In a well-thought-out marketing and communications strategy, CV major Tata Motors has revisited storytelling. Ashish Bhatia gets to the root of it.
The new Tata Motors ‘Desh Ke Trucks’ campaign has identified key emotional drivers of CV stakeholders. The effort to make storytelling more believable and hence stand out from the competition comes across as a genuine effort to engage better. Better with each layer of the pyramid. From the driver community to the B2B customer base of gen-next fleet operators, to single-owner transporters including us the media. In a departure from product strategy-driven launches, a select media roundtable gave a deep insight into how the CV major thinks about its stakeholders.
To ensure that the message on the new product line and the efforts to address multiple aspects from the occupant and pedestrian to the business perspective are not lost in transition, each of the five-part extensions in phase 2 of the campaign was screened at leisure with an expert narrative drawing attention to the genuine attempt at honest storytelling. Taking us through the campaign, one at a time, Shubhranshu Singh, Vice President of, Marketing, Commercial Vehicle Business said, “Tata Motors is a pioneer and industry leader in commercial vehicles. We endeavour to engage our stakeholders with continuous communications. With customer centricity at the core of our business, we have evolved from showcasing distinct campaigns around the product applications to advanced storytelling about our mobility solutions that establish an emotional bond with our audiences. With the ‘Desh ke Trucks’ campaign, we are confident that our simple messaging and subtle humour will appeal to our customers.” The OEM, without being prescriptive, has widened its view to go beyond the perceived big fleet owners’ thought of as drivers of its M&HCVs success story, in the erstwhile approach.
Building a culture of wheels
The advertising is not only more engaging but keeps up with the evolution of digital marketing with spending set aside for higher engagement channels. Advertising, ongoing influencer engagement and complementing on-ground activations in an omnichannel approach. It pays greater attention to Above The Line (ATL) marketing and digital marketing according to Singh. “Product differentiation is more important than brand differentiation,” he asserted. The campaign first launched in September 2022, was teased at the time of the launch of the ‘Smart Trucks’ range in Mumbai. It is believed to have helped the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) create an overarching brand positioning for truck platforms – Prima, Signa and Ultra that have created a niche for themselves.
The campaign is intended to showcase state-of-the-art trucks, innovations, enhanced facets and features, digitalisation, profitability, fuel efficiency, safety, superior technology, connectivity, driver productivity and cabin comfort via subtly humorous, entertaining, and slice-of-life commercials taking one back to the era of the common man who is more empowered today in the eye of the OEM. It acknowledges the Tata trucks as the foundation of its customer’s entrepreneurial journey. Stepping back from the industry practice of discounting products to create a pull, the company is switched to design, make and support better in its approach to mix push in its strategic mix. Of the belief that the product must earn gradually, the company has attempted to address and fill the white spaces to ensure customers of a transport solution that will offer them, a better return at every stage of the customer lifecycle. Its Value-Added Services (VAS) that include a six-year warranty under ‘Sampoorna Seva’ and ‘Fleet Care’ offer customers a complete package beyond just offering a product. In a market selling 70-75 per cent of cowls, through the new campaign, the company hopes to create a demand for fully-built vehicles.
The first commercial of this new content series showcases multiple comfort features of Tata Motors trucks claimed to enhance driver productivity. The second and third films highlight the benefits of Tata Motors’ own connected telematics platform, Fleet Edge, which is developed for both fleet owners and drivers. With safety being a key attribute of Tata Motors trucks, the fourth and fifth advertisements portray the usage of a Collision Mitigation System (CMS) and Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS) respectively. This could well help the company make further inroads into traditionally weaker markets.
Link to the TVCs:
https://youtu.be/F8Gw1969LAk
For the ‘Desh ke Trucks’ campaign, the in-house brand team of Tata Motors is claimed to have worked extensively on the insights development, planning and conceptualisation whereas the creative development and campaign execution were done by Black or White Brand Communication Pvt. Ltd.
With over 76 years of legacy, Tata Motors would like to believe it has been at the forefront of building the nation, enabling growth in the logistics, construction, infrastructure and mining sectors. Through a wide product portfolio, built to ensure high productivity and lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for the customers. Tata Motors’ has staked its claim on delivering best-in-class operating economics, superior comfort and convenience and enhanced connectivity.
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