One for the road

ADVERTISING: A commercial for buses and trucks that works on the USP of passion.

When you think of a commercial and heavy vehicles brand that has never advertised in its history, you make a passing note of its absence in adspace. So when Ashok Leyland came out with its first-ever advertising campaign, the obvious question was why after so many years?

According to be S Seshasayee, managing director, Ashok Leyland, it was not a conscious decision. "Our first priority was to build competitiveness, and brand building was a natural progression. Apart from fresh competition in the market, we also needed to support our growth in the business as also in newer ventures."

The communication reflects how organisational changes are for the better "" be it efficiency improvements, technology and product upgradation, expanding international footprints, organisational responsiveness and speed.

"Therefore, in content and style, we seek to express such values of international, modern, speedy and dynamic", he adds.

Says Jayraj Raju, vice president, JWT, "The company wanted to project the 'new' Ashok Leyland marked by its brand values."

The corporate campaign and sponsorship initiatives will be supplemented by product launches. The corporate and product messages, which deliver through fairly distinct media vehicles, are meant to work in tandem, covering a spectrum of audiences from the corporate to customer groups.

Through the print campaign, the company is targeting the top-end of corporate audiences: opinion leaders, the financial community, media, and prospective employees. Sec A and B in the age group of 12-60 is the prime target group. "Any spillover is welcome" adds Seshasayee.

The television campaign which will follow the print campaign will address a slightly broader common denominator. The advertising budget for the campaign will be approximately Rs 12 crore for the next financial year. Besides, product launches are supported by intense on-the-ground activities focused on customer groups.

Given that Ashok Leyland had not advertised in such a long time, there are a lot of things to talk about. "The challenge was to choose the one thing that will make a positive impact among all audiences. And we chose to focus on the one big strength: the expertise and commitment of the engineers who have always ensured reliable products", says Raju.

In this industry, Seeyashee feels there are a lot of one-to-one interactions that are part of a purchasing decision. "Therefore, much of customer communication is invisible to the rest of the world", explains Seshasayee.

To say the company has never promoted itself in a big way would be incorrect, he says. So far, it has been non-conventional means of promotion that have been adopted "" now let's wait and see if the more conventional way does the trick for the brand.