LG launches Whisen range of air-conditioners; earmarks Rs 5 crore as ad spends

While the print campaign has already broken, the TV commercial is slated to break in a fortnight

Whisen, in the Korean language, means the sound of the wind, and in India it means the latest range of premium air-conditioners from LG Electronics. The high-end Whisen range has been launched with a view to tap consumers in the upper income brackets. Whisen air-conditioners will be available in 1, 1.5, 2 and 3-tonne capacities at prices ranging between Rs 23,000 and Rs 66,000. Accompanying the launch is a Rs 5-crore multimedia campaign created by O&M. While the print campaign has already broken, the TV commercial is slated to break in a fortnight.

Talking about the communication strategy - which steer clears of the much-touted ‘noise-free' factor - Salil Kapoor, country head, air-conditioned division, sales and marketing, LG Electronics India, says, "We have always been the pioneers in creating a truly unique selling proposition. We were the ones to create the health platform to promote LG's consumer durables and everyone else followed suit. Now our brand communication has evolved to the next level. It has graduated from health to happiness. While the communication of the Whisen range of ACs will contain elements of the same thought, it will position the brand in aspirational terms, highlighting the premiumness of the range and the superior technology. And our tag line ‘the next level' tries to capture that."

But communication is not the only way LG is ensuring Whisen's high-end, top-of-the-line brand positioning. Whisen will be promoted as an independent brand without sporting the lineage of LG. Explaining the rationale behind this decision, Kapoor, says, "While LG is perceived as a mass brand, Whisen is our state-of-the-art range which reinforces our leadership in technology and design innovation. There is a premium value attached to it. If we were to sell Whisen as a sub brand of LG, it would have eroded that brand perception."

As part of the Whisen range, LG showcased the state-of-the-art ‘Intele ACs'. It is India's first AC range to offer a unique feature - it can be operated from anywhere with a pre-programmed telephone number with specific codes to initiate different functions. Another technology marvel from the Whisen range is a split air-conditioner with Oxygen Generator. This increases the level of oxygen in closed rooms, thereby facilitating the comfort of fresh and healthy air.

The Whisen range of air-conditioners is expected to contribute 10 per cent to the overall sales of the AC segment and by the end of the season LG hopes to see it contributing 22-25 per cent. LG Electronics' air conditioner division recorded sales of 2.8 lakh units in 2003, compared to 2 lakh units the previous calendar year (2002). In value terms, the turnover of the air-conditioner division stands at Rs 500 crore for the year 2003, which translates into a market share of 30 per cent (as per the Francis Kanoi report of April 2003).

When looked against competition, LG seems to have a comfortable edge in the AC market. The company recorded the highest sales in 2003, with runner up Voltas selling 1.1 lakh units, and Samsung between 85,000-90,000 units. Looking at the year ahead, Kapoor says, "Our future projection for this category is close to 35 per cent of the overall AC sales, which translates into a sales target of 8 lakh units in 2004." © 2004 agencyfaqs!