Team-BHP - Car Manufacturers adopting new age marketing strategies

Came across a report in Economic Times on how Car Manufacturers are coming up with all kinds of different strategies to get the attention of the Indian Consumer. Whether it is biggies like Maruti and Hyundai, or the smaller players like Renault, all of them are trying different things in the marketing and advertising space.

What caught my attention was this line in the initial paragraph of the article.

Quote:

In a simpler time, Mr Khan (Shahrukh of course), playing the fool with Mr Kim from Hyundai was all it took for a potential customer to sit up and pay attention.

It's a lot harder these days with multiple sources of information: friends on and off Facebook, video reviews on auto shows or portals and the meticulous, obsessive essays on cars penned by gearheads on sites like TeamBHP.

I liked that line. Meticulous and obsessive essays. :)

Some of the more recent marketing trends and approaches being tried.

TV is still important. But in different ways. More focus on product integrations in popular programs in different channels (Eg: Duster's integration in Roadies or the Maruti sponsored 'Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi' where an Alto 800 is the star)
The Digitial Media space: Probably the area with the biggest focus. Facebook, Twitter, Virtual Experiences, webcasts, Online booking options are all gaining popularity. Maruti's "Nexa Experience' Campaign is focused on this. Most brands are going all out in this space. Some make sense, some seem weird.
Driving out to the rural areas: being done by brands with a lesser footprint. Mobile stalls and pavillions focusing on getting customers to experience products which otherwise they would have no access to.
The Opposite. Driving back to the City: Something Maruti is focusing on. Attempting to convince urban consumers that they can provide a premium experience. With Nexa outlets and premium launches like the S Cross and Baleno.
More focus on keeping consumers in the family. Multiple products at overlapping price points, exchange offers and bonuses are all attempts to keep consumers in the family. Some makers do it better than others.

ET also has a Social Analytics Section. A snapshot below on how Car Makers are using the Social Media Platforms.

Car Manufacturers adopting new age marketing strategies-carmakersocial.jpg

Sources:

Detailed Report: ETAuto
Social Analytics

Quote:

It's a lot harder these days with multiple sources of information: friends on and off Facebook, video reviews on auto shows or portals and the meticulous, obsessive essays on cars penned by gearheads on sites like TeamBHP.

clap: Absolutely love this line!

As much as technology is changing the game, the 4 Ps of marketing (product, place, price and promotion) remain fundamental to success in the auto industry. The internet is resulting in better-informed customers, and also allowing marketeers to reach their target audience more effectively. But there is a lot more that technology can do to the car buying process (including replacing a lot of dealer responsibilities).

Some of the 'social media' rankings remind me of what a marketeer once had to say 'Facebook is good for likes & comments...but it doesn't necessarily lead to car sales' :D. Also, the chart doesn't include model-specific facebook pages that some manufacturers focus heavily on.

What manufacturers should do (surprisingly only a few do) is specifically filter & target their core audience via facebook ads.

This is a good perspective and we should not forget one of the most popular integration in Indian television industry which was between erstwhile Hero Honda and Roadies where the participants got to ride the Karizma and for one season they also got Impulse. No doubt that Karizma and Impulse were good motorcycles in their own right, but such a product placement also helped in increasing the sales and popularity of these 2 motorcycles.

Also as the Indian market gets more mature, we can also see more intelligent product placement like BMW has done with the James Bond/Mission Impossible franchise, Mini was featured in the Italian Job, and Chevrolet Beat and Camaro featured in Transformers series.

One more thing which the Indian manufacturers should focus on 'why' quotient and building an emotional bond with the consumers. For example- Maruti's advertisement of 'India comes home in a Maruti' talked straight to the heart as we could see people from different places and walks coming home in a Maruti car.

Nowdays, at any given price point, there are a number of car models which provide the consumers with different options, so why will a person choose a specific model? That's because the individual can connect to the brand. In the longer scheme of things, this is where the marketing strategies should focus on.

Thanks.