Speculation has been rife about a boost to Tata Motors’ flagging fortunes courtesy Lionel Messi, the most iconic footballer in the world.
Tata Motors has recently made it to the 3rd place in the hallowed JD Power Customer Satisfaction report which is a matter of great pride for the company. Newly appointed president, passenger vehicles, Mayank Pareek, is a man on a mission. He has taken on a heavily ambitious plan for revival of the company that has been witnessing flagging passenger car sales. Perceptional issues are also adding to the company’s woes.
According to figures issued by SIAM, Maruti Suzuki holds a staggering 53.42% of the Indian market as compared to 5.65% held by Tata Motors. In a bid to scale up market share and woo customers, Pareek has heralded several new initiatives including the appointment of a global brand ambassador for its passenger vehicles division. Lionel Messi’s appointment has set the cat amongst the pigeons or so Pareek would like to believe. The world’s most iconic footballer is now the brand ambassador of Indian passenger vehicles manufactured by Tata Motors.
The recently released #madeofgreat campaign has been conceptualized by Soho Square and shot extensively in Barcelona. The brand transformation of Tata Motors is complete with the Messi association according to the CEO at the Ogilvy Group and India Board Member in charge of Soho Square, Kunal Jeswani. According to him, Tata Motors is looking at increasing the relevance of its brand amongst the consumer base under 35 years of age.
This is about giving a much needed lift to the brand and the first time that the brand has embarked on an initiative such as this according to the head-marketing communication and services, passenger vehicles, Delna Avari. According to several market experts, this association may just work as Indian celebrities endorse multiple brands and rarely stand for anything unique. International celebrities will certainly have traction in metros. Messi is locked into the Tata Motors deal for a couple of years.
According to Pareek, football was chosen as surveys and research proved that the new cool is football and the better connect between the present generation and football. The huge following of soccer and Lionel Messi’s stature proved to be the perfect fit. Messi may also prove beneficial for the company in global markets like South Africa, Latin America or Indonesia.
Will Messi revitalize Tata Motors’ flagging legacy? Time will tell but things do seem on the right track!