For any automaker, defining their target market is just as important and the number of horsepower or how many gallons the trunk it will be. Their process begins within the development process and every decision made revolves around who will be a part of their target market.

According to Nissan, the average Nissan Leaf owner is a young baby boomer, aged around 45 years old. With an income of around $125.000 a year, the average owner owns his own house, is an educated persone with a minimum of a college degree, drives around 50 miles per day and are happy with plugging their car in their garages.

Being that the Nissan Leaf usually is being sold at a trim level that is at around $33.500, the average buyers are pretty well endowed when it comes to cash. So the question arrises, what will it replace ? Something expensive like a MERCEDES C Class or maybe a high end sedan such as a TOYOTA CAMRY or a NISSAN ALTIMA ?

It seems that the Nissan LEAF is actually appealing to the young baby boomers that are looking to get the experience of owning a ecologically responsible car.

Of those who actually purchased the Nissan LEAF most of them already own a Toyota Prius or a Honda Civic or a hybrid of sorts. The color that they are going for is mostly the blue as seen in their advertisements.

All these information tell us that Nissans marketing department has made a fantastic job in identifying their potential buyers. Environmentally conscious, middle age owners who where looking to move away from hybrids.

By being an electric car and operating on a zero emission profile, the Nissan Leaf is putting a large part of its marketing strategy on the one thing that is presented in this chapter: social responsibility.


At Nissan, the company is creating more and more “green” technologies, including clean diesels, efficient internal-combustion engines, hybrids and the centerpiece of our product strategy: zero-emission vehicles, such as electric cars and fuel cell vehicles.
 The key driver of Nissan's passion is captured in the word “zero.” They are preparing a lineup of cars that will be totally neutral to the environment, beginning with the electric car.
With zero carbon-dioxide emissions and zero particles, the Nissan Leaf, as an electric car will be the most environmentally friendly mass-produced car on the market. As well, they are developing a range of high-quality electric vehicles that are safe, well engineered, attractive, affordable and fun to drive. Through the Renault-Nissan Alliance, the Nissan Leaf is more than just a new car.
Creating a zero-emission society will involve mass production, supplying thousands of cars to markets around the world. Collaboration with countries, local governments, electricity providers and many other specialists will be required to help develop the necessary infrastructure and to make the whole system work.

To quote the marketing president of Nissan: " Zero-emission mobility is our passion, a true breakthrough and a key to our future."

Apart from spending time and efforts towards the zero-emission concept from and ethical perspective, Nissan as a whole is also trying to educate and grow kids into thinking more green trough their website call Planet Green. On Planet Green , Nissan is presenting how the introduction of electric cars, such as the Nissan Leaf, can improve our planet from the perspective of reducing pollution and minimizing our carbon footprint on this planet.

Find more info at : http://the-planet-zero.com/

Competitive advantages give a company an edge over its rivals and an ability to generate greater value for the firm and its shareholders. The more sustainable the competitive advantage, the more difficult it is for competitors to neutralize the advantage.
 There are two main types of competitive advantages: comparative advantage and differential advantage. Comparative advantage, or cost advantage, is a firm's ability to produce a good or service at a lower cost than its competitors, which gives the firm the ability sell its goods or services at a lower price than its competition or to generate a larger margin on sales. A differential advantage is created when a firm's products or services differ from its competitors and are seen as better than a competitor's products by customers.
In the case of the Nissan Leaf, we see a combination of the two advantages with the differential advantage dominating the scene.

By committing to an electric-only solution, Nissan gains six important competitive advantages:

• The Nissan Leaf became the first true Zero emission vehicle. The Leaf isn't a hybrid car, it's completely electric, it has no gasoline or diesel powered engine to supplement for power. Electric vehicles (EV's) utilize no fossil fuels, so there are no emissions whatsoever.
• Nissan power source, the battery, will bring the cost of the vehicle on a down slope. With their partners at NEC, Nissan can control the price of the most expensive component of the car while keeping the quality of it. 
• By using electricity to power its vehicle, Nissan has put themselves in a place where they will be at advantage compared to traditional gas powered vehicles. The developments of battery technology will most likely outpaces the ones related to combustion engines.
• The all electric Nissan Leaf`s cost of running will be much smaller than the one of a vehicle running on gas. The engine system for EV's is simple. Compared to regular automobile engines, EV engines have less moving parts, which translates to fewer visits to a garage for repairs over the life of the car as there are fewer things to break.
• By demonstrating range, performance and reliability, Nissan Leaf is starting to establish its leader position in the hybrid market in the detriment of vehicles such as Toyota Prius.
• Global Brand: According to business Week Global Brand Scorecard, Nissan is the fastest growing automotive brand and trough the Renault-Nissan Alliance, they can move into new markets faster and with lower costs because they don't have to build new plants. (Renault builds cars in Nissan's Mexico plants and Nissan uses Renault's Brazil plant and distribution networks)

• 2011 European Car of the Year
• 2011 World Car of the Year
• 2011 - 2012 Japan Car of the Year