Case study- Maruti Versa
Improper positioning
Associating with a star, however big he or she may be, in itself does not guarantee sales. The most it can do is generate interest in the product or create a buzz around it.
Take the case of Maruti Versa, which was launched amidst a lot of fanfare about three years ago.
In spite of Maruti signing up superstar Amitabh Bachchan and his son Abhishek Bachchan as brand ambassadors for Versa, the brand’s sales remained sluggish.
To be fair, the Big B magic did work and the ads created significant interest, drawing people into the showroom.
But perhaps the positioning itself was faulty as people were expecting a larger than life car, just like the brand’s ambassador.
Last year, we saw Versa being re-positioned as a family car, with the core proposition being, “the joy of travelling together.”
In the words of Ravi Bhatia, General Manager of Marketing at Maruti, Versa has started doing well and has witnessed an upswing since the new positioning. Last year, the average sales were 80-100 vehicles a month.
Now they are selling 450 vehicles a month.
Improper positioning
Associating with a star, however big he or she may be, in itself does not guarantee sales. The most it can do is generate interest in the product or create a buzz around it.
Take the case of Maruti Versa, which was launched amidst a lot of fanfare about three years ago.
In spite of Maruti signing up superstar Amitabh Bachchan and his son Abhishek Bachchan as brand ambassadors for Versa, the brand’s sales remained sluggish.
To be fair, the Big B magic did work and the ads created significant interest, drawing people into the showroom.
But perhaps the positioning itself was faulty as people were expecting a larger than life car, just like the brand’s ambassador.
Last year, we saw Versa being re-positioned as a family car, with the core proposition being, “the joy of travelling together.”
In the words of Ravi Bhatia, General Manager of Marketing at Maruti, Versa has started doing well and has witnessed an upswing since the new positioning. Last year, the average sales were 80-100 vehicles a month.
Now they are selling 450 vehicles a month.