Bajaj! It is the brand that arouses nationalist sentiments whenever it is mentioned. It is one of the few Indian brands with an 'international' distinction, that of being the largest producer of scooters in the world. And throughout the years, Bajaj has used this sentiment in order to promote itself in India. That was reflected in Bajaj's rankings in the A&M top brands surveys. In 1992, Bajaj had a rank of 26 with a power score of 38, its highest-ever till date.
The main earners in the family especially preferred it and there was a marked preference for the brand in all regions of the country. The advertising strategy was such as to cash in on the 'Indianness' of the brand. The years 1993 and 1994 saw its ranking fall to 28 and then to 29. This was due to the fact that the brand had become a little bit weaker in the Eastern regions of the country. But otherwise things were going quite smoothly.
Noticing this slide, Bajaj decided to experiment a bit and came out with Bajaj Sunny which was termed as the "new 50cc revolution" and an entire whole range of new designs. And who better to endorse the Sunny than the sports icon of India, Sachin Tendulkar. The market took to this new 'scooterette' immediately. Sunny's image even helped in attracting people from the middle-income segment, and women, who usually bought mopeds. Also, Sunny was a safer substitute for the bike and that too at one-third of the price.
By 1995, Bajaj's position had climbed back to its original rank of 26. But there was something to worry about, the power score had decreased to 28.7 and it was doing very poorly in the East. By 1996, the ranking fell even more, to 30 which was accompanied by a decrease in popularity of the brand in the North and South. The slide continued. So much so that by 1998, it had a rank of 33. And finally by 1999, Bajaj was down to a dismal No 48.
Bajaj seems to have realized that now, as can be seen from the recent flurry of activity. It has already taken several steps to regain its glory (even though it is still a force to reckon with). It launched a whole new range of products, which include the Sunny Spice, Bajaj Spirit and others. Bajaj is also trying to get a more 'glamorous' image for its brand, roping in Lisa Ray for the television commercial for Bajaj Spirit. Moreover, Bajaj recently decided to hike its advertising budget and even become the associate sponsor for Star TV's Kaun Banega Crorepati. Better late then never. If Bajaj continues at this rate, it won't be long before it becomes the "spirit of India" again
The main earners in the family especially preferred it and there was a marked preference for the brand in all regions of the country. The advertising strategy was such as to cash in on the 'Indianness' of the brand. The years 1993 and 1994 saw its ranking fall to 28 and then to 29. This was due to the fact that the brand had become a little bit weaker in the Eastern regions of the country. But otherwise things were going quite smoothly.
Noticing this slide, Bajaj decided to experiment a bit and came out with Bajaj Sunny which was termed as the "new 50cc revolution" and an entire whole range of new designs. And who better to endorse the Sunny than the sports icon of India, Sachin Tendulkar. The market took to this new 'scooterette' immediately. Sunny's image even helped in attracting people from the middle-income segment, and women, who usually bought mopeds. Also, Sunny was a safer substitute for the bike and that too at one-third of the price.
By 1995, Bajaj's position had climbed back to its original rank of 26. But there was something to worry about, the power score had decreased to 28.7 and it was doing very poorly in the East. By 1996, the ranking fell even more, to 30 which was accompanied by a decrease in popularity of the brand in the North and South. The slide continued. So much so that by 1998, it had a rank of 33. And finally by 1999, Bajaj was down to a dismal No 48.
Bajaj seems to have realized that now, as can be seen from the recent flurry of activity. It has already taken several steps to regain its glory (even though it is still a force to reckon with). It launched a whole new range of products, which include the Sunny Spice, Bajaj Spirit and others. Bajaj is also trying to get a more 'glamorous' image for its brand, roping in Lisa Ray for the television commercial for Bajaj Spirit. Moreover, Bajaj recently decided to hike its advertising budget and even become the associate sponsor for Star TV's Kaun Banega Crorepati. Better late then never. If Bajaj continues at this rate, it won't be long before it becomes the "spirit of India" again