The latest Maruti Suzuki Estilo commercial tries to make a point that the driving should come alive. The company has gone all the way in their attempt to ‘digitise’ the experience for the potential consumer. Employing robots instead of humans seems to be the company’s way of differentiating the product. Differentiate they do alright, but does that make the product appeal to the consumer? Increasingly, companies in
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| Screenshot of the product website |
pursuit of ‘differentiation’, lose focus to the question – What do I want my viewer to do after watching my commercial? The product website tries to engage the visitor through an online interaction with the robots. While, the experience is different, does it keep its real customer engaged? The Q&A game on the website which seems to be designed to bring an element of play, fails to engage while desperately trying to include product features in its answers. The car competes in a segment where customers pay close attention to mileage and comfort at ‘below the roof’ costs. While marketing campaigns are becoming increasingly sophisticated, the end result is always straight forward – get viewers to experience my product. Understanding this, the commercial could have looked at ideas to build on such customer aspirations and promote the idea – ‘You must experience the new Estilo’ while offering choices like ‘Dial a Trial’ or ‘Ring a Ride’ (test drive). The campaign misses the customer while trying to be different!
Watch the TVC here:
Thanks for emphasizing Brad’s entry on ceo’s being mtcmitoed to the product, George. The success of most innovative internet/technology companies is predicated on developing and evolving a winning product/service equation. The person most accountable for achieving that goal .is the CEO. Not the VP Product Mgmt. Not the head of Marketing. Vision-thing CEOs that don’t get into the details don’t belong in the startup world. In my opinion, they don’t belong in the corporate world. More Steve Jobs’s, More Bob Igers. Less Ken Lays. Less Dick Fulds. The product is the principal responsibility of the CEO and he/she needs to hear from customers, product managers, developers, designers, salespeople etc to assess his product’s fit to the current and future market. He/she really needs to listen and understand not just nod acting like they are listening. You will be successful not in spite of your customers but because you have successfully navigated product/service fit with your customers and the current/future state of your market.