Land Rover North America

LAND ROVER North America

It has been already more than a year since our company has stepped into a new category. We have grown both in number of employees, from 15 to 60 people, and in what regards the dealership network, which has increased from 60 to 80 agencies. We are now ready to take it to the next level, and become more than a niche player and play a more meaningful role in the U.S. car business. Our customers’ needs and desires have also evolved. They are now looking more for action and new experiences, without renouncing the safety and comfort features. Some of our consultants even consider that SUV’s might eventually replace luxury cars.

The change of name was only a first move, a necessary one even if it created some confusion for our customers. Our range of vehicles offers us the possibility of gaining market, but in the same time their versatility presents us with a dilemma. We are now faced by the problem of deciding the best positioning for our vehicles, and a good place to start is to go over them.

We started marketing the original Land Rover vehicle under the name of Defender 110, and we have just introduced the Discovery on the US market this year, 5 years after the UK debut. We have used until now a double positioning to maximize its potential, marketing it both as a versatile family 4x4 vehicle, and as an evolution from its older brother, the original Land Rover. The launch was a big success and we’ve put $3 million in the advertising budget this dual approach, but we should decide on a more consistent one from now on. And we’re in to the same success next year, when we’ll launch the brand new Range Rover 4.0SE. Its improved driving characteristics and luxury features were specially engineered for this market.

We have to decide also on the retail strategy we’ll follow from now on. The idea of the new exclusive