Renault Seongsu (Image courtesy of Renault Korea)
SEOUL, Jun. 25 (Korea Bizwire) – Renault Korea is overhauling its customer engagement and sales strategies in preparation for the launch of its new hybrid mid-size SUV, the Aurora 1.
According to Renault Korea on June 23, over 60% of visitors to the carmaker’s recently renovated flagship store Renault Seongsu are in their 20s and 30s. This marks a significant shift from before the renovation when this age group accounted for only about 10% of visitors.
This change is attributed to Renault Korea’s recent comprehensive revision of its sales strategy. Following a rebranding effort in April that included a new company name and official emblem to reinforce Renault’s original identity, the company has revamped every customer touchpoint, from employee uniforms to in-store music and scents.
Hwang Jae-seop, Executive Managing Director of Sales and Network Development at Renault Korea, said in an interview on June 18 at Renault Seongsu, “We’ve changed everything from A to Z, from the cars to the showrooms. We aimed to create a space that people can visit comfortably and naturally in their daily lives.”
Hwang Jae-seop, Executive Managing Director of Sales and Network Development at Renault Korea (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
Renault Korea has changed the uniforms of sales staff nationwide from suits to polo shirts and unified their titles to “Sales Advisors” (SA). The company has selected 56 upbeat electropop songs as background music for showrooms and placed phytoncide diffusers in all exhibition halls to create a vibrant and friendly atmosphere.
Hwang noted a noticeable increase in family and couple visits to Renault Seongsu and mentioned plans for future collaborations with various brands, especially those with a young French sensibility.
The company has recently introduced the lifestyle brand Nice Weather to Renault Seongsu and is running a brand experience campaign called Play Renault for weekend visitors, focusing on creating a trendy, multi-functional automotive space.
Renault Korea also plans to significantly expand its sales organization to coincide with the launch of Aurora 1. The company aims to increase its sales force from the current 850 to over 1,000 employees.
The company has recently introduced the lifestyle brand Nice Weather to Renault Seongsu (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
Regarding the upcoming hybrid vehicle Aurora 1, set to be unveiled at the Busan Mobility Show on June 27, Hwang expressed confidence. He predicted that the new model would change the landscape of the D-segment market, currently dominated by a few models like the Kia Sorento and Hyundai Santa Fe.
Aurora 1 is Renault Korea’s first new model since the XM3 in 2020 and the first vehicle from the Aurora Project, a new car development plan initiated in 2022. The official name will be revealed at the Busan Mobility Show.
While Hwang was cautious about disclosing sales targets for Aurora 1, he emphasized that the vehicle was designed to meet all the desires of Korean consumers, encouraging high expectations for the new model.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
