Kapil Dev to endorse Kinetic's Boss

The Wisden Cricketer of the Century is now the brand ambassador of Kinetic Boss.

It seems after six months of deliberation, Kapil Dev decided to join hands with Kinetic Engineering Ltd (KEL) to endorse Boss, the four-stroke 100-cc bike in the economy segment. Kapil's contract with the company is valid for two years and, according to industry sources, India's most famous all-rounder has been signed on by KEL for something between Rs 2 and 4 crore.

Considering that today there are more than 50 motorcycle models jostling for consumer mindspace, getting a firm foothold in the market is a tough job indeed. More so in the economy segment which occupies the largest chunk of the motorcycle market. In this segment Boss fights with the likes of Bajaj's Boxer AT and CT, and TVS Suzuki's MAX 100, which are marketed with great aggressiveness by the two companies.

One advantage that Kinetic has over its competitors is price. Bajaj's Boxer AT and CT are priced at Rs 33,841 and Rs 35,124 (Delhi) respectively, and TVS Suzuki's MAX 100 sports a price tag of Rs 36,300 (Delhi). It is clear Boss stands at an advantage. With a price tag of Rs 31,999, Boss is a cool Rs 2,000 less than the cheapest in the segment.

So will Kapil do for Kinetic what Sachin Tendulkar has done for TVS? For one, Sulajja F Motwani, joint managing director, Kinetic, is quite excited about this association. She feels the association will bring forward the brand values of Boss more strongly. "I am very excited that Kapil is on board. He stands for excellence, consistency and leadership and inspires trust, reliability, self-reliance. He is a source of great pride for all Indians. I think his association will help us increase awareness and build a strong, aspirational macho brand. After all, he is the boss of cricket."

In a way the choice of Kapil is aimed at positioning Boss as the bike for the rural, long distance commuter. At the same time, the company reiterates, Boss is contemporary in styling and is fit for the semi-urban consumer too. Thus, given Kapil Dev's rural moorings, the company hopes his success story will inspire the rural folk to go for Boss.

The Kapil-Boss association will be announced with the help of an elaborate advertising campaign conceived by Grey Worldwide. The ad campaign is likely to break across all media on September 15. The company has earmarked Rs 20-Rs 25 crore as marketing spend. Nirvik Singh, chairman, South Asia, Grey Worldwide, assures that the integrated communication effort "is…going to be quite innovative." There will be a lot of on-ground initiative too.

Kinetic has worked out its marketing gameplan with great precision. Following its technical collaboration with Hyosung Motors of South Korea, Kinetic has been on an overdrive launching bikes in all segments. Boss was launched in June this year and the company, according to sources, is gearing up to launch three more products in this segment. The company hopes that of the 75,000 units of Boss that it plans to sell in its first year, 60 per cent will come from the rural areas. © 2002 agencyfaqs!