Brand imagery is always a cause
of concern for marketers. Pitching a product with a right imagery is a tough
task which every marketer agree with. The biggest risk is that once a wrong
image is made the reversal is seldom possible. Tata Nano is a classic example
of poor brand imagery. Usually marketers recognize this trap very late as they
tend to believe in numbers and profitability. The product may be profitable
initially due to a sudden hype but long term success is a paradox.
Japanese car maker Toyota along
with Kirloskar Ltd. started its operation in India in late 1990s. Since its
inception Toyota is known for its quality and style best suited for the upmarket.
The first model from Toyota in India “Toyota Qualis” was a colossal winner as
it killed the likes of TATA Sumo and became market leader in the category. The
overwhelming success was followed by a poor imagery as Qualis got prominence in
Taxi fleets. Hence they even pull out the brand from the market and came with
Toyota Innova. However, Innova also enjoys its predominance in the taxi sector.
The Etios and Etios Liva launched in the market with a tag ‘Made for India’
targeting the middle income segment also followed the suit. Consequently, the cars from Toyota were opted out by personal car
buyers.
For a country like India, car is
still an aspirational product. It is been considered as a status symbol. So a
car which is been a predominant taxi fails to aspire people. To stay relevant in
the market Toyota definitely has to appeal the personal buyers. Very recently
Toyota launched the ‘Platinum Etios’ in the Rs. 7 – 9 lakhs segment. The competitors
in the segment are Maruti Ciaz, Hyundai Verna, Honda City etc. Since MUVs like
Ertiga also is in the same range they can also contribute to competition. The
Platinum Etios comes with a new front and rear bumper, front grille, fog lamp,
enhanced cabin space, a large boot and plush new interiors. In addition, a host
of safety features like ABS, dual front airbags for driver and passenger and
child seat locks complete the picture. Thus it matches with the competition.
But, the real challenge lies in
giving a different imagery. The new commercial of Platinum Etios explains all
the benefits and appeals to a family (Read aspirational personal buyer). It has
developed a 3600 campaign to
communicate with the target audience. As the Indian consumer look for “more for
less” proposition, only time can determine the success of Platinum Etios. The
only sweet spot is the evolving consumer behaviour, thanks to Uber/Ola. A new segment
of ‘not owning a car by choice’ can in long run alter the way consumer view a
car and may come to the rescue of Toyota.
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