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Wednesday, Oct 25, 2006
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Business Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Wednesday, Oct 25, 2006 ePaper |
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Two/Three Wheelers Marketing - Brands
Shailesh Menon
Driving force The move is to promote premium brands. All the three have engineered models of a minimum size of at least 150-cc to appeal to the cult segment.
Mumbai , Oct. 24 Roadies out there, watch out. Hero Honda, Bajaj Auto and TVS Motor Co have begun working on plans to promote `cult `n' community biking' across the country, a la Royal Enfield Bullet. In love with the classic `Bullet' idea of making an icon of a bike, the `big three' are planning to set up fan clubs and bike clubs to promote their premium brands. The entry of two-wheeler majors into the large and premium bike segment is behind this new marketing strategy. All the three have engineered models of a minimum size of at least 150-cc to appeal to the cult segment. "We will enter that niche segment soon, where bikes are used for riding pleasures rather than for plain commuting. We are definitely considering bike clubs as a means to promote our premium brands," said Mr P.S. Sunder, Head - Marketing, Hero Honda Motors. Hero Honda will promote its latest 150-cc CBZxtreme and 220-cc Karizma as iconic brands. "We are planning to form a comprehensive club of CBZxtreme and Karizma riders," said Mr Sunder. Bajaj Auto has no immediate plans for bike clubs, but will follow the trend closely. "We have a good line of cruise bikes (such as Avenger and Eliminator) and sports bikes (Pulsar 180 and the to-be-launched Pulsar 220) that fit the `cult biking' bill perfectly. We have also conducted some surveys to gauge the viability aspect of such ventures. We will enter the league of `cult biking' at an appropriate time," said a senior official at Bajaj Auto. TVS Motor has a dedicated Web site (registered membership: 9,000) for their 150-cc Apache aficionados. "We will use the membership to form a strong and dedicated biking community," said Mr M.V. Krishna, Assistant General Manager - Marketing, TVS Motor. Meet-ups, long rides, group rides and other biking activities will constitute the itinerary list of these clubs.
More Stories on : Two/Three Wheelers | Brands | Bajaj Auto Ltd | Hero Honda Motors Ltd
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