British car company MG (Morris Garages) Motor, owned by Chinese auto-maker SAIC, will bring its MG Car Club membership to India to build the brand and have a community of enthusiasts and drivers.
Pallavi Singh, Head of Marketing, MG Motor India, told BusinessLine that the community culture is thriving in India and there are many communities for cycling, riding, etc. “Cars (communities) as such have only been for super-sports,” Singh said, adding that “Back in the 1940s, MG was the only brand that made sports cars affordable to the common man. We really want to bring that culture to India.”
The car club, formed in the 1930s, is one of the oldest car clubs in the world. The company is still in the process of deciding when it will be rolled out and will do so after studying its long-term sustainability. Despite its strong sports sedan heritage, MG is entering the Indian market with an SUV, the Hector, because of the current strength of the SUV market here. While Singh did not reveal the Hector’s pricing details, she said the price will be “disruptive”.
Even the company’s other touted product for the Indian market is an SUV — the electric eZS. The eZS will be launched in India in the fourth quarter of this calender year.
On FAME policy
Rajeev Chaba, President and Managing Director, said it was surprising that the recently announced FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles) II guidelines didn’t have any announcements on the private car front. “We also hope that the government does not fix any price cap on EVs in India,” Chaba said.
Singh also said the company has taken a digital-first and mobile-first approach for marketing and advertising. Short videos with a message will be the focus and the “Knock-Knock” video campaign (which seeks to introduce and familiarise the brand) will be a series.
“We will have enough money (invested) across mediums — digital, offline, and traditional media,” Singh said, elaborating that the offline medium is very important for Tier-2 markets. The company is looking at the country’s aspirational upper middle-class as a target customer base, as they want to buy “new” products, Singh said. Such buyers look at the overall product experience as well, she added.
As far MG’s Chinese parentage is concerned, Singh does not think it will be a mindset hurdle. “Where you come from does not matter if it is the right product and a good customer experience overall,” she said. However, she also stressed that MG is a British brand.