The Tweet Smell Of Success: Nissan Is First European Carmaker To Sell A Car On Twitter

• Spanish Nissan dealer Antamotor uses Twitter to sell X-Trail crossover

• From shortlist to delivery details, all customer communication carried out via social network

EDITOR'S NOTE: Other than as a PR stunt, you have to be a schmuck to buy a car sight-unseen and without test-driving it.

BARCELONA - July 6, 2016: – Nissan has become the first automotive brand in Europe to sell a vehicle exclusively through the use of social networking site Twitter.

From first contact with the client to the final decision to purchase – just six days later – all communication between flagship Galician dealer Antamotor and customer Raul Escolano took place via the social media platform.

Known to the dealership as user @escolano, he first courted car companies using the hashtag #compraruncocheportwitter (in English, ‘buy a car on Twitter’).

Escolano threw down the gauntlet to automotive brands across Spain, challenging them to support him in buying a vehicle, solely through the use of social networks.

Nissan, via leading franchisee Antamotor in A Coruña, impressed Mr. Escolano with its innovative approach, using the video streaming platform Periscope to film the X-Trail, with the dealer presenting all of the vehicle’s key features in a personalised walk-through which was uploaded to a live stream.

Nissan then went head-to-head with rival models in a poll on Twitter, posed by Mr. Escolano, in which followers were asked to rate the cars on the shortlist. The survey, which received 2.6 million impressions (source: Brandwatch), ranked X-Trail ahead of its rivals with 43% of the vote, effectively helping Nissan to seal the deal.

In the spirit of the truly innovative purchase, keys to the X-Trail were delivered direct to Mr. Escolano’s home by courier, to complete the online transaction.

The vehicle itself was collected from the brand’s Spanish Headquarters, in the first face-to-face interaction between Nissan and the customer since the sale began two months ago.

Embracing technology to improve service – the Nissan Customer Promise

Today’s customers typically visit a dealership only once before an automotive purchase, down from five visits a decade ago, so it's clear that the online experience has never been more critical for automakers. In select markets, Nissan has also deployed innovative technologies like ‘e-vision,' a video diagnostic tool for time-sensitive customers looking for greater transparency and clarity around their vehicle service.

In October 2015, Nissan announced a new European customer experience initiative which is in fact one of the industry's broadest-reaching customer service transformation programmes.

The five point Service Customer Promise includes 24/7 customer service contactability, lifetime Nissan assistance, service price match, a free transparent vehicle health-check, and free courtesy car with any service operation. It is the first time that an automaker has made a region-wide promise to its customers, signalling Nissan's commitment to leading the industry towards greater transparency when it comes to aftersales support, pricing and servicing.