am dealer news

ISSUE 2 / APRIL 2014
AM DEALER NEWS
A QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER FOR ASTON MARTIN DEALERS WORLDWIDE: IN THIS ISSUE...
NEW MANAGEMENT IN AFTERSALES
A NEW YEAR AND A NEW GENERAL MANAGER
FOR AFTERSALES / P2
AMERICAN SUCCESS
JULIAN JENKINS TALKS ABOUT 2014, ON ICE AND
REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT / P3
SPOTLIGHT ON: DAIMLER TECHNICAL PARTNERSHIP
WE SPOKE TO HANNO KIRNER, ASTON MARTIN CHIEF FINANCIAL
OFFICER, ABOUT WHAT THE PARTNERSHIP MEANS TO HIM
understanding of the needs and demands of
our luxury sports car business. Through their
AMG division we can access technologies
that will enable us to continue to build and
develop the most engaging, exciting and
beautiful luxury sports cars in the world.
What do you think the partnership will
mean long term for Aston Martin?
This is a very exciting time for Aston Martin.
The partnership will provide access to worldclass electronic systems and allow us to
develop amazing powertrains with AMG.
Working with our technical partner we will,
over the years ahead, develop new sports
cars that can support our global ambitions
and keep Aston Martin at the pinnacle of the
GT class.
REGIONAL ACTIVITY
2014 HAS ALREADY PROVED TO BE BUSY FOR
OUR DEALERS / P4
2013 DEVELOPMENT
Over the recent years the global car market has
had a particularly tough time but 2013 saw the
start of an upturn and Aston Martin was one of
the success stories.
15%
INCREASE
IN SPORTS
CAR SALES
THE
AMERICAS
LARGEST
SALES
MARKET
MIDDLE EAST
& CHINA
HIGHEST SALES
YEAR ON RECORD
What are you most excited about
working on with the Daimler / AMG
team?
As a company Aston Martin saw a 15% increase
in sports car sales from the previous year,
delivering our best sales performance since
2010.
The technical partnership with Daimler AG
and Mercedes-AMG is the positive result of a
longstanding co-operation between the two
companies. As far back as the creation of
the Lagonda SUV Concept that we revealed
five years ago we have been working with
Daimler/Mercedes-AMG and, since then,
discussions about a number of topics have
been ongoing. Fundamentally, this is a great
fit for both companies.
There is real enthusiasm for our cooperation
in Daimler. It is great to work with proper
car enthusiasts in both AMG and Mercedes.
Defining ambitious projects with AMG and
Daimler that we all believe will help to
secure the successful long-term future of the
business currently is great fun.
Every region enjoyed their own successes, with
highlights including China and the Middle East
achieving their highest sales year on record,
and the USA establishing itself as Aston Martin’s
largest sales market.
Why Daimler / AMG? What attracted
Aston Martin to the partnership?
Given that AMG are a small and nimble
team who love sports cars we are not
worried about the challenges to come. I
believe everyone involved is committed
to meeting the challenge of successful cooperation. Nonetheless, we have a significant
engineering task ahead of us.
How was the partnership with Daimler /
AMG Initiated?
Surely Mercedes and AMG are amongst
the most admired premium car brands in
the world and, just like us, have a long and
proud history. We have been talking together
for some years now, and over that time
Daimler/Mercedes-AMG have developed an
What do you think the biggest
challenges will be?
The model range also saw fantastic
achievements. Vanquish Coupe retails surpassed
the peak annual sales of DBS (Coupe & Volante).
Adding in the growth from the new DB9 and
Rapide S models, and 2013 was a very strong
year for sales of our V12 engined cars; our
highest sales since 2006.
Overall 2013 was a great year for Aston Martin
and with the introduction of Vanquish Volante,
V12 Vantage S and a host of other product news
throughout the year, we are looking forward to
achieving successes again this year.
TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO READ ABOUT. GO TO: WWW.ASTONMARTIN.COM/DEALER-FEEDBACK
SPOTLIGHT ON: AFTERSALES
WE SPOKE TO THE NEW AFTERSALES GENERAL MANAGER, PHIL EAGLESFIELD, ABOUT HIS TIME AT ASTON
MARTIN AND WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS
joined the company, and the development of
the Aston Martin brand has been incredible.
It continues to be a huge privilege to be an
active part of this ongoing process and such a
dynamic business.
What will your role as AfterSales General
Manager involve?
The role focuses on ensuring every customer is
constantly supported to the highest standards,
and on defining the ownership experience
for every model past, present and future. As
well as delivering critical support and services,
there is lots of work within the organisation,
collaborating with all areas of the business to
define future strategies and solutions. Working
closely with you we are committed to creating
loyal customers and brand ambassadors
through Aftersales excellence.
What are you most looking forward to?
When did you join Aston Martin?
2014 is my 20th year working with the
Aston Martin team – not just the company but
also our supplier and dealer partners.
What other positions have you held
within the company?
When I first joined I was involved with
Production Procurement. I quickly moved
into the Parts team, and held a number
of management roles in Parts Purchasing,
Logistics and since 2004 the Parts Ops
General Manager role.
What achievements are you most proud
of from your time at Aston Martin?
The business is unrecognisable from when I
THANK YOU FROM
ASTON MARTIN
Aston Martin, but in particular, the Aftersales
team would like to say a special thank you
to all of the network for their continued
support and customer focus.
It is sincerely appreciated and recognised.
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AM DEALER NEWSLETTER / MARCH 2014
Making a positive difference is the most
satisfying part of the job. For me, working with
dealers and customers every day provides a
constant opportunity to do so. Also, working
on exciting new projects and solutions always
creates that moment where you think ‘I can’t
wait to share this’. Both of these scenarios are
genuinely motivating.
How do you think your experience in
Parts and previous roles will help you in
this role?
Managing Parts Operations is similarly vital
to defining the ownership experience of
our customers and key to supporting dealer
teams. Aftersales and Parts Operations are
closely aligned functions, critical both to one
another and to the success of the brand. I am
looking forward to the opportunity to develop
and leverage this alignment further as a part of
our future strategy.
What do you think will be the biggest
challenges?
Every new product we develop, every new
market we enter, each step of progress creates
a unique opportunity to deliver excellence.
We need to be ready to maximise each
of these moments to optimise the brand
experience.
What three things would you like to
achieve?
The team will be looking to achieve a
great deal, but three key priorities will
be an evolution of the technical support,
communication and assistance provided to
dealer partners globally, focus on increased
Aftersales business opportunities and the
implementation of best practice across all
aspects of Aftersales in all regions.
What will you be focusing on in 2014?
2014 will bring many exciting new
developments around systems and technology,
and these will deliver huge advances in the
customer journey. Hand-in-hand with this
communication, support and connectivity
with you and your teams are a key priority.
Will you be visiting dealers? How can
dealers get involved or contact you or
your department?
Absolutely – I hope to connect with as
many of you as possible. I firmly believe
that the global community of Aston Martin
Dealer Colleagues is our most important
asset. I will of course get out to as many
dealerships as possible. In the meantime
please don’t hesitate to contact me at
[email protected]
WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK
Dear Aston Martin Dealer Colleagues,
an interesting fact about a particular supplier.
We launched the first issue of the Dealer
Newsletter in December 2013 as a way for
us to communicate with you, our Dealer
Network, about key events happening
throughout the business.
If you have a question then we would like to
hear from you.
We also want to hear from you if you have
any feedback.
We also launched the Newsletter to encourage
you to communicate with us.
Click on [email protected]
and send us your suggestions, comments and
feedback.
We want to hear about the subjects you
would like to read in future issues. It can be
anything from the future of the company to
Please make the most of this opportunity. We
want to make this Newsletter as useful to you
as possible, so get in touch.
SPOTLIGHT ON: THE AMERICAS
WE SPOKE TO JULIAN JENKINS, PRESIDENT OF ASTON MARTIN THE AMERICAS, ABOUT THE SUCCESS OF 2013
AND HOW HE PLANS TO CONTINUE THIS IN 2014
What plans do you have in place to
ensure this success continues in 2014?
It is critical, given the hugely competitive
segment in which we operate and the buying
culture in this Region, that we remain at the
forefront of consideration. Our plans are built
around achieving this through continued
product and brand awareness which we think
is best achieved through experiential and
uniquely Aston Martin activities. In a busy
start to 2014 we launched the inaugural Aston
Martin On Ice programme, held in Crested
Butte, Colorado with over 100 attendees from
media, dealers, customers and prospects. This
summer we’ll engage with around 1,000
customers and prospects at ‘The Aston Martin
Estate’ during Pebble Beach Automotive
Week and will continue our ‘Design to be
Driven’ programme across the country.
2013 was a successful year for
Aston Martin in The Americas. How
would you sum up last year?
It was our best year since 2008. The
25% increase in sales over 2012 was the
culmination of 12 to 18 months of concerted
team work (between Gaydon, the Regional
team and our Dealer Partners). As ever there
were many elements contributing to this
success, including new product, particularly
Vanquish which was 25% of the sales mix.
Other elements included new marketing
initiatives, increased digital marketing,
product ambassadors, natural brand exposure
and a number of experiential events including
on road tours, track events and the ‘Design
to be Driven’ programme. We increased
training activity with an in-dealer programme
supporting new product supported by
our UK Performance Driving team. We
also maximised the company’s Centenary
celebrations, culminating most notably with
the ‘Featured Marque’ status at Pebble Beach
in August.
What changes are happening in your
region at the moment?
We continue to focus on supporting our
existing business partners that are investing in
the Aston Martin brand, demonstrated with
over 20 facility projects currently underway.
We are also looking to continue the expansion
of the Aston Martin footprint in the Region
typified by the recent launch of Aston Martin
Mexico City.
What challenges do you and your dealers
face?
The North American market is intensely
competitive with multiple brands and
models offered through domestic, European
and Asian manufacturers: all of whom are
competing for customer attention. Whilst
exclusivity is a key differentiator for Aston
Martin the most significant challenge remains
brand awareness.
How do you overcome these challenges?
Last year’s Centenary celebrations provided a
unique platform to tell the Aston Martin story.
Our heritage, racing, styling, development
of “Q By Aston Martin”, James Bond
connection and state of the art product
facilities underpinned the launch of the DB9,
Rapide S, Vanquish and V12 Vantage S
sports cars. In conjunction, many dealers
held launch or centenary events, often
supported by unique or historic cars further
promoting the brand and key messages
to a new audience. In addition we have
well established relationships with the key
media and have secured significant editorial
exposure – in some cases more than many of
our larger competitors.
What do you enjoy most about working
in your region?
Managing the diversity and scale of the
Americas operations is a unique experience
and part of the attraction is that few days are
the same. The focus and camaraderie within
the Americas Team extends to the dealer
network, with a shared objective to realise the
potential for Aston Martin in this region.
What dealer achievements have you
been particularly proud of?
2009/2010 saw the depths of the economic
crisis in the US and a challenging time for our
dealer network. The response and support
by many dealers demonstrated through
their commitment to marketing, events and
investment in people and facilities has ensured
the Aston Martin business in the Americas not
only recovered but is stronger today than it
has ever been. In addition we have appointed
a number of new dealer partners in existing
and new markets (as we expanded into
South America), all bringing the same level
of professionalism and commitment to the
brand.
DEALER COMMISSIONED Q BY ASTON MARTIN CARS
Q by Aston Martin can be ultilised by dealers, not just customers. This is something that
Aston Martin Beverly Hills has benefitted from. They used Q by Aston Martin to build
three cars for Pebble Beach in 2013 and are now requesting special commissions for
their showroom. The team at Beverly Hills decide on a ‘theme’, which they discuss
with the Q by Aston Martin team along with a budget for the amount of special
features.
The Q by Aston Martin team takes this information to the Design department at
Gaydon who develop the specification for the car. This is then sent to Beverly Hills
for review and sign off before the car enters build. Beverly Hills have found this
offers them the opportunity to speak to their customers about something unique but
tangible. Through Q by Aston Martin they are able to purchase CG images, studio
photography and mini-brochures before the car has even reached the country. They
send these assets to customers and offer them the chance to put their name on the
list of potential buyers. For more information on how you can do this, please contact
the Q by Aston Martin team at [email protected].
AM DEALER NEWSLETTER / MARCH 2014
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REGIONAL NEWS
ASIA PACIFIC
20TH ANNIVERSARY
He filmed the features over six weeks with the
programme’s star, Charlie Frisk. However, they had
to stop filming for one week as Olaf was attending
training at Aston Martin Headquarters in Gaydon.
Olaf said “The whole film crew was enthusiastic,
as most people are when they work with special
cars. The best part of being in the show is that I’ve
got even more recognition from customers and car
enthusiasts, even outside Sweden, and I was also
really happy that I could share my knowledge with
so many other people”.
Aston Martin Singapore celebrated their 20th
Anniversary in February with a Design Master Class
delivered by Design Director Marek Reichman for
Vanquish Volante and V12 Vantage S.
MIDDLE EAST
EXCEPTIONAL SALES
The 150 guests were very quiet and listened intently
throughout. After the presentation Marek invited
Dr. SK Djeng and Derek McCully to the stage where
they started the engines on the Vanquish Volante
and V12 Vantage S to represent the journey forward
into the next 20 years.
EUROPE
A TEAM EFFORT
2013 was a particularly successful year for the team,
who all work for the dealership in Brussels. They
won five out of six races at the Belgian Racing Car
Championships with two V12 Vantage GT3s and a
V8 Vantage GT4. They also won the Belgian team
title and they participated in the European Sprint
Championship and the International GT Open
for the first time where they won three races and
obtained five podium finishes.
José Farasyn, Senior Manager, said “As a team
we had a great 2013 season but we have to look
forward. Now in 2014 we’re looking forward to
participating in the Belgian Championship, the
International GT Open and, of course, Total 24
Hours of Spa”.
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION FOR
STOCKHOLM
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AM DEALER NEWSLETTER / MARCH 2014
The deserving winner was Keith Douglas from Aston
Martin Newport Beach, who won two spaces at the
first US On Ice event.
Larbi Bensouda from Dubai has been recognised
as the top salesman in the Middle East region after
achieving an excellent sales result in Dubai.
His journey into the brand wasn’t a traditional one
though. It happened after a chance encounter at
the Dubai Motorshow with David McDowall, who
made a few jokes about his Ferrari jacket. After a
casual chat turned into a hidden job interview he
was asked to work on the stand the following day.
THE AMERICAS
2013 also saw America host their first Sales Specialist
of the Year competition. Eight of the outstanding
performers from the region competed in various
activities covering product, selling techniques,
demonstrations and tests.
The first winner was Brian Noll from Aston Martin
Long Island, who also won two spaces at the
On Ice event.
UK & SOUTH AFRICA
RIDE AND DRIVE EVENT
NEW PARTNERS
Through the AMR-TRG motorsport partnership,
2014 will see the launch of the North American
Aston Martin GT4 One Make Series: seven races at
high profile circuits in the US and Canada, which
will enable dealers, customers and prospects to
engage at a number of levels.
The first experience of this partnership was at an
exclusive event in Florida where the Aston Martin
GT4 Challenge of North America Vantage GT4 race
car and the No. 007 Aston Martin
V12 Vantage GT3 race car were on display with a
striking new livery featuring the Residences at the
Hard Rock Hotel Daytona Beach.
Olaf Jochems, from Aston Martin Stockholm,
recently got an insight into the world of motoring
television when he was asked to appear on MOTOR,
a well-known Swedish television programme for car
and motorsport enthusiasts.
2013 saw America host their annual Technician of
the Year competition. Five of the top technicians
in the region were invited to Irvine to complete a
number of challenging tasks and one written quiz
over one and a half days.
SALES SPECIALIST OF THE YEAR
Larbi attributes his success to a “passion for this
amazing brand, hard work, perseverance and the
endless desire to learn more. Every Aston Martin
is truly special and I feel privileged and honoured
to sell these beautiful cars to a very enthusiastic
clientele”.
AM Brussels got involved in racing in 2008 after
they organised a hospitality programme during the
Belgian Championships for one of their customers
who ordered a DBRS9 GT3.
TECHNICIAN OF THE YEAR
Aston Martin Cambridge held a very successful
customer ride and drive event, focusing on
launching V12 Vantage S and Vanquish Volante to
existing customers.
Customers had the choice of driving either a
V8 Vantage S Sportshift, V12 Vantage S,
Rapide S, DB9 Volante, Vanquish Coupe or
Vanquish Volante, with a Performance Driving
Instructor.
A beautiful 1939 Lagonda Rapide was displayed
during the day alongside Aston Martin Collection
products and a special collection of
Jaeger-LeCoultre watches, which generated a lot of
interest with customers.
The entire dealership team were involved in
ensuring customers were treated to a luxury
experience, which resulted in 31 test drives and
several sales so far.
DID YOU KNOW?
In 2013 we built:
N430 ACCESSORIES
Designed to delight, our dedicated range of N430 accessories is inspired by the club sport ethos of the
most dramatic expression of the V8 Vantage ever created.
Our 30,000th Vantage (not including V12)
Our 25,000th DB9
To complement the interior styling of the N430,
high quality leather ECU pouches are available in
striking colour combinations.
Made-to-order luggage sets, containing a small,
medium and large holdall, are available in
Obsidian Black or Argento Grey full grain leather
with a choice of contrasting accent colour (yellow,
black, grey or red).
A range of indoor car covers have also been
created in a choice of colours with contrasting
piping designed to complement the exterior
liveries of the N430 (Green & Yellow, Black &
Grey, Silver & White, Dark Blue & Red or White
& Red).
All of these items are featured on your N430 spec
forms, and you will receive a Parts Operations
bulletin with details of how to order these items
individually in due course.
Our 4,000th Rapide
However, in 2012 alone Porsche built:
Over 28,000 911 models
NETWORK DEVELOPMENT
Development through our Global Dealer
Network will continue in 2014 and will include
the addition of Q by Aston Martin Lounges in
specially selected dealerships in markets where
demand for the service is growing.
Over 27,000 Panameras
These dedicated lounges will allow dealers to
offer customers an individual and exclusive
service that focusses on design inspiration, rather
than just options, and allow customers to spend
time exploring the theme behind their car choices
in the hands of an expert at the dealership.
Plus over 13,000 Boxsters
In 2012 and 2013 Bentley built:
The sales environment and atmosphere is critical
to selling an Aston Martin and our showrooms are
designed to demonstrate our focus on the details.
The same ethos applies to Q by Aston Martin and
the new lounges reflect the unique service.
Over 10,000 Continental GTs
IN THE NEWS
These figures reflect the exclusivity that
Aston Martin has, as a brand, over its
competitors.
At the Geneva Motorshow in March 2014, Aston Martin launched the V8 Vantage N430 and
DB9 Carbon Edition. Here’s what the media have made of them both so far...
It is also a testament to the high levels
of craftsmanship and quality that go into
producing every car that more than
90%
of all Aston Martins ever built are still in
existence today and are being enjoyed by
our customers.
CAR AND DRIVER / US
TELEGRAPH LUXURY / UK
CAR ADVICE / NEW ZEALAND
AM DEALER NEWSLETTER / MARCH 2014
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CONTACT DETAILS
Every issue we look at a different team and this time it’s Sales Operations. You might speak to these people on a
regular basis, so here’s a bit more information about them and what they do.
Jane Bartlett
Sales Support Executive
Rachel Snook
Dealer Support Executive for UK, South
Africa and China
+44 (0) 1926 644287
[email protected]
+44 (0) 1926 644289
[email protected]
“I have been with Aston Martin for almost
14 years and I provide support to the
Sales Operations team on a whole range
tasks and projects. Outside of work I enjoy
keeping fit, in particular running”.
“I provide support for our Dealer Network
in the UK, South Africa and China. I’ve
been working at Aston Martin for 10 years.
Outside of work I have a keen interest in
fitness, particularly in running”.
Lottie Surtees
Dealer Support Executive for The Americas
and Middle East
Amy Williams
Dealer Support Executive for Europe, Russia
and Asia Pacific
+44 (0) 1926 644270
[email protected]
+44 (0) 1926 644271
[email protected]
I joined 11 years ago at Bloxham building
DB7. I enjoy the challenge of the different
cultures. My spare time is taken up with my
passion for horses and motorsport. I’m also
training for a 10k obstacle/wild run.
“I provide support to our dealers in Europe,
Russia and Asia Pacific. I am relatively new
to Aston Martin and in my spare time I am
training to run my first half marathon”.
Lowri Anslow
Wholesale Finance Analyst
Abby Millen
Wholesale Finance Executive
+44 (0) 1926 692197
[email protected]
+44 (0) 1926 644494
[email protected]
I have been working at Aston Martin for
nearly 6 years. I work on wholesale finance;
ensuring that payments are received for
cars. In my spare time, I enjoy weekends
away in my VW campervan.
I have worked for Aston Martin for 13
years, starting in Finance then moving into
Sales & Accounting. I enjoy the challenges
and variation of working in the sales team.
In my spare time I enjoy walking my dog
and I’m a keen runner.
TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO READ ABOUT. GO TO:
WWW.ASTONMARTIN.COM/DEALER-FEEDBACK TO MAKE SUGGESTIONS OF TOPICS YOU’D LIKE US TO COVER IN THE NEXT ISSUE.
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AM DEALER NEWSLETTER / MARCH 2014