Suzuki Swift: All set to become more Aspirational !!!

Maruti Suzuki is all set to bring their new edition of Swift in the early 2011. Maruti was facing a tough time before Swift's presence. Swift gave Maruti a stronghold in B-segment and recently has even made itself the most Aspirational Car in the category (Frost & Sullivan Award).   

Maruti Suzuki Swift has become a truly global vehicle. It is built with typical Japanese precision, attention to detail, tested for unique Indian road conditions and customer requirements. Maruti Suzuki Swift is an example of the growing recognition for Indian intellectual and engineering capabilities. Maruti Suzuki's R&D capability, evident time and again in its efforts to upgrade existing models, has attained a new definition with Maruti Suzuki Swift. 

With time, Suzuki has decided to evolve this leading sports compact car and make it more aspirational. Hence, the all new Suzuki Swift - This is turning out to be one of the most anticipated cars of 2011. Now as far as its looks are concerned, one thing that can be said with certain amount of confidence is that it has a tad bit more space than its predecessor, at the very outset it certainly looks more gorgeous.  And its rear end is just shouting “different” “different” !!!

And Suzuki has also launched a new campaign - "I'm your fan" in  Europe. That's the proud statement by everyone who has experienced the new leading sports compact. It's revolving around people who are into modern design, ecology-minded, and looking for an exhilaratingly dynamic driving-experience.

The business of movies...

The box-office collections of Hollywood’s Avatar and Bollywood’s 3 idiots caught a lot of attention last year. Even the profits of big enterprises looked tiny in front of business these movies had made. They were a perfect example of how profitable entertainment industry is!!!

Many companies grew in last 5 years which had ventured into movie-making. UTV saw excellent performance of its movies and was the biggest winner in this time. Even India’s one of the biggest conglomerates – Reliance jumped into movie production and distribution. Eros International plc did pretty fine. Many giants also launched their IPO’s. Our very own Big Cinemas is all set to venture into Hollywood!!!

Movie-making is primarily a risky business. Though it can reap profit of multitude times within a short period of investment; it can also wash away all your investment. The trend these days is to create a huge hype around the movie and try to garner as much collection possible within the first week of the release of the movie. Nowadays a movie is christened hit/flop based on the first week collection itself.

This makes it extremely necessary for the production companies to plan and execute extensive marketing activities right from creating intuitive teaser of the movie to generating controversy/hype among the fans. A lot of Reality shows are also benefitting from this trend as they get to invite stars into their shows and even provide them a platform to promote their movie.

The trailer of much-talked Hrithik/Aishwarya starrer is out. So, I thought what better time for this topic on movies. UTV produced, Sanjay Leela Bhansali directed saga promises to be different.. In the trailer atleast J

First Look-

How to BRAND a Diamond

It is always necessary to differentiate your product from others. This is how the concept of Branding evolved – Earlier days livestock were used to be marked, so as to identify the owner. The essence lies in differentiating yourself. And De Beers knew what exactly to do to -

UNIQUES STONES!!!  WITH THEIR OWN UID’S !!!

Diamonds had become a commodity where any Diamond company couldn’t differentiate themselves. So, De Beers thought why not pitch diamond just as precious stones, but stones which have their own unique identification numbers like we humans will have.

Boast of a unique car, an outfit, and a phone and now diamonds too! De Beers group of companies has launched its premium diamond product called Forevermark after launching brands like asmi, nakshatra etc. The specialty or the uniqueness of these Forevermark diamonds is that they are claimed to be natural, uniquely inscribed, individually chosen and beautifully crafted. More importantly each diamond has an icon and unique identification number (as shown in the picture) inscribed on the table facet of the diamond. The inscription is about 0.05 µm deep and applied using an undisclosed De Beers technology.  

According to the company's press release, only diamonds which are 0.14 carats and above in size, SI2 clarity and above, L color and above and good quality cuts and above meet Forevermark standards.

The 4Cs: cut, clarity, color and carat are met amidst strict parameters and the company claims that Forevermark diamonds are only selected from sources which adhere to the UN-mandated Kimberley Process.

Great positioning I must say.  The Indian consumers are trying out variety and curious about the diamonds sourcing. Change in fashion trends, bold designs and classic shapes are in.

Another upcoming trend is the use of diamonds in traditional Indian jewelry such as the mangalsutra, haathphool, armlet and maangtika.The men are not to be left behind either. men love our concept of grading and certification as they are more practical when it comes to diamond shopping, while women are more emotional about the jewelry they buy. Hence it targets both in a wise manner.

Nice concept of building a forever relationship with your consumer. Each diamond comes with a number through which the customer can log in on the website which will remain the same even after decades. Positive future ahead for diamonds, with people boasting of two unique identification numbers - one for themselves and one for their diamonds!!! Isn’t it exiting??

Now I am confused! Is it that humans are tagged with numbers or stones given an identity??? ;)

-Summu Saif

Hyundai i10, re-christened !!!

The fourth bestselling car (after Alto, Wagon R & Swift) in the Indian Automobile market gets a makeover and for good. It was launched here in India on 23^rd September, 2010. Hyundai i10 was already a hit among the Indian car buyers; but Hyundai knew that needed to evolve to stand apart in the highly competitive hatchback segment. And this led to the birth of the New i10. The new i10 is powered by a 1.1 litre, iRDE petrol engine which will offer great performance along with an unmatched fuel economy. The unit develops 66.7PS@5500 rpm of maximum power and a peak torque of 10.1Kgm@2800 rpm. The engine is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission with a console mounted ergonomic, short throw, i-shift gear box which frees up the space between the driver and the passenger seat and also gives an unique look - a first for this segment. To make in-city driving effortless it comes with an electric power steering.

Now this is a shocker - The top-end model of the i10 comes with features like a panoramic sun-roof (a first for this class of cars), rear spoiler, leather wrapped steering wheel and gear knob, keyless entry, 2-DIN audio system, reverse parking sensors and also offers an Automatic transmission variant too!!! What the i10 Kappa2 is now bringing into the Indian market is technology - both in terms of gadgets as well as engine technology, in a segment that hasn't seen much of both yet.

The new i10s changes aren't just cosmetic - the biggest change in character that the car gets is in its engines. While Hyundai will continue selling both the iRDe and the Kappa engines side-by-side just the way they have been doing till now, both engines get upgrades. The 1.1 litre iRDe2 now sports bigger intake and exhaust valves as well as a special coating on its pistons.

So, will the new i10 re-instate the glory of Hyundai??? Let time answer that… All the best Hyundai J

Source: Zigwheels

Etalkindia

BUZZ of the day: Tata Aria

Sometimes I wonder why automobile manufacturers are vigorously employing internet and viral marketing as their communication tool along with other platforms. In the recent past a lot of Auto companies done something similar, like-

•       The most popular of all – Xylo. Mahindra had always been a fore-runner in using World Wide Web. Even the launch of Scorpio was said to be one of the best online launches in Indian Automotive History. And they bettered with Xylo; it had created an immense impact and curiosity among customers and gathered millions of clicks on its website. XYLO had also generated tremendous interest among bloggers and auto enthusiasts in the online world.
•       Recently Bajaj also tried capturing online audiences with the ads of the launch of their new website mypulsar.com which is one of its kind Experiential Website. It is India's first website that completely shot in video. The website is uniquely designed in 3D video version that takes the visitor’s virtual experience of the brand to the next level. The website brings unique experience to users by using the latest in video and web technology.
•       In international scene, 2 wonderful examples for similar creative ideas would be:

o   http://www.a-to-s.co.uk/home.php - This interactive website by Mercedes is a gem. It will strike you with awe. You will explore the endless possibilities of using Internet to connect and interact!!!

o   http://www.bmwusa.com/Standard/Content/Vehicles/2010/M/MExplore.aspx#Technology – This state of art website by BMW will literally place you on a racing track and explain how the technologies in a M-series car work.

A lot of similar happenings are reality with these day automobile manufacturers. So Tata Motors thought why not do something similar with Aria. And this led to the birth of www.buildadreamcar.com This is not just yet another ordinary website. But is an interactive platform where the participants will be asked to enter a contest and then be provided tools to assemble a car right from its engine and chassis interiors and then the whole car.

Aria is gonna launch in less than a month. The new interactive site is to create some excitement ahead of the launch of the car. The new website has been intuitively designed to let people know about the advantages and features of the components of the Aria while building the car. This will not only create interest, but will make people more familiar with the USPs of the Aria.

Aria would be India’s first cross-over car and is seeded to be Tata’s big ticket entry into the luxury segment. It is even speculated that Jaguar engineers have worked on the interiors of Aria. The Aria will be powered by a 2.2-litre DICOR diesel engine goof for 140bhp of peak power at 4000rpm and 320Nm of peak torque at a low 1500rpm. Expect the new AWD crossover to cost upwards of Rs. 12 lakh.
Source: Motoroids
letmeget.com

Volkswagen or Voicewagen ???

Today morning was full of surprises for Times of India readers in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Pune. It wasn’t due to any shocking news but a well thought and deliberated advertisement!!! And whats the return of this huge marketing spend and hoopla? I say it’s getting noticed and for good. Indians have a conservative mindset and are reluctant to try anything that’s new or un-tested. This made Volkswagen adapt a wide-spread marketing blitz right from its entry into the Indian market.

With its intention of making deeper inroads in the Indian Automobile segment VW had launched a similar print campaign last November where all editions of Times of India and Economic Times had close to 16,000 square centimeters of print space. The basic offset was to familiarize Indians with the 70-year-old European car maker. This was the time where they had only 4 up-market cars in their kitty – Jetta, Passat, Beetle and Touraeg. This made VW establish itself as a premium brand and it later helped to leverage on this communication during their launch of Polo.

So, what was so special about today’s advertisement?  VW has notched up a global first of sorts by carrying “talking advertisement”. Similar ad was also displayed on yesterdays Hindu edition.

The opening page of the wraparound carries this announcement:

“The Times of India and Volkswagen have created four pages of content as part of a special media innovation. Don’t miss reading and listening to this ‘speaking newspaper’.”

On the last page of the wraparound is a full-page Volkswagen ad for its new model Vento.

As the page is opened a light-sensitive speaker—yes, a light-sensitive speaker— weighing no more than a mere 10-15 grams and stuck on the extreme left panel in the advertisement (above), belts out the line in a loop:

“Best in class German engineering is here. The new Volkswagen Vento. Built with great care and highly innovative features. Perhaps that’s why it breaks the hearts of our engineers to watch it drive away.

“The new Volkswagen Vento.  Crafted with so much passion, it’s hard to let it go.

“Volkswagen. Das Auto.”

The same Volkswagen ad runs in other papers without the audio.

So, what say?? Was this blitzkrieg worth doing?? I believe, YES. This is the time when manufacturers need to differentiate and innovate in their communication. And what better time for VW when they already have 2 of their number-crunching models – Polo and Vento at showrooms!!!

Way to go VW J


source

Skoda Yeti : A new breed of Compact SUV

Skoda Auto is all set to enter the first of its kind "Compact-SUV" segment with its Yeti. As the name suggests Yeti is something novel in its category, all set to revolutionize a new category by itself. Last year we saw the sudden upsurge of high-end SUV's such as Fortuner, Captiva. Be ready to witness the beginning of the so called compactness within the SUV segment. Skoda Auto is fully confident on its product as its cater to both city and off-road conditions. This part of the market was dominated by the likes of Scorpio for the value conscious customers, but the real competition would start now. Even Mitsubishi is planning to bring its Mini Outlander (also known as the RVR). 

This segment was first exploited by our very own Indian company Premier Motors by its product Rio. This phenomena of Urban Crossover concept is catching well within the automobile manufacturers and I'm sure that we gonna see a slew of similar launches within the next year.


As per the reviews, Skoda's Yeti seems to be a promising new car:    

Wishing it all the best!!!

Most Creative Condom Print Advertisements

Condom Advertisements have always been point of major controversies. While it is difficult to eliminate the SEX part of it; it can be made more fun and creative without bringing in the sleaziness!!! 
Lets look on some of the ads (mostly of durex and KamaSutra).

source pics: internet

Alto K10 re-creates history!!!

Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 becomes India's fastest selling car by selling 20 thousand units in just 40 days. Its predecessor Alto had managed a euphoric figure of 27,639 units during the month of July'2010 and sold a consolidated number of 28,000 units during August. The Alto K10 has striked at the right time, when Maruti needed it the most. 

Maruti Suzuki is now expecting 30,000 sales per month, after witnessing such terrific response. But that’s not all, people with knowledge about the industry are speculating 40,000 units per month if the company somehow managed to work its way around its capacity constraints. The car sold a whopping 2,40,000 units last year. With the way K10 sales figures are soaring, I'm sure that K10 will be one of the best sequel story in Maruti's stable.

 source: motoroids

All new Porsche Showroom in Delhi.... Yippeeeeee!!!!

I was overjoyed when I learnt that a Porsche Center had been opened in Delhi. The pics of the showroom is euphoric - 

The news release goes like this - 
"Porsche has a new home within India’s burgeoning market for exclusive cars.

With the opening of Porsche Centre New Delhi at the prestigious Hotel Ashok, Porsche is set to provide customers with an unprecedented experience in this state-of-the-art facility.

Construction of this centrally located showroom started in early 2010. The facility offers 4,000 square feet of showroom space with six sales consultants being permanently available for visitor inquiries.

Now completed, the site is home to the entire Porsche product range, including the latest arrival – the new Porsche Cayenne. This new edition completes a perfectly poised model range.

With the opening of Porsche Centre New Delhi, Porsche is following its approach to set-up high-quality dealerships in India enabling the car manufacturer to offer its customers a high-end product with uncompromising service standards."

Hope to visit this exotic showroom real soon... J

news source

pics source

August 2010 Indian Car Sales Figures

August Sales Figures - Pan India

The sales figures for August 2010 is out. The Indian car market continues its bullish run. August 2010 was the best month ever - in the history of the industry - with 160,794 passenger cars sold, a whopping 33% increase over the 120,681 sales tally of August 2009. For the record, July 2010 sales were 158,764. The upcoming Diwali season will boost the sector even more.  


Source: team-bhp

Original SUV

Nice Thought J