Hero Honda launches Rs 3-crore ad campaign for Ambition

Hero Honda Motors has kicked off a new advertising campaign for its 133-cc motorbike Ambition launched last week in Delhi. Beginning with print, the company plans to spend as much as Rs 3 crore this year to drive home its message through a multimedia campaign embracing television and outdoors.

Conceived and executed by Percept Advertising, Delhi, the ad targets people who want "to move up in life." Says Atul Sobti, senior vice-president, marketing and sales, Hero Honda Motors, "Ambition is about power, fuel efficiency and style. And that is the thrust of our communication. While it may be tailor-made for the Delhi and Mumbai riders, Ambition will attract the semi-urban buyer too." The television commercial will break across the top channels over the next 10 days.

Company executives say the brand's communication is aimed at positioning the bike as a technological marvel. Technical marvel because with Ambition, Hero Honda has created a new category of bikes with 133-cc engine capacity. The motorcycle aims to straddle the twin consumer expectations of power and fuel efficiency, as proclaimed by its positioning statement ‘Powerfu(e)l bike'. It targets the SEC AB consumers in the 18-25 years age group who want to upgrade from a Passion (Hero Honda) or a similar 100-cc bike.

Ambition would fight its competitors on price too. It is priced aggressively at Rs 45,551 (ex-showroom) in Mumbai and Rs 44,612 (ex-showroom) in Delhi. The electric-start version comes at roughly Rs 5,000 more. Ambition gives 79 km per litre and comes in nine colours and would compete with the likes of Fiero (Suzuki), Pulsar (Bajaj), Adreno and Energy (LML) on the Indian roads.

So what is the USP of Ambition in a scenario where all the bike makers swear by fuel efficiency and technology? "Quality is not an issue any more. The issue is strategic planning. By creating a 133-cc category Hero Honda has made a strategic leapfrog from 97-cc engine to a 133-cc engine capacity. The positioning therefore is at the lower end of the prestige segment," says automotive expert Murad Ali Baig.

The company claims the motorcycle has been introduced after extensive research. "In the past as well Hero Honda has performed the role of a leader, creating new segments and expanding the two-wheeler market as a whole. In 1984, we were the first to identify the need of the Indian customer for a fuel-efficient two-wheeler and introduced the 4-stroke engine technology in the 100-cc two-wheeler market. With Ambition we have once again tried to offer a product to the evolving customer and, in the process, created a new motorcycle segment," says Pawan Munjal, managing director, Hero Honda Motors.

Hero Honda is confident that Ambition will attract the crowd. It hopes to sell 10,000 units per month over the next six months. Hero Honda is banking on its wide network of 439 dealers across the country to meet the target. © 2002 agencyfaqs!