‘Brand ambassadors add major value’

BY IMPACT Staff

“TVS Motor Company has been an innovator and a pioneer,” says H S Goindi, President, Marketing of the company, as he talks about importance of brand ambassadors, maintaining visibility and effective communication amidst the clutter

Q] The brand has associated with Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni and now Anushka Sharma. Do youm believe that these associations translate to sales for the brand?

In today’s competitive marketing environment, a brand ambassador plays an important role in business as he or she adds major value to a business. Brand ambassadors are instrumental in positioning the brand image, gaining the confidence of prospective customers and retaining the loyalty of existing patrons. They can speak directly to the target audience, creating brand awareness, which will subsequently take the brand a long way. A brand ambassador transcends all aspects of the brand. He or she influences psychological factors in a customer’s minds such as motivation, perception, learning, beliefs and attitude. This in turn translates into stronger brand awareness and understanding among consumers.

Q] How does your creative communication position the brand?

At TVS Motor Company, we always strive to be a cut above the rest in terms of advertising and promotions. In fact, our recent advertisement for the TVS Wego, which features body balance technology, was awarded the best two-wheeler commercial of the year award by two leading auto magazines in the country. We believe that it is only fresh ideas that will stand out in the crowd. Communication must be creative in order to first grab the attention of the reader or viewer and create top of the mind recall.

Q] How would you define the target audience for the brand and what is the strategy used to reach this audience?

We utilize all available platforms to promote our brands, be it print or outdoor advertising, television or social media. In fact, we have separate web pages for each of our brands and periodically run various campaigns to direct traffic to these sites.

Q] What is the communication strategy used by the brand?

It is of utmost importance that products being advertised reach out to their target audience and communicate the message correctly. Take for example our recent advertisements for TVS Scooty. As the product is targeted at young girls, the whole communication revolves around that theme. The brand ambassador, Anushka Sharma, who has become the face of the brand, reflects the brand identity and in turn identifies with young girls who want to associate with the product. We currently have two other brand ambassadors as well. While Indian cricket captain MS Dhoni endorses the TVS StaR City range, positioned as a tough rugged motorcycle, his deputy Virat Kohli endorses the TVS Sport motorcycle, which is more about style, flair and flamboyance. Both have attributes that gel with the brand they represent.

Q] How has the two-wheeler market evolved in India?

The Indian automobile industry has evolved over the years and global majors like Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki have found the Indian market hard to ignore. While the four wheeler industry is experiencing a slowdown, due to a combination of various factors, the two-wheeler industry too is having its share of decelerating growth, though at a much lesser pace. However, going forward, the industry is likely to pick up, but a lot will depend on how the socio-economic factors pan out over the next few months.

Q] What are the emerging consumer trends that you have observed?

An evolved industry automatically means availability of refined and quality products, which in turn results in options for customers to choose from. Today’s consumers make informed buying decisions. With increasing access to opinion influencers through the online world, consumers research products before deciding on a purchase. Social media forums today act as discussion platforms with several players offering expert advice.

Q] The brand has a varied line of products that cater to various target groups. What factors decide the communication for each product?

Each brand has different attributes that define it and sets it apart from others. Salient features, USPs and key differentiators must be significantly highlighted when communication is being developed. Each brand has a different target audience, so it is vital that communication that is created appeals to its target audience.

Q] What are the challenges faced by the brand?

The challenge is to maintain visibility and brand recall in the minds of the customer amidst the clutter.

Q] What is the distinguishing factor that separates TVS from competition?

TVS Motor Company has been an innovator and a pioneer, be it in terms of technology that it deploys or in its products or the communication that it develops for its products.

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Tags : CMO Interview