We are sure you have been on our platform for a long time or have gone through previous articles on successful brands before arriving here. Today, we shall be talking about a mammoth in the Indian auto industry which we are sure is well known and probably the first brand which comes to the mind of an Indian when buying a car. Maruti Suzuki, today composes a lion’s share in the market with almost one in every two cars being from this company.
The basic aim of the Marketing Strategy of Maruti Suzuki is to give you deep insights into Maruti Suzuki’s journey from a mere collaboration between Maruti Udyog (A government-owned entity) and Japan’s Suzuki Motor Corporation in the early 1980s to being at the top of the auto industry presently.
A well planned and executed marketing knowledge is essential for any organization to crack and scale to greater heights. With the onset of the digitalization wave, equipping yourself with digital marketing skills has become all the more important. To aid you in this process, we cordially invite you to attend a masterclass in this field which is organized by the Founder and CEO of IIDE, Mr Karan Shah himself.
This blog shall give you full enlightenment into the marketing strategy of Maruti Suzuki to help you gain an overall understanding of this giant. Let’s begin with an idea of the company.
Company Overview
Maruti Suzuki India Limited is an Indian auto giant based in New Delhi, India. The company has a market share of 44.2% in the passenger car segment as of February 2022. India’s most famous cars which include the likes of Maruti 800, Omni, Maruti Zen, the still popular Swift Dzire, and Maruti Gypsy, all have been born out of this company. It has two manufacturing plants in Haryana (Gurgaon and Manesar) and one manufacturing complex in Gujarat which is wholly owned by its parent company Suzuki, which supplies the entire production to Maruti Suzuki. They have a combined manufacturing capacity of 2,250,000 vehicle units annually.
The company’s success secret lies in its ability to cater to the needs of the price-sensitive Indian middle-class consumers by delivering at low initials accompanied by economical maintenance costs. The brand has a vast network of service stations and customer points across the nation which serve a huge number of cars daily. However, very few offerings from Maruti Suzuki have been able to score a rating exceeding 3.0 at any NCAP. Is this how the company is able to keep its costs low by compromising on safety aspects?
| CEO | Mr. Kenichi Ayukawa |
|---|---|
| CMO | Shashank Srivastava |
| Area Served | India |
| Industry | Automobile |
| Market Share/ Revenue | Rs.78,994 crore |
| Vision | To be The Leader in the Indian Automobile Industry, Creating Customer Delight and Shareholder’s Wealth |
| Tagline | Way of Life |
Marketing Strategy of Maruti Suzuki
Maruti Suzuki was among the first in the industry to study consumer behaviour and effectively respond to it. The company primarily adopted a market segmentation policy to meet the needs and demands of different sections of society.
Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning
Maruti Suzuki has a wide variety of models which meets every segment of the automobile market. It offers over 16 brands and about 150 variants spanning all segments which include Maruti 800, Maruti Omni, Maruti Alto, Maruti Gypsy, Maruti Wagon R, Maruti Swift, Maruti SX4, Maruti Ertiga, and Maruti Grand Vitara.
The brand has cars available for clients with an income of over 4 LPA. They cover the middle class, upper-middle-class, high class, and the affluent class which is its target customer base.
MSIL positions its 16 brands effectively by serving customers according to their specific needs and desires. From Alto and Wagon R to the premium Ertiga, everyone is covered!
Marketing Campaigns
Kitna Deti Hai?
The campaign sums up the Indian obsession with the value for money received from a product/service which in the case of auto refers to the mileage of a car. This was the advertisement video on their youtube channel with the success of 24k+ views.
Tarakki Apki, Saath Humara
This campaign commemorates the channel’s success as a herald of growth, trust, transparency, and prosperity in meeting the customer’s business needs. The advertisement was successful on account that it helped instil in Maruti Suzuki being a trusted partner rather than a place to buy.
Monsoon Care Campaign
Through this campaign, the company offers complimentary checkups for their vehicles. Inspected by trained technicians to ensure safe monsoon driving. The advert will go a long way in showcasing the company as a responsible brand. Many customers showed interest in the offers to live a luxurious life.
Social Media Marketing
Maruti Suzuki is very active in the social media space and has a good fan base across all major platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. It has the highest number of followers on Facebook followed by Twitter and Instagram respectively. The marketing campaigns, brand offers, happy customer stories and many more are posted on their social media accounts.
It has two divisions as well Maruti Suzuki Arena which focuses on the showroom experience through technology, design, and Connected Experience, and the other which is Nexa which solely focuses on the premium segment of the brand i.e Nexa models.
SEO Strategies
Maruti Suzuki has an organic keyword exceeding 30,000 which is impeccable and monthly traffic exceeding the 30 lakh mark shows the huge popularity and familiarity of the brand such that it is constantly growing with every passing calendar month. The brand has visits from other sources also i.e hyperlinks from other websites to this domain. This figure is also mind-wobbling which shows the vast outreach and visibility it enjoys. The company is well versed to make full use of SEO strategies to the best extent.
Influencer Marketing
Maruti Suzuki signed a 2-year sponsorship deal with Ten Sports for the latter’s cricket rating property which is titled ‘Maruti Suzuki Cricket Ratings”. The company has roped in renowned Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh as its Nexa brand ambassador. It also has Varun Dhawan for Arena’s products in a move to connect with the younger audiences.
The marketing team at MSIL also came up with a campaign #BeLimitless through collaboration with individuals who have overcome great hardships in their life journey and including the likes of Olympic and World Champion Mary Kom, Para-athlete Bhupendra Sharma, and corporate banker Vikas Dimri, who conquered Mt. Everest and the Ironman Race.
Ecommerce Strategies
The company began taking online bookings in 2017. In fact, in 2020, the company says it sold more than 2lakh cars through its online channel. Recently it introduced an end-to-end online real-time car financing program. The smart finance campaign has truly refined the modern car buying experience. The platform has addressed the issues regarding lack of proper information, lack of transparency, and lack of convenience and thereby helped stimulate sales for the company.
Mobile Application
Maruti Suzuki Rewards app refines the automotive experience for customers. It offers complete ease in getting any help or data you want for your Maruti Suzuki vehicles. With the usefulness to book arrangements at the closest Maruti Suzuki Arena or NEXA service centre, you can likewise monitor your vehicle’s Maruti Insurance strategy, deal with your compensations under the Maruti Suzuki loyalty program, screen your vehicle’s servicing schedule, and many more.
Content Marketing Strategies
The brand uses effective content marketing strategies to engage audiences by increasing their knowledge in the auto field to make rational buying decisions and thereby in the process portray the superiority and the value brought forward by MSIL cars. Multiple blogs and posts on both the company website and platforms like Twitter to educate users and show the added privilege of being their customer are showcased.
This ends our elaborative marketing strategy of Maruti Suzuki. Let us conclude our learning below from the marketing strategy of Maruti Suzuki.
Conclusion:
Maruti Suzuki has enjoyed brand loyalty and trust of Indians for decades now on account of the emotion it shares with its target consumers (Indians) as a whole generally. The company has a great and zestful marketing team that frequently engages the audience and also at times brings about the required developments in society.
We believe that considering the brand value it already enjoys, the uphill task for it would be to maintain the same for ages to come since reaching a position like this is possible in the short term but staying at the same place for years is what showcases the influence it commands. The company has all resources to ensure it stays with time and advances as and when new innovations enter the industry like digital marketing.
With the increasing importance of digital marketing, learning about the growing field is an important step. If you would like to learn more and develop skills, check out IIDE’s 4 Month Digital Marketing Course to learn more.
We hope this blog on the marketing strategy of Maruti Suzuki has given you a good insight into the company’s marketing strategies.
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“Hello! As an automotive enthusiast and marketing student, I found your analysis of Maruti Suzuki’s marketing strategy to be incredibly insightful.”
Thank you for shedding light on Maruti Suzuki’s marketing strategy. Your analysis has deepened my understanding of how automotive brands can effectively connect with their target audience. I look forward to reading more from you in the future.”
Hello,
I found this analysis of Maruti Suzuki’s marketing strategy to be incredibly insightful. It’s fascinating to see how they’ve adapted to changing consumer preferences and market dynamics over the years.