MxMIndia

Tag: Honda

  • Moving through 250 cities and towns across the diverse terrains and picturesque corners of the nation, the drive will culminate at Greater Noida

    HCIL announces new contest involving Honda Amaze

    By A Correspondent

     

    Honda Cars India Ltd. flagged off its ‘Longest drive through Amazing India’ drive with the family sedan Honda Amaze, to celebrate its success in the Indian market. The drive will cover a distance of over 23,000 kms covering the length and breadth of the country. Moving through 250 cities and towns across the diverse terrains and picturesque corners of the nation, the drive will culminate at Greater Noida.

     

    The family sedan, Honda Amaze, has seen tremendous response from its customers. In just 16 months since the launch, the iconic product has reached the 100,000 milestone number. This is the fastest in the history of HCIL in India.

     

    Announcing the new initiative, Jnaneswar Sen, Senior Vice President, Marketing & Sales, Honda Cars India Ltd said, “Honda Amaze has witnessed great success in the Indian market and the sales milestone further reiterates that we have been able to meet up with the market expectations through our customer-centric innovation approach. We are celebrating this success by organizing the ‘Longest Drive through Amazing India’ initiative which is a part of Honda’s “Amazingly Indian” campaign conceptualised by our creative agency, Soho Square(Gurgaon).

     

    The drive will traverse through mountainous terrains, coastlines, flat highways, congested city roads and the interiors of India showcasing the durability and reliability of Honda Amaze through this diverse terrain. We are really excited about the initiative and believe that the Honda Amaze shall triumph over all these conditions.

     

    Kapil Arora – President, Ogilvy Group-North said, “The Honda Amaze has seen a spectacular run since its launch last year. It is a unique combination of Honda’s technical superiority, a great value proposition and the pride associated with the Honda brand. As the Honda Amaze has been designed specifically to manoeuvre  rough Indian road conditions, and to the unique needs of the Indian customer, we created a campaign reiterating those very virtues of the car – that the Honda Amaze is a sedan truly Made For India.”

     

  • The TVC created by Soho Square will air across channels in nine different languages

    That’s my ride, affirms Honda Mobilio in new TVC

    Honda Cars India Limited (HCIL) unveiled a new ad campaign titled ‘That’s My Ride’ for new model Honda Mobilio. The new Honda Mobilio marks an evolution in the MPV segment by offering a unique combination of sporty exterior styling along with space, comfort and utility in just the right size to suit the needs of Indian families. Honda Mobilio, HCIL’s maiden entry into the MPV segment in India will be available in both Diesel and Petrol fuel options.

     

    The TVC created by Soho Square will start airing across channels in nine different languages.

     

    The objective of the ad campaign was to announce the arrival of the new 7-seater while keeping the focus on its rational as well as emotional benefits for the entire family. The film opens on a family which is a modern-day joint family of seven people. The family approaches its new car, the Honda Mobilio and breaks into a rap battle. The TVC depicts the idea of a perfect utility car for the entire family through this family rap battle. The grandparents, the kids, the mom are locked in a rap battle, trying to prove that the car was bought for them and no one else. The kids argue that their father loves them the most and hence bought the car for them. The car takes them places- be it vacations, game, park or school. At the end of their argument, each of them call the Honda Mobilio, “my ride”.

     

    Jnaneswar Sen, Sr. VP – Marketing & Sales, Honda Cars India Ltd said, “The Mobilio is essentially a family vehicle and requirements of each occupant have been taken care of while developing the Mobilio. The car has a very progressive style and also delivers all the rational features to drive the family around with all the comfort. Honda Mobilio is a car for the Man and the Family -“ApneLiye, ApnoKeLiye.” We are sure that the new Honda Mobilio will further strengthen the bond with our esteemed customers. The launch campaign “That’s My Ride” will specifically appeal to the family people.”

     

  • Phase II shall see the 360 degree campaign blitzkrieg starting from today across TV, print, radio, outdoor to even cinema

    Phase 2 of ‘Honda is Honda’ takes flight

    By A Correspondent

     

    Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. has released its latest corporate campaign titled ‘Honda is Honda’.

     

    In Phase I, ‘Honda is Honda’ campaign was teased at various social sites and blogs from 14-18 July followed by the TV teaser which was on-air from 15-18th July. Phase II shall see the 360 degree campaign blitzkrieg starting from today across TV, print, radio, outdoor to even cinema. Engaging with his 10 million fans, Honda’s brand ambassador Akshay Kumar too is promoting the campaign through his social page.

     

    The new corporate campaign ‘Honda is Honda’ aims to unambiguously demonstrate that Honda is the partner of choice for Indian two-wheeler customers in pursuit of their dreams. The objective is also to firmly embed Honda’s Wings as the metaphor/symbol of HMSI’s commitment to enable people to achieve the lift they seek.

     

    The film shows an entire town intrigued by a spectacle taking shape high up in the sky. From little girls and boys to elderly men, rural women to global travellers, working professionals to monks, all are seen looking up to the sky. What catches their attention is divers diving out of two planes and hovering over the town.

     

    People are seen peeping out of windows, standing on terraces and coming together to watch the spectacle. One of them is Honda’s brand ambassador Akshay Kumar. The divers finally come together to form the Wing aerially. The spectators are thrilled to see Honda Wing high up in the clouds. As they ride on their respective motorcycle and scooter afterward, they too relate to the same feeling of ‘flying’. Akshay’s voice over at the end says, “Zameen se jab hum paanv uthate hain, pankh apne aap lag jaate hain” (When we take our feet off ground, we get our wings).

     

    YS Guleria, Vice President-Sales and Marketing, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. said, “‘Honda is Honda’ is not just another campaign but an important one to announce the start of a New Era as ‘Only Honda in Indian two-wheeler industry’; Honda has unleashed Wave 2.0 of its business expansion. As its next move, Honda is strategically reinforcing its solo and empowered identity – the ‘Wings’ as it makes inroads into rural environs. ‘Honda is Honda’ is our most ambitious 360 degree campaign and the first ever launched from the digital platform followed by other media.”

     

    “In the second campaign, we wanted to establish clearly that this ride is not just a ride but a flight. It is interesting that when we ride a motorcycle or a scooter, we lift our feet off ground. When birds fly, they lift their feet off ground. The brand had this incredible symbol, which we hadn’t leveraged. So it all came together in ‘zameen se jab hum paanv uthate hain, pankh apne aap lag jaate hain’ Brand Honda gives an experience no other brand can,” said Titus Upputuru, NCD, Dentsu Marcom.

     

  • The TVC showcases how Honda is carrying forward the legacy of brand Activa by further strengthening and expanding its foothold through the new two-wheeler in a hitherto unexplored 125 cc sub-segment

    Honda unveils new campaign for Activa 125

    Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. (HMSI) has commenced its new Ad campaign titled ‘Step-up’ for its latest entrant in the ATSC (Automatic Scooters) category- Activa 125. The TVC has been created by Dentsu Marcom and is running on air across channels. The new TVC showcases how Honda is carrying forward the legacy of brand Activa by further strengthening and expanding its foothold through the new two-wheeler in a hitherto unexplored 125 cc sub-segment.

     

    The objective of the campaign was to build on the legacy of Activa, and position the newest launch Activa 125 as the undisputable choice for the ‘nicest people’ who have not just progressed in life, but also created a lot of goodness and niceness with every step up in life.

     

    “Honda, the undisputed leader in 100-110 cc sub-segment of the ATSC segment, now aims to further strengthen the legacy of brand Activa with the new Activa 125. It delivers superb power and exciting pickup. Activa 125 comes with HET – Honda Eco Technology that gives it a world class mileage. Other exciting features- metal body, digital meter and telescopic suspension allow customers to step up with style in life like never before,” shared YS. Guleria, Vice President-Sales & Marketing, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd.

     

    “Owner’s pride is known to cause neighbour’s envy. But we realised there are exceptions. We applaud and feel happy for people who are nice and cheerful. When we were briefed on the new 125cc more powerful, more stylish variant of the iconic Activa scooter of Honda, we thought it’s a clear story of upgrade. So instead of going the regular path of envy, we zagged,” shared Titus Upputuru, NCD Dentsu Marcom.

     

    “There comes a time when one simply basks in the glory of a journey well-travelled, of a life well lived. It isn’t flash or pomp or pageantry that matters. Instead, there’s a confident assertion of one’s identity that’s evident to all those around.  And a perfect partner for all such people is the Activa 125. Step Up to greater power, the fantastic legacy of India’s largest scooter brand and let the world celebrate as you ride on,” said Anand Murty, VP Planning- Dentsu Marcom.

     

  • Companies like M&M, HUL, Godrej, Ford and Honda prefer start-ups over old agencies for digital ads

    Big spenders advertisers prefer start-ups for digital

     

    By Kala Vijayraghavan & Lijee Philip

     

    In September 2012, when Mahindra & Mahindra was preparing to launch its compact SUV Quanto, it overlooked its mainstream advertising agencies Interface and Lodestar, and went to Hungama, a boutique agency, for a digital ad campaign screened in malls. Hungama developed a technology where a consumer’s electronic car key started a Quanto ad on a computer screen, which went on to simulate a feel of the vehicle in typical weekend settings. The idea was to create a digital experience of the SUV and help the brand break out of the clutter in a competitive segment.

     

    “The response time for social media activities should be next to nothing,” says PN Shah, CEO, automotive, Mahindra & Mahindra, explaining why he preferred a specialised digital agency over tried-and-tested partners.

     

    “We need tailormade, online, onsite and on-time solutions that help us react and respond quickly.” Like M&M, top consumer companies, including HUL, Godrej Consumer, Ford and Honda, are now cold-shouldering their traditional ad agencies such as JWT, Dentsu, Mindshare, Interface, Lowe Lintas and Mudra to tap social media marketing agencies such as WATConsult, BCWebWise, Bloggers’ Mind, Blogworks, Digit9.0 and other such startups for their digital requirements.

     

    “Traditional agencies are not thinking digital adequately,” says Hemant Bakshi, executive director, home and personal care business, HUL. “They are creating digital as separate divisions. Digital has to be at the heart of the communication and not peripheral to it.”

     

    Counters Suman Srivastava, ex-CEO, Euro RSCG and founder of Marketing Unplugged, a marketing consulting company: “It is fashionable to blame agencies or say they tend to think in silos. But the fact is the traditional marketers themselves do not understand the medium.”

     

    HUL has worked with BCWebWise quite a bit ever since Chaaya Baradhwaaj, its founder and CEO, launched HUL’s Sunsilk Gang of Girls, an online social networking website built around its leading beauty shampoo brand in 2006.

     

    Youngsters, who embody the credo of the internet age of being ‘digital natives’, are now guiding companies in digital, which is emerging as a disruptive force in consumer marketing. “Our roots are in digital. We come with no baggage of other media,” says BCWebWise’s Ms Baradhwaaj. “The dynamics of the technology-driven medium, the interactivity it offers, and the fact that consumer pull by far supersedes brand push can be inherently understood if you have been eating, breathing, and living digital in your advertising/communication life.” Adds Sunil Kataria, chief marketing officer of Godrej Consumer Products: “Twenty-something youngsters are able to understand digital better as a disruptive force in consumer marketing. We are tapping such specialised agencies and startups.”

     

    Mainstream advertising agencies counter this, saying there’s no great work happening. “These are college kids charging a low fee from these companies to earn extra money,” says Partha Sinha, director Asia, Publicis, a large advertising agency.

     

    “None of our digital ads have even been shortlisted at Cannes.” According to Mr Sinha, companies have created a perception barrier, and themselves do not have the systems and skills to understand digital.

     

    “They are only doing basic maintenance work on social media,” he says. “The fact is, companies are not desperate on digital. They are still hung up on outdoor and television. The day companies get serious about social media internally is when they will find similar change in their advertising agencies.”

     

    HUL is integrating social media and mobile into the marketing of its brands at the planning stage itself. These were premium brands that have a high online audience such as Tresemme, Sunsilk, Lakme, Closeup and Surf. In the next two years, it expects to treble ad spends in online and digital, taking it to 10% of its overall ad spends.

     

    Similarly, Godrej Consumer opted to tap an integrated design company, Creativeland Asia, for its digital campaigns to relaunch its Cinthol brand (MakesMeAlive) and launch its air purifier brand, Aer (colouryourfriendsapp). “Social media cannot be just an appendage to your traditional medium,” says Mr Kataria. “We are a new breed of organisation that thinks from the society aspect and then fashions our campaigns, and not vice versa,” says Sajan Raj Kurup, founder and CEO, Creativeland Asia.

     

    Sourav Jain, a social media marketing specialist, feels traditional advertisers have a lot of catching up to do. “They do not understand the technicality of the process in social media,” he says. “Social media is not only effective, but is also relatively inexpensive. Here, one gets a chance to interact, and build relationship and reputation for their brands.” Admitting that big agencies took to digital with a lag, Arun Iyer, creative director at Lowe Lintas, says they are up to the task today. Like Mr Sinha of Publicis, even he sees it as a perception problem at the end of the companies.

     

    “Even when we make our presentation in the digital space, clients do take a look at it, but then chose a smaller specialist,” says Iyer. In the current context, smaller players are packing more punch. “They are far more specialised and are able to build expertise faster,” says Rajesh Lalwani, founder and principal of Blogworks, a Delhi-based social media agency. Its team of 28-30 people has worked for Harley Davidson and Ford Fiesta AT model.

     

    Mr Lalwani says that, for most auto companies, social media accounts for 10-20% of their marketing spends. “Bigger agencies seem indifferent to social media at this point of time since it is too small to interest them,” adds Jnaneswar Sen, senior vice-president (marketing and sales), Honda Cars India.

     

    Despite working with Soho Square (part of Ogilvy), Dentsu and Grey Worldwide, when it came to leveraging social media to launch Amaze, Honda selected Blazar, a small boutique advertiser. “They are managed largely by a younger team,” says Sen. “They clearly know what the young generation wants.” Adds Rajiv Dingra, CEO of Mumbaibased social media agency Wat Consult, which ran the social media campaign for the Mahindra two-wheeler Centuro and Ford: “Car buying is a high involvement purchase and social media helps to keep the buzz alive.” Dhingra feels this does not come naturally to large agencies. “They are unable to specialise and build depth. We were able to quickly foresee what the consumer wanted. ” Understanding feedback/data, and modifying plans quickly, is a challenge best handled by smaller players, according to Carlton D’silva, chief creative officer of Hungama Digital. “Most likely, larger ad agencies will acquire boutique agencies rather than developing capabilities from scratch.”

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2013, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

    Licensed to republish

     

  • What strikes me as different is that Honda has decided to break the rules of typical sedan advertising. Refreshing to see a sedan ad minus all the usual lifestyle advertising shoo-sha. And it makes strategic sense

    Debrief: Honda Amaze: Takes a detour

    By Anil Thakraney

     

    Wow, this seems to be a season of soaps! On Tuesday we examined the new Godrej campaign, which follows the TV serial format. Here’s another one, and thank god it doesn’t feature Amitabh Bachchan in drag. Honda Amaze, the first diesel offering from Honda is here, and their ads too feature a continuing story.

     

    This campaign features the full family. The man’s in-laws are visiting, and this ‘catastrophic’ event triggers many ads, and within each ‘episode’, one particular feature of the car gets highlighted. More leg room, more boot space, super mileage, etc. The entertainment is provided by funny interactions amongst the family members.

     

    Hmm, must say it’s an interesting approach, even if it isn’t brilliant by any stretch of imagination. It’s actually a regular Indian family ad. What strikes me as different is that Honda has decided to break the rules of typical sedan advertising. Instead of selling premium imagery, hip lifestyle, design, aspiration, hot chicks, etc, they’ve gone into the life of a typical middle class family. They are the sort of people you’d find in a realism-based television serial like Balika Vadhu. There’s not even an attempt to make the brand look cool and happening, it’s totally about functionality and performance.

     

    Now, this I appreciate. Refreshing to see a sedan ad minus all the usual lifestyle advertising shoo-sha. And it makes strategic sense. Honda is considered an expensive option in India, their cars are always priced higher than the rival brands. The Amaze is Honda’s first reasonably priced car, but rather than selling price, they’ve gone for the ‘aam aadmi’ advertising approach. So that the entry level sedan buyers don’t shy away from the brand, imagining it to be expensive.

     

    Good thinking. This approach will result in many footfalls in the Honda showroom.

     

    Rating: (On a scale of 1-5): 3. Sensible, no-frills advertising.

     

    Anil Thakraney is a senior journalist and commentator. He is also Editor-at-Large, MxMIndia. The views of the writer are his own.

     

     

     

  • The offline study conducted by Nielsen on behalf of Google India at car showrooms in eight metros revealed that one in two car buyers conducted research online

    Internet influences over 50% car buyers: Google

    By A Correspondent

     

    If you are planning to buy a car, who will you go to for advice? The Internet…family… a car expert? Various people choose various options, but according to a study done by Google India, with over 120 million Indian Internet users, the Internet plays an important role in influencing the decision-making process of India’s growing number of car buyers.

     

    The offline study conducted by Nielsen on behalf of Google India at car showrooms in eight metros (NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Kochi) revealed that one in two car buyers conducted research online before arriving at the dealership. The survey also revealed that of those who had researched about their purchase options online, over 50 per cent changed their choice of car brands after uncovering new information on the web.

     

    Speaking about the study, Rajan Anandan, vice president & managing director, Google India, said: “This offline study substantiates the growing number of auto-related searches we’ve seen on Google Search inIndia. Auto is among the fastest growing vertical in terms of query volumes on Google. Most OEMs have not yet tapped the full potential of the digital medium and we hope this study will help them to understand and engage the Indian consumer online.”

     

    Respondents reported that they used the web to research and compare prices, watch online videos, find images, do competitive analysis, find dealer contacts and read both expert and user reviews. Most car buyers also rated OEMs website as the most important and trustworthy source of information. Of the 50 per cent respondents who went online, 42 per cent said they used search engine as the first source of information, just behind the opinions of friends and relatives’ (47 per cent).

     

    However, the auto-makers aren’t affected by the study. Abhishek Gupta, former brand manager at Maruti Suzuki India Limited and business head – North at RPS consulting said that  people might go online for research but final decision depends on what family and friends recommend. “One goes online to get a basic understanding. He might read blogs, reviews or comments to get others point of view but will buy a car which he aspires to purchase or what people close to him tell him to.”

     

    Voicing the same opinion, a marketing head at the leading Japanese car manufacturer, said: “Maybe Google is correct or maybe they are not. But it’s a fact that one needs to go to a showroom to get a feel and look of the various cars s/he has shortlisted before zeroing in on one.”

     

    The research was conducted outside the car showrooms of India’s leading OEMs namely: Maruti, Tata Motors, Ford, Chevrolet, Hyundai, Honda & VW. The total sample size for the research was 2,791 respondents. Out of which 93 per cent were males, with 75 per cent of the respondents in the age group of 25-44.