Suzuki, firmly entrenched in the Indian psyche with its association with Maruti, is now building its repertoire in the two-wheeler space. Anu Anamika, National Head – Marketing, Suzuki Motorcycle India Limited (SMIL), reveals how the brand made its re-entry into India and how it is managing to saddle the ride between mass and premium
Q] In India, Suzuki is strongly associated with Maruti in the car space. You earlier had an association with TVS in the two-wheeler space. What were the challenges for Suzuki in establishing the brand, positioning and communication, especially with your third re-entry into India?
The brand Suzuki has lineage and a strong reputation, which is well-known in India. On the other hand, Suzuki Two-Wheelers is new to the Indian market. When we first entered the Indian two-wheeler market in 2006, our primary goal was to create a distinct identity and brand recall for the Suzuki Two-Wheeler brand.
Q] What is the brand’s market share in the scooter and motorbike category? What is your target market share?
The scooter segment has always been a strong space for us owing to our bestseller Suzuki Access. We currently own 22% market share and are aiming for 30% in this category. In the motorcycle segment, Suzuki currently accounts for 2% share. We are targeting 5% market share in this segment.
Q] You have used Salman Khan in his Dabanng avatar to promote Hayate, and now you have a new brand positioning ‘Apna Suzuki, Apna Way Of Life’ with the actor promoting the entire range. What was the insight behind this?
We signed on Salman Khan as the brand ambassador for Suzuki Motorcycles. The first campaign with him focused on the launch of Suzuki Hayate. Subsequently, in the campaign ‘Apna Suzuki, Apna Way Of Life’ which showcases the range, he has endorsed the Suzuki Two- Wheeler brand. ‘Apna Suzuki, Apna Way Of Life’ is a philosophy based on Suzuki’s global philosophy of the brand’s way of life. In India, Suzuki Two-Wheelers presents this philosophy with a touch of Indian-ness. The Indian audience connects with Salman on a personal level. Hence as the narrator of the story, he brings together the many colors of Indian life in the TVC.
Q] Can you cite an interesting, memorable experience while marketing Suzuki two wheelers in India?
I recall this one incident when we had just launched the Suzuki Hayate with Salman as our Brand Ambassador. Soon after, we rolled out a campaign which was based on his film Ek Tha Tiger. During one of my market visits around the time (aimed at doing a field check on outcomes of the promotions), I was thrilled to find two people dressed as Tiger, Salman’s character in the movie and riding a Suzuki Hayate. What was even more interesting was that one of them was a five-year-old kid riding pillion with his dad! It was fun to meet and interact with them. I also captured that moment with some interesting pictures.
Q] What are the fundamental principles of your marketing strategy? What does your marketing mix look like?
Our marketing strategy is focused on establishing the brand image of Suzuki Two-Wheelers. Hence, we have taken the deliberate step of promoting not one, but the entire portfolio of Suzuki products and showcase our brand philosophy. Our current marketing mix includes key media for ATL and BTL activities. Television and print media play lead roles in defining our marketing strategy. They are further supported by other media depending on the product, target group and market which we are addressing.
Q] Suzuki has a niche following among performance biking and superbike enthusiasts. How does the brand retain its aspirational and premium value while chasing the mass market?
Suzuki is synonymous with performance biking. Our legendary superbikes like the Hayabusa and Intruder are world-renowned and boast of Suzuki’s long standing legacy in superbike technology. We have a huge fan following of high-end bikes in India as well. While big bikes form a niche market in India, they also serve as image builders for Suzuki.
Q] What’s the USP of the brand? What differentiates you from your competition, Bajaj, Hero, Honda and your erstwhile partner TVS?
Suzuki’s technological edge gives the brand a head start in the two wheeler segment. Our USP, however, lies in our range of value-packed products, designed to cater to the varying needs of customers in different segments.
Q] The festival season is one when many companies launch new products and announce special offers. Are you likely to do the same this year?
Our current bouquet of product offerings covers the entire spectrum. We will not be launching any new offers for this festival season.
Q] What are Suzuki’s plans for India? Are there any new products in the pipeline?
India is an important market for Suzuki. We are working on new products that will be launched here in the future.
Q] What is your current dealership strength and expansion plans?
Distribution and network are significant to strengthening brand and sales. We currently have 300 touch points across India, and we are already in the process of doubling that number.
Q] Which region provides the most amount of traction? How are you looking at Tier II and Tier III markets?
For Suzuki, the strongest market is the West followed by South. We are aggressively expanding in Tier II and Tier III markets, so we can reach out to target customers who prefer mass-market motorcycles.
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