Speaking to GoAutoNews Premium at the recent national media launch of the facelifted MG3 light hatchback in Sydney, MG Motor Australia marketing and communications director Danny Lenartic stressed that visibility will be the key to the marque’s success.
“Brands that are easy to find are easy to buy,” he said. “First of all, the brand needs to be easy to find, and easy to find doesn’t mean a proliferation of dealerships, it just means talking to the market at the right place and the right time when there’s a need.
“I’m focused on that, at the core of what I do – to ensure that the dealers feel that they’re supported by the OEM is mission critical.
“Then there’s the brand component … I would prefer to create polarising strategies that deliver talkability. You may question it, or you may love it, but you have an opinion.
“That’s what I set out to do from day one with MG, which has allowed us to leapfrog quite quickly. We’ve still got a lot of work to do.”
MG Motor Australia’s sales have significantly improved this year, with 1252 vehicles sold to the end of July – a 236.6 per cent increase over the low base of 372 deliveries made during the same period in 2017.
MG3
The company’s success has been underpinned by its ZS small SUV, which has sold 789 examples so far in 2018. It was launched in late-November last year.
The MG6 Plus small liftback (227 units, -22.0%) and GS mid-size SUV (164, +215.4%) have also been steady contributors, particularly in July when MG Motor Australia recorded 281 sales alone.
Mr Lenartic added that while full details on MG Motor Australia’s new marketing strategies are yet to be confirmed, it will be receptive to market feedback when they are launched.
“Moving forward in the next six to 12 months, there’s going to be many more announcements talking to that point about polarisation,” he said.
“However, then there’s going to be a point where you also need to continue to listen to the market. Therefore, if I have to change the strategy, because market demand told me to, I will.
“I’m not suggesting for any second that my way is the best way. I definitely need to listen and understand what the market is saying, look at product and see what the benefits and features are, and then look at the dealers and listen to them.
“Together, we as a group can then deliver something back to market that encapsulates everyone’s wants and needs.”
When questioned what mediums MG Motor Australia will use to execute these marketing strategies, Mr Lenartic indicated that its facelifted MG3 (72 units, +148.3%) will target younger new-vehicles buyers that watch non-traditional forms of television.
“For the MG3 launch, we’re talking to a younger generation,” he said. “The younger generation and the older generation do have some similarities, (but) there’s also subtle differences and nuances.
“With mediums, I may be on a television screen, but it may be catch-up TV, or it may be a connected TV. You’re watching a TV show, you may be watching it on a TV screen, but you may not be necessarily be seeing it through free-to-air, it might be through digital.
“It really depends on where the eyeballs are, and then seeing if we can effectively use that medium to deliver the message in a way that engages.
“I’m not stuck on mediums. I just treat everything as a channel. The digital revolution is clear, (but) to me it’s just a channel. Television free-to-air is another channel.
“The balance of those channels, it depends on trial and error. If there was a silver bullet, we’d be all doing the same thing, but there’s not. It’s (a matter of) test, learn, evolve.”
MG Motor Australia offers the MG3, ZS and GS with a seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty and seven years of roadside assistance, which will likely be highlighted be the marketing strategies. The MG6 Plus comes with a six-year term.
The company last week opened three new showrooms (see separate story), bringing its total network to 21 dealers, with it now only lacking a presence in Tasmania and the Northern Territory.
By Justin Hilliard
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