Nissan has become the first automotive brand in Europe to sell a vehicle exclusively through the use of social networking site Twitter.

From first contact with the client to the final decision to purchase – just six days later – all communication between flagship Galician dealer Antamotor and customer Raul Escolano took place digitally via the social media platform.

Escolano threw down the gauntlet to automotive brands across Spain, challenging them to support him in buying a vehicle, solely through the use of social networks.

In the spirit of the truly innovative purchase, keys to the X-Trail were delivered direct to Mr. Escolano’s home by courier, to complete the online transaction.

The vehicle itself was collected from the brand’s Spanish Headquarters, in the first face-to-face interaction between Nissan and the customer since the sale began two months ago.

Today’s customers typically visit a dealership only once before an automotive purchase, down from five visits a decade ago, so it's clear that the online experience has never been more critical for automakers.

In October 2015, Nissan announced a new European customer experience initiative which is in fact one of the industry's broadest-reaching customer service transformation programmes.