aged in the face of a rapidly evolving automotive landscape. Tariffs are only the latest blow. Instead of shying away with its tail between its legs, Nissan has readied a marketing campaign to seize the moment. "We saw a massive increase in late March – as in numbers like 2000 percent or so – of consumers searching for things like 'should I buy now?' and 'Nissan car prices', so our team reacted quickly to share what we had to offer," Allyson Witherspoon, Chief Marketing Officer for Nissan U.S. Operations, told Newsweek. A sticker advertising a tariffs-free Nissan Pathfinder at the New York International Auto Show. A sticker advertising a tariffs-free Nissan Pathfinder at the New York International Auto Show. Nissan "We started first in search and digital because this we where we knew consumers were looking for information, and now we are extending that into our TV media as well. I'm very proud of the work that our team put together in a very short time, and their creative is certainly helping to increase purchase intention," she said. Nissan's marketing efforts extend beyond traditional marketing channels. With new U.S. CEO Christian Munier in place, Nissan has repriced its Rogue and Pathfinder SUVs, reducing the cost across all variants to better appeal to customers. Those two models that are built in the U.S. On the NYIAS show floor, appropriate Nissan vehicles wear subtly eye-catching stickers that have messages appropriate for the audience that brings tariff talk to the forefront with messages that read, for example, "Ready for adventure and FREE from new tariffs." "Automakers are being forced to pivot quickly in the face of rising trade tensions and evolving tariff policies. For brands like Nissan, leaning into its domestic production footprint and overflowing available inventory is a smart short-term lever—they're highlighting what's insulated from disruption while competitors scramble to recalibrate supply chains," Paul Waatti, director of industry analysis at AutoPacific, told Newsweek. The 2025 Nissan Rogue Rock Creek. The 2025 Nissan Rogue Rock Creek. Nissan North America "The bigger picture here is that the playbook has changed. Marketing and sales teams, often operating with long lead times, now need to be as agile as the logistics teams—reacting in real time to geopolitical shifts. It's not just about product anymore; it's about storytelling and assurance. The brands that can communicate stability, availability, and local commitment without delay are the ones that will maintain trust and momentum in this volatile climate," he said. More than half of Nissan's vehicles are built in the U.S.
