| Title | ALTO 800- YOUR FIRST CAR ON THE MAP |
| Brand | MARUTI SUZUKI INDIA LIMITED |
| Product / Service | ALTO - 800 |
| Category | B09. Use of Digital Platforms |
| Entrant | ISOBAR Gurgaon, INDIA |
| Idea Creation | ISOBAR Gurgaon, INDIA |
| Media Placement | ISOBAR Gurgaon, INDIA |
| Production | ISOBAR Gurgaon, INDIA |
| Name | Company | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Anadhi Shah, Vibhor Yadav, Ashish Kumar | Isobar - India | Creative Director |
An in-depth data-driven research by our team had revealed that our TG (the middle-class Indian) used Google Maps to check ETA and commute options every day. Using this behavioral insight of our TG we made our campaign 100% mobile-centric, utilizing the user journey on the Google Map application. We displayed banners on Google Maps that compared the user’s daily commute expenses to the unbelievably affordable EMI of Alto 800. The banner when clicked, let the user choose or customize an EMI plan for himself. And from there, they could book their Alto 800 as well. The whole user-journey was well thought through. It rationalized owning a car as a viable option as compared to the hassling daily commute and spending a fortune over time.
It was a strategic decision to make this a completely mobile-centric campaign. The key insight that led to it was that our prospective customer searches for routes, books cabs and determined travel time on Google Maps App on their mobile devices. Hence we displayed banners on Google Maps that compared their daily commute expenses to the unbelievably affordable EMI of Alto 800. The banner when clicked, let the user choose from easy EMI plans or customize an EMI plan for himself. And from there, they could book their car as well. The whole user-journey was well thought through that rationalized owning a car as a viable option as compared to the hassling daily commute. We pushed the brand into the visual space of our TG when it made the maximum impact i.e. on the road. The overall campaign budget was 15,000 USD.
Owing to this innovation, Maruti Suzuki became the first auto manufacturer to reposition the cost of ownership of a car. There was a 150% increase in EMI calculation for Alto 800. A staggering 2X increase in enquiries and test drives was observed. Alto 800 gained an unprecedented 24% increase in sales during Oct-Nov'16*. The campaign contributed significantly to Maruti Suzuki gaining a 52.2% market share in Nov’16*.
This media campaign has brought many “firsts” to the market. This was the first time a media innovation was implemented on Google Maps for any automobile brand. For the first time, a media campaign redefined the cost of ownership of a car and for the first time the Pay Commission was leveraged as an opportunity to generate leads for an automobile brand. (* Pay Commission is an administrative system/mechanism set up by the Govt. of India to determine the salaries of government employees.)
Our target audience was clearly defined as the middle-class man, working in the public sector. He travels to work by radio taxis/public transport every day. He’s meticulous about his expenditures, as he likes to keep track of all his daily expenses. He is most active on his mobile device wherein he consumes content. He uses Google Maps to check ETA and commute options every day. We used this behavioral insight and made our campaign 100% mobile-centric, utilizing the user journey on the Google Map application. Using rich media for the first time on Google Maps, we compared TG’s daily commute expenses to the unbelievably affordable EMI of Alto 800. This was the first time that a thorough understanding of the TG, their behavior and timing were analyzed and blended together to carve out communication plan to achieve the brand objective.