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2004 Suzuki Marketing Conference Explores Effective Automobile Product Branding
Chairman and CEO Osamu Suzuki’s opening keynote address to some 134 representative of 68 distributors of 61 countries emphasized the steadily growing importance of overseas manufacturing bases and urged all members of the “Suzuki Family” to unite to expand sales of Suzuki brand products. President and COO Hiroshi Tsuda reinforced the theme by outlining a dynamic plan to develop clear-cut guidelines for the Suzuki brand and reflect them in product development. He reminded those in attendance that maintaining active communication throughout the Suzuki network will be a key factor in this plan for product improvement. Kazumi Matsunaga, Board Member of Overseas Automobile Planning Division, announced a global plan to increase the sales share of Suzuki brand products through the united efforts of highly motivated distributors. On the behalf of the distributors, Maruti Udyog Limited from India, Suzuki GB PLC from the UK, Suzuki del Caribe from Puerto Rico gave interesting and informative presentations on successful marketing activities in their respective markets. After a new model plan for a bright Suzuki future was announced that afternoon, Hirotaka Ono, Board Member of America & Europe Marketing Division, made a dramatic presentation revealing plans for Suzuki’s innovative new “Brand Strategy”. The day concluded with a dinner reception against the background of a live jazz performance, where representatives of distributors from around the world forged closer relationships in the congenial atmosphere. An outing scheduled for Saturday, 9 October to the Pacific Flora 2004/Japan (at Lake Hamana near the head office of Suzuki) had to be cancelled due to a typhoon, but the conference nevertheless concluded in an atmosphere of achievement and great enthusiasm for the future. |
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German Suzuki Distributor Sponsors Popular Football Team
The new sponsorship, which was covered widely on television and in print editorials, achieved even higher visibility after the start of the season in August due to SUZUKI AUTOMOBILE advertising on jerseys and in the stadiums. According to a 2003-2004 media analysis, the sponsorship is expected to produce about 1.4 billion contacts through market saturation roughly equal to advertising worth 4.5 million Euro per year. Germany’s 23 million viewers watch an average 22 weekly television hours of soccer coverage and 20.7 million readers follow soccer in daily newspapers. SIE’s highly visible sponsorship is sure to achieve the goal of improving national Suzuki brand awareness and image. Although over 90% of Germans know the brand well, only about 10% realise that Suzuki produces cars as well as motorcycles. The sport will continue to dominate media during the run-up to the soccer world championships Germany will host in 2006. SIE will employ such highly effective promotion techniques as jersey logos and stadium banners to achieve a projected 50% national awareness of the New Swift in the first three weeks. SC Freiburg is a century-old traditional club, yet boasts one of the youngest player-age averages because the team intentionally develops promising players and coaches. The club’s hometown, Freiburg im Breisgau, is famous for a prestigious university with a long history, as well as its location in southwestern Germany, surrounded by the Black Forest. So the club’s emphasis on youth and the town’s setting in hilly recreational areas are well-suited to SIE’s product range of sporty off-road vehicles. The partnership will highlight local sales promotions, including raffles of an SUV. Overall, the SC Freiburg sponsorship by SIE is a perfect match for promoting youthful, lively, off-road images of the Suzuki brand. |
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Suzuki Distributor in Turkey Celebrates 20th Anniversary
From SMC Headquarters, Board Member Hirotaka Ono and European Marketing Group Leader Ken Iijima joined Chairman Ural Hakverdi of Suzuki Turkey for the gala celebration. Chairman Hakverdi presented a Suzuki Alto to Ms. Nurcan Taylan, Gold Medal winner in the women's 48kg Group A for weightlifting 210kg at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. Ms. Taylan, the first woman to win an Olympic gold, also hold the world record in her weight class for snatch-lifting 97.5kg. The distributor has sponsored the Suzuki Off-Road Team for three years and is Suzuki’s first in Turkey to offer customers 4WDs with the Samurai model. They also organized the Suzuki Adventure Trophy on 27-29th of August, 2004, Turkey’s very first off-road event. |
