Will Nano's brand resurrection work?

Tata Motors is keen to put the small car’s past behind. Experts give their take on the Nano 2012.

The element of surprise is missing
Bobby Pawar

To my mind the repositioning of the Nano appears to have come a bit too late in the day. Actually the focus on the product especially the technology behind the car should have happened at the very start. In the hoopla about the price, I think the technology aspect was simply forgotten. That was the story to tell.

Producing a car for Rs 1 lakh is not easy to do. It would have been amazing had this story been told. Consumers would have been drawn to the brand far more than they were with the positioning on price. Now you have multiple issues to deal with. On one hand, the product has had engineering issues. Plus, the price tag has moved up. The repositioning exercise then will have to address all of these issues. Has the company been successful in communicating these points? I am not sure about it.

Don’t forget people have an impression about the Nano. And it may not necessarily be positive. I guess the only way to turn this around would have been to bring in an element of surprise. Something that can hook a viewer or consumer to the Nano and draw him or her to the brand. The passenger car market is getting crowded by the day. So how do you stand out in the clutter? This should have been the starting point to the repositioning exercise. Putting four youngsters in a car hardly drives home the point. You may be trying hard, probably even harder, but remember the consumer is not very forgiving especially when you are looking to bounce back.

The attempt at resurrecting the brand should have been far better than this. Further, besides telling the consumer that the new Nano has these amazing features, I think they should have devised a way to help consumers experience it as well. That would have gone a long way in changing perceptions.

(The author is chief creative officer and managing partner, JWT)

It will exorcise the ghosts of the past
Anmol Dhar

If you look at the portfolio of brands that the Tatas have, at the premium end, you have the Jaguar, and at the lower end, is the Nano. The way the Tatas are looking to position the Nano now appears far more appealing, even viable than it was earlier. Price is an important factor, but the moment you make it your rallying point, it can be dangerous. The associated imagery with low price may not be something that you are actually seeking to communicate.

What the Tatas are doing now puts it on par with any good, entry-level car. That’s a great way to start. Rather than the other way round where price is the talking point. While the attempt at resurrecting the brand is commendable, what will complete the exercise is its performance on the ground. In other words, the brand communication has to be backed with evidence on the ground. This is mainly because the Nano has had issues in the past. The residual image of a car catching fire or recalls happening certainly hasn’t helped the brand. If all of this is addressed, then the repositioning exercise in the true sense will be complete.

In my view, the second aspect is as important as the first because in many ways it will exorcise the ghosts of the past. The Tatas have made great trucks, but they have not necessarily been the best makers of passenger cars. The engineering issues they’ve had with their passenger cars through the years are known. If they can sort this out with a strong on-road performance of the Nano in many ways this will put to rest the criticism they have had to take for their engineering abilities.

There’s a popular saying: The proof of the pudding is in the eating. For the Tatas, it will also be the icing on the cake.

(The author is managing director, Super Brands)

Delivering a better value proposition
Ramesh Jude Thomas 

Anybody buying a car wants a product of a certain standard. The current repositioning of the Nano gives it a better chance to win in the marketplace. Why? Because it is important for a brand to drive a value proposition. Let me explain. Why did Air Deccan fail as a low-cost carrier, while Indigo succeed? Because while Deccan chose to focus on how it could take you from place to place at the lowest possible fare, Indigo was telling its customers that it could take them to their destination on time.

In other words, it wasn’t about the lowest price. It was about what a brand could offer in terms of a tangible benefit. Let me give you another example.

When Cavincare launched shampoos in satchets, what the company was saying wasn’t about how economical the product was. They drove home the point that here was a good shampoo in an innovative package. So as I said, the value proposition counts. That is because consumers are an intelligent lot. Price alone is not the only aspect they seek. There others factors that they are looking for. In that sense, the new Nano has given the Tatas a better chance to be on a more level playing field.

It is also a challenge because you have to have a clear differentiated offering to stand out in the clutter. So while phase one of the Nano did take the nation by storm with the accent on a one lakh car, phase two of the Nano is about how credible the product really is. Social media can play a great role here besides mainline media. Much of the damage to the Nano in the past was caused because of the negative comments and feedback on social media. The same platform can be used to generate a more healthier conversation about the brand.

(As told to Viveat Susan Pinto)

 

(The author is president & chief knowledge officer, Equitor Consulting)