Despite a month-long shutdown, things would have to be on the magnitude of a star going nova to be any brighter than now as far as Skoda New Zealand is concerned.
The brand has seen a very interesting time of it lately, with new digs, new models, a new team and a new general manager in the form of Rodney Gillard at the helm.
Newly minted general managers don’t come along every day, so we thought it was a good idea to meet the new man at Skoda’s helm and get his take on what the post-Covid-19 world looks like for his brand.
Rodney has come into Skoda’s green pastures at a time when the brand should be in full swing with Fieldays.
To be fair, he came onboard prior to New Zealand’s greatest unofficial auto-show, and had things not been plagued with well, a plague – Rodney would have likely been on the historically mid-sized stand in Mystery Creek, wearing gumboots with his customary tailored suit.
Rodney is not new to the automotive industry, but this is his first time at the wheel of a brand and he is putting everything he has learned over the last 36 years to good use, starting with a revisit to brand identification or redefining where Skoda sits in the European Motor Distribution group.
As it happens, Skoda is fairly high up the food chain these days and this has come about through the successes the brand has had in recent months.
“In year-to-date June,” explains Rodney, “we saw better retail sales than last year and this time, we didn’t have Fieldays to further promote the product ranges. As an adjunct to this, Skoda’s performance in June of this year was up on the same months last year.”
It comes as no surprise then, to learn that Skoda New Zealand’s profile as a distributor has been recognised and appreciated by Skoda at an international level.
“As a result of this,” says Rodney, “the Czech Republic Skoda team has been extremely helpful when it comes to our interaction with them.
“We have no parts importation difficulties at present and our team overseas can’t do enough to help us where we need it. We are using our time in the sun to negotiate sharper price points, specifications and better finance arrangements to pass on to our customers here.”
This is having a more beneficial effect than seeing improved sales to existing or even new customers.
“We are at last, seeing significant increases in company and corporate inquiry,” says Rodney, “to extend well beyond the arrangements made last year when we re-committed our partnership with Corporate Cabs.
“Many companies are re-evaluating their medium to long term goals and objectives,” says Rodney, “and they are looking for solutions which are inherent in the Skoda brand DNA.
“We have both passenger cars and SUVs which suit the widest range of corporate and private applications, we have great financing and a good national network of some very skilled dealers.”
On the subject of dealerships, Rodney harks back to his earliest days in the industry when he learned to develop any business using the 33 percent business model.
“When it comes to building a successful business, you divide your time and experience into thirds: 33 percent goes into the development of your retail mechanism (dealers in this case), 33 percent goes into the development of your support team and the last 33 percent goes into your own self development.”
If Skoda’s success in this country is any indication, Rodney’s philosophy is a sound one. “We’ve recently had a great amount of positive feedback from our dealers, our sister brands and from the general public,” Rodney says.
So, it would appear the New Zealand market has accepted Skoda as much more than the boutique underdog brand it once was.
“This is because Skoda in Europe is much like Skoda here,” explains Rodney. “There is a shared appreciation on the part of Skoda-people of the great outdoors which has resulted in the development of vehicles which epitomise that appreciation.”
To date, Skoda New Zealand has continued the brand’s 125-year legacy producing a solid range of SUV’s with the award-winning Kodiaq, Karoq and Kamiq offerings, backed up with the Fabia, Scala, Octavia and Superb passenger lines.
“We will see a new generation Octavia very soon and following on from the announcement of the electric Enyaq, there well may be a plug-in hybrid Superb coming after that.”
In the meantime, Rodney has something of a challenge to company’s out there: “When it comes to looking at a vehicle for your fleet, call into a Skoda dealer and see what works for you. Then just wait till you drive it.
“In the meantime, we think it’ll be about six months while the industry sorts itself out, and come January, I suggest you watch this space, because we’re not slowing down…”
