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Maruti New Variant Makes Good
Power steering has emerged as the most popular feature after air-conditioning among owners of small cars. An estimated 30 per cent of cars currently sold in the B and C segments have power steering. Launched in September 2000, the Alto made an impressive entry into the Indian market by selling 3,000 units in three days flat. The cumulative sales of the Alto have already crossed 50,000 units in the domestic market. Amul Ice Cream to Focus on Take-Away Segment As Amul hits more metros with its ice creams this summer, ad agency FCB Ulka, through its campaigns based on its `Ice-Cream Mood' survey, is helping the brand gain acceptance in new markets with a focus on the take-away home segment. According to the `Ice Cream Mood' survey, Amul is perceived as being superior on creaminess, taste and price, while Kwality Walls scored higher on variety and range. Another finding is that Kwality Walls is perceived to be a premium product with a more contemporary image than Amul, and is preferred by youngsters—especially Kwality's Cornetto and Feast—while Amul is considered to be a family brand offering a better price. Based on the findings of this study, the agency decided to launch the ‘Flavour of the Month’ campaign highlighting the distinct flavours on offer. Thus, during the summer, Amul is showcasing its various ‘exotic’ flavours such as black currant, anjir, rajbhoj, cheese and almond, cappucino, dates and honey, fresh litchi, kulfi and so on. Other behavioural insights from the Ice Cream Mood study reveal that an ice cream is not just a product but also an experience for the Indian consumer. According to the study, in mature ice-cream markets, the take-home segment accounts for more than 70 per cent of all ice-cream consumption while in India, the take-home segment contributes a mere 20 per cent of the market. This is due to the overbearing social context and price factor association with ice cream consumption in India. Another finding was that even in the most affluent cities, eating ice cream at home is confined to a few occasions and is, therefore, restricted to the three regular flavours—vanilla, chocolate and butterscotch. In fact, vanilla accounted for nearly 40 per cent of all flavours. This resulted in the market being limited to regular flavours, thus restricting ice cream consumption to an occasional experience. According to company sources, the idea behind the ‘Flavour of the Month’ campaign is to increase the perceived occasions for consumption of ice cream at home. At present, the take-home segment in India is pegged at 40 per cent of the Rs. 500 crore organised ice cream market, while the impulse category continues to dominate at 60 per cent of the market. The agency will also be continuing with the brand's ‘Real Milk, Real Ice Cream' baseline. According to the retail audit conducted by ORG-Marg for Mumbai city, this February, Amul recorded a 38 per cent volume share, surpassing Kwality Walls at 34.5 per cent. Last February, Kwality Walls had a 39.6 per cent volume share while Amul had a 33.5 per cent volume share in the Mumbai market. | |
Maruti
Udyog Limited, car market leader, announced the launch of its latest
variant, Alto LXi. It comes equipped with Maruti's superior Electronic
Power Steering while offering all the features of the Alto LX. Priced
aggressively at Rs. 3.19 lakh (ex showroom, Delhi), the Alto LXi will
appeal to a wide range of customers, including first-time car buyers and
existing owners of Maruti 800. Currently, the minimum price for a car
with power steering in the domestic market is Rs. 3.4 lakh (ex showroom,
Delhi). "Our research shows that customers want power steering in their
cars because it makes the car easy to drive, easy to turn, easy to park
and easy to manoeuvre in city traffic. But many customers are deterred
by the high price they have to pay for cars with power steering", said a
Maruti spokesperson. "The Alto LXi now brings power steering within the
reach of first time car buyers and existing owners of Maruti 800", the
spokesperson said. 