Challenging conventions

BY IMPACT Staff

Amit Chaloo, General Manager - TAG Heuer, India talks about the brand’s focus on targeting younger consumers in India and driving it through campaigns, product and pricing strategy

By SALONI DUTTA

Mumbai’s Mehboob Studio was witness to an evening of high-octane thrills recently as Swiss watch and chronograph brand TAG Heuer demonstrated that it is ready to take on bold challenges, in line with its global ‘Don’t Crack Under Pressure’ campaign. With renewed focus on youth, the brand has revived the campaign, originally run in the early 90s. Amit Chaloo, General Manager - TAG Heuer, India says, “Don’t Crack Under Pressure is not just a claim, it is a powerful mindset. There is no better way to showcase  this belief than with our brand ambassador Shah Rukh Khan who exemplifies this mindset.” The brand is also looking at focussing on digital and events more and more to showcase its products and brand strategy. The campaign is all about targeting youngsters, being energetic, sporty, and resonating that in the brand image. The ‘Don’t Crack Under Pressure’ claim enlightens the mental strength of the Dream Team, athletes and partners, who reflect the values of the TAG Heuer shield. Each builds on the legend in their particular field, reinventing the rules as they go: be it ace footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, tennis star Maria Sharapova, EDM icon David Guetta, Formula 1 champion Jenson Button or superstar Shah Rukh Khan.

The brand entered India in 2002 and since then the evolution of the marketing strategy shows that it has come full circle. “We have always believed in staying one step ahead of competition, and doing things differently. Every campaign that we have, sooner or later, other brands start copying us. We were the first to come up with a campaign which had the face of the ambassador and the watch. And now all brands are doing the same thing,” adds Chaloo.

TAG Heuer feels that having two brand ambassadors in India – Shah Rukh Khan and Ranbir Kapoor - gives them the advantage of covering the entire country. “With two brand ambassadors, the extra effort and money that we are pumping in is because we think India is a great market,” says Chaloo - Shah Rukh Khan will resonate more with elegant and elite audiences, while the youth will follow Ranbir Kapoor. On the basis of the different product lines, Tag Heuer will position Aqua Racer and Carrera with Shah Rukh Khan and Formula One with Ranbir Kapoor.

In line with their focus on youth, Tag Heuer has altered its pricing and product strategy. Commenting on this, Chaloo says, “Our pricing starts from around Rs 70,000 and is geared towards the youth. The inspiration for our time pieces is well thought through. We are also coming up with a Cristiano Ronaldo watch, which will be launched in the coming three months. The price point is accessible and the product is very young and vibrant.” According to Tag Heuer, it is a paradigm shift that they are getting to the luxury market by making the brand younger and cooler, while the elegant part still stays. “So the Carrera is in the Rs 3-4 lakh segment, but there are a lot of youngsters out there who want to buy a watch at around Rs 1 lakh. That is why we are increasing this segment and bringing in more funky and colourful products,” Chaloo adds. With clear data unavailable in the segment, Tag Heuer claims to be at No. 3 or No.4 among Swiss watch brands in India. Commenting on the media mix, Chaloo explains that the brand is targeting digital to reach out to more young customers, while continuing to use Print and Lifestyle Print more specifically. The brand also uses Outdoor tactically, placing it close to points of sale, and recently used Cinema as a medium. With 10 boutiques across cities in India, Tag Heuer plans to add two stores annually. “Delhi is still the No. 1 market for us, closely followed by Mumbai. Then we have markets like Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Pune... and now we are seeing growth coming from cities like Chandigarh, Cochin, and others,” says Chaloo. The brand’s mainstay is still metros, but in smaller cities, growth is happening fast.

Tags : CMO Interview