Car makers take recovery road to big-bang advertising

A slew of hi-decibel launches and a quarter of growth gets auto majors to spend big on advertising again

e4m by Ankur Singh
Published: Sep 1, 2014 8:10 AM  | 5 min read
Car makers take recovery road to big-bang advertising

Top carmakers Maruti Suzuki India, Hyundai, and Honda posted growths in domestic sales last month, signaling a revival in the automobile market that has been under a prolonged slump.

The persistent poor performance of the auto sector last year had impacted their ad spends, with several companies spending conservatively on TV. The forecast for this had been subdued too. However, GroupM recently revised their estimated TV ad spends from 12 to 14.8 per cent this year. One of the growth drivers is the automotive sector, which has had a slew of launches during the first eight months of the year.

exchange4media list out the tops five launches that created a buzz across all advertising platforms.

Honda Mobilio: Even though the digital-first ad launch, that saw Kapil Sharma selling the car, created a well-deserved buzz ahead of the launch, the TVC grabbed quite a few eyeballs all for the wrong reasons. Honda built up the excitement and even opened up bookings well ahead of the launch. The strategy worked and the company pre-booked over 10,000 cars. After the Kapil Sharma ad, one expected Honda to come up with something bigger and better. Instead, the brand threw in a shocker with one of the least appealing TVCs ever. Though the model spoke for itself, many bloggers felt the brand should rather have gone for an out-and-out hard selling TVC for the potentially best-selling model.

Watch the TVC here:



Volkswagen: Like all Volkswagen TVCs, this one too needed to be endearing and simple, yet entertaining at the same time. Taking forward the thought of 'Feels that good', the film illustrates the story of two brothers. The younger of the two always gets the raw end of the stick, as he ends up with all the ‘hand-me-downs’ from his cooler older sibling. From school books to uniforms to shoes and even bicycles, it's always second-hand. Ultimately, the story takes a big turn. The younger brother, now all grown up, comes into his own when we see him driving the sparkling New Polo, while his older sibling is still using a nondescript old car. The ad tugged at many heartstrings and did quite a few rounds on social platforms.

The 360-degree campaign, with activities across all touch-points, was developed to reach the target audience.

Watch the TVC here:

Punto: Fiat Punto's new Evo recently got a face-lift, and so did its ad campaign. Only, unlike the car, the TVC took a dive for the worst. The ad was meant to reinstate Punto Evo's strengths,  promote all the new additions, and ensure that the car is a part of Fiat’s overall brand positioning of ‘Hello Life’. The ad film starts off contrasting ‘great’ life situations, with what could make them ‘interesting’. The film shows young, urban protagonists, accompanied by corresponding visuals, a voiceover explains that while a black suit is great, a yellow tie is interesting. While coffees are great, cappuccinos are presented as interesting. While the brand attempts to make things 'interesting' for its buyers, industry experts felt it’s trying too hard. [read full ad review—New Punto Evo campaign: Life refreshed]

Watch the TVC here:



Hyundai i20: Hyundai has rolled out the latest variant of its hatchback i20, labelled Elite i20. In an attempt to stand out in the crowd, i20 had positioned itself as an offering for the discerning youngsters who look at a drive that has tech and styling rolled into one. To achieve this, the agency put together a large format launch campaign that looked at capturing the car's styling, performance and newness along with an ‘Elite’ user imagery in a Hollywood style action thriller. “This launch campaign is not about a TVC rather it’s a ‘cinemercial’ with a large dose of attitude which is sure to create buzz,” a company statement said.

Whether the campaign will lead to a rise in sales and increased consumer interest is yet to be seen. But the attempt to make it big sure is working. Hyundai claims that its dealerships have reported a major spike in enquiries.

Watch the TVC here:



Tata Zest: The latest addition to the block is Tata’s Zest. On the day of the launch, this one created a buzz with its Times of India front page ‘key’ invites to readers, inviting them to test drive the car at the nearest showroom. The tag line, along with the company logo said: ‘Your Key To Drive Home The New Zest’. Through the day, tweets and posts kept buzzing all over social platforms. Even as this campaign has created its fair share of excitement, it remains to be seen how Tata Motors changes its brand perception with new products.

This is just the start, with the festive season expected to see more launches in the sector. Maruti Suzuki's Ciaz, Fiat's Avventura crossover, BMW's X3, are just some of them. Big spends on advertising will follow, but how that will impact sales remains to be seen .

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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur

The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:15 PM  | 1 min read
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With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.

The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.

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Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out

The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:07 PM  | 1 min read
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Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."

The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."

COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.

Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.

He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.

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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK

Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 11:48 AM  | 1 min read
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e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.

Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.

According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.

As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.

A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.

Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.

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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall

The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 10:54 AM  | 1 min read
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Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.

“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.

“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.

"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."

"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."

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KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias

Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 24, 2023 3:35 PM  | 1 min read
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KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.

Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy

Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.

Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."

Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."

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