Hyundai agressively markets the Creta ahead of its launch
New SUV to launch on July 21
On 21 July, Hyundai Motor India will make its compact sports utility vehicle (SUV) Creta available to buyers. The countdown to the launch, though, began 45 days ago when the SUV was christened; five days later its sketches were made public; soon after the product was handed over to automotive experts for review; and this was followed by a crisp, 15-second commercial released on television and social media that was shot in the dark, and teases viewers with frontal and side angle views of the SUV's grille, rear-view mirrors and wheels.
Rakesh Srivastava, senior vice president, sales and marketing, at Hyundai Motor India, says the step-by-step revelations were a conscious strategy to create a buzz. "It's so far worked; we've been able to create five times as much awareness with similar marketing budgets," he lets on.
He adds that the idea is to cater to the demand generated during the auspicious days of festivals, "be it Onam in the south, Ganesh Chaturthi in Maharashtra, leading on to Dussehra and Diwali in the north. "In the past, we missed out on the demand rush of Onam and Ganesh Chaturthi; this advancement (of the launch date) can help," explains Srivastava.
Alpana Parida, president of DY Works, a brand strategy and design agency, is impressed by the strategy. "People who are looking at buying new cars may leverage on the opinion leaders' verdict over claims made by the company. It creates a much more targeted response than carpet bombing."
Hyundai started producing the Creta in June to stock all its 700 outlets across the country. The Creta is critical for the company to achieve its target of growing by 14 per cent in the current year by selling 4.65 lakh units in the domestic market.
Experts say the product has a potential to shake up the Rs 7.5 lakh to Rs 12.5 lakh affordable SUV space, which is still ruled by Mahindra's Scorpio. Many feel Creta from Hyundai can pose a serious challenge to the leadership position of Scorpio. Brand Equity learns the company has asked vendors to be prepared for 5,000 to 6,000 units of production in 2015 alone.
Srivastava avers that Hyundai is eyeing leadership in the affordable SUV space. "We think it is a disruptive product, be it in style, safety, features or ride and handling," he says.
The conceptualization of Hyundai Creta started almost three years back around the start of Auto Expo in 2012, when the US carmaker Ford India had just premiered its compact SUV EcoSport. Looking at the Ford plan, Hyundai did study the sub-4 metre SUV as well. But the findings of over 100 Hyundai engineers from India as well headquarters through several product clinics across the length and breadth of the country suggested otherwise. Over 900 SUV owners and prospective buyers Hyundai interviewed over a year suggested that they wanted an SUV that is stylish, strong and safe - and with no compromise on space.
Rakesh Srivastava
Ford India
Alpana Parida