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Chief Marketing Officer of TATA Motors (passenger vehicles), Vinay Pant has moved out of the organization after two years. Industry sources have confirmed the development to Storyboard18. Tata Motors did not respond to calls and messages. Tata Motors is undergoing multiple changes in the organization and at the agency level. 

Pant was associated with Maruti Suzuki for 15 years starting 2007, heading consumer analytics. At Maruti Suzuki, he also served as Head of Marketing and later as Senior VP for True Value.

He worked with Hero MotoCorp as a strategic planner in 1996 and was also a part of Reckitt Benckiser for three years. Pant is an alumni of BITS Pilani. 

He was also associated with TNS, IMRB International and GFK.  

Tata Motors PVs CMO Vinay Pant quits amidst multiple rejigs at the auto major

Tata Motors reported that its total wholesales rose 11.5 per cent year-on-year to 77,521 units last month as compared with 69,599 units in April 2023.

The company's total domestic dispatches rose 12 per cent to 76,399 units last month as against 68,514 units in April 2023, the auto major said in a statement.

Total passenger vehicle sales rose 2 per cent to 47,983 units last month from 47,107 units in April 2023.

Total commercial vehicle sales stood at 29,538 units last month, a jump of 31 per cent as compared to 22,492 units in April 2023.


Tata Motors registered total sales of 77,521 units in April 2024

<strong>MAST</strong>

<strong>Brand:</strong> Oakley

<strong>Campaign:</strong> Be Who You Are

<strong>Agency:</strong> Brandmovers India

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Growing up, we were constantly asked to fit into the mould of societal expectations. Somewhere, amongst the increasing noise, doubts, aspirations and constant chatter, ‘being ourselves’ took a backseat. We forgot to focus on ourselves, be comfortable with making mistakes, and taking risks.

The latest commercial by Oakley stays true to its value of “Be Who You Are.” As the ad film rolls on, right from the hopes of 1.3bn people being shouldered by cricketer Rohit Sharma, to the doubts and noise surrounding him, the commercial shows how Sharma does not let the people’s uncertainties stop him from always giving his best. The ad film conveys the message of being your authentic self, and the importance of knowing “Who you are", where every frame of the film radiates courage and confidence. Overall, the ad film gets a thumbs up for its realism on a crucial subject.

<strong>MEH</strong>

<strong>Brand:</strong> NutriGlow

<strong>Campaign:</strong> NutriGlow

<strong>Agency:</strong> In-house

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For years, most of the ads that touched upon the subject of beauty have either been explanatory in nature, or had a pair of girls dancing to stress upon the brand, and convey positive effects. NutriGlow’s latest campaign follows the same unsatisfactory pattern. Actor Genelia Deshmukh along with a bunch of girls are portrayed as ‘GlowGirls’ who are moving to a beat to highlight NutriGlow’s varied range of products. However, Deshmukh, who serves as the brand ambassador for the brand and is known for her bubbly and fun loving nature could not save the commercial from being a dull and disappointing one to watch. An engaging and different storyline could have prevented a Meh.

<strong>Mast</strong> 

<strong>Brand</strong> - Thums Up

<strong>Agency</strong> - Ogilvy India

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From sitting on tree-tops, listening to radio commentary to gathering around paan shops, Indians have found many unique ways to tune in to their favourite cricket matches. Cola brand Thums Up, plans to provide cricket fans in India with a never seen before, innovative experience through in its feature. The ad featuring Jasprit Bumrah, Umran Malik and Brett Lee, showcases an option that allows you to experience watching an ICC T20 World Cup match through a camera fitted in a wicket. Fans will have to scan a QR code on the Thums Up bottle to get access to the camera feed and become part of this immersive experience. That is as close as one can get to being present at the actual game. If this works, it is bound to leave all cricket fans stumped!

<strong>Meh</strong>

<strong>Brand</strong> - Casio India

<strong>Agency</strong> - In-house

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NDSigcUw4mw" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Are you an over-thinker? Yes? Then Casio’s latest ad is definitely one for you. The film opens with a student, who asks his father to buy him a Casio calculator. When his father asks if he can get any other calculator if he doesn’t find one by Casio, the son starts to overthink a series of probable events and scenarios that might impact his life, all due to the repercussions of using an ordinary non-Casio calculator. While the concept works well on paper, the execution doesn’t translate well onto screens. A great concept, poorly planned and executed resulted in us providing this spot, a meh. 

<strong>Mast</strong>

<strong>Brand:</strong> Tata Motors

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vjS4Q_np3KY" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Festive ads can seem too filmy and over the top with all the songs, dances and unnecessary drama around festivities. However, sometimes there are ads that truly have a feel good factor to it. The Durga Puja TVC from Tata Motors is a perfect example. The ad features the most celebrated actor of Bengali cinema, Prosenjit Chatterjee for the spot but not in a way you’d normally expect. His presence is subtle. His role is of the narrator who acts like a catalyst, adding a slight hint of glamour to the ad without being completely involved in it. The narrative is clean and well packaged with the integration of car features that seamlessly blend in. In true festive fashion, there is a sweet story, a great song and a product that is being rightfully celebrated. All the fun elements work perfectly in unison which makes this new TVC from Tata Motors a good one to watch. A definite Mast in our books. 

<strong>Meh</strong>

<strong>Brand:</strong> Hindware

<strong>Agency:</strong> In-house

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ipgCpOTvrHQ" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Hindware has a new TV campaign – ‘Go Larger Than Life’  starring actor Tamanna Bhatia and The Great Khali. This is the first ever TVC from Hindware Italian Collection since the company forayed into the tiles segment. The tiles shown in the spot look beautiful and appealing for sure but unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the spot itself. With an inane narrative and an unnecessary objectification of a tall man being compared to huge tiles is unimpressive and doesn’t leave a good lasting impression. A very poor concept and even poorer execution awards this spot a MEH 

<strong>MAST</strong>

<strong>Brand:</strong> Cadbury Dairy Milk

<strong>Campaign:</strong> Cadbury Dairy Milk Bodyguard – Kissi aur ki Khushi mein shaamil hokar dekhiye

<strong>Agency:</strong> Ogilvy India

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ugp1IhxHT48" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Tigmanshu Dhulia never fails to impress viewers with his performances. In this spot, his appearance as a politician paints him as a ‘larger than life’ character. Dhulia, who is seen making his way towards the dais along with his bodyguards amidst the cheering crowd, to celebrate the success of one of his guard’s daughters who cleared the medical entrance exam is warm and comforting to watch. He is seen feeding the daughter a piece of Cadbury Dairy Milk as a token of appreciation and celebration. The ad film stays true to its message “Kissi aur ki Khushi mein shaamil hokar dekhiye.” A ‘Mast’ watch in our opinion. 

<strong>MEH</strong>

<strong>Brand:</strong> Myntra

<strong>Campaign:</strong> Myntra Big Fashion Festival

<strong>Agency:</strong> In-house

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ssr69nZDWKE" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

The absence of any fun factor for an ad that aims to be comical is very evident right from the start. The campaign, which aims to promote Myntra’s Big Fashion Festival does not really generate any curiosity to check out how interesting the fashion festival might be. Even the presence of celebrity couple Virat Kohli and  Anushka Sharma, does not seem to add any drama to the dulness. Ironically, Myntra’s idea of using ignorance to draw attention not only tanked on screen but also failed to attract audiences in real life. An interesting build up to the story along with some festive cheer to promote the fashion festival could have prevented a Meh.

<strong>Mast</strong>

<strong>Brand:</strong> Coca Cola

<strong>Agency:</strong> In house

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WWaOTJ_E3xc" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Durga Puja for Bengalis is like a five-day long party. Like any party, food and soft drinks are an important part of this celebration. So if you are telling a Durga Puja story and you add food and soft drinks to it, you definitely make for a good storyteller. This new puja anthem from Coca Cola is a perfect spot for the pre-festive weeks. Casting the OG cool guys of Bengal (read members of Bengali band Chandrabindoo) and the catchy song add to the festive mood and cheer. The ad comes with its share of glam factor too, with Bengali superstar Dev adding spark and being a part of the 39 second screenplay. Overall, Coca Cola has done a great job with capturing the mood of the Bengal market right now with everyone preparing for the upcoming celebrations. 

<strong>Meh</strong>

<strong>Brand:</strong> Pantaloons

<strong>Agency:</strong> Production: KITCHEN, Concept: Ogilvy

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vAitIkoGJqs" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Rap songs and hip/hop as a genre are very popular with millennials and Gen Z. However, when used in an ad, it resonates only if executed and performed well. Unfortunately, this new Durga Puja spot from Pantaloons banks on a below average rap jingle that pulls down the overall vibe of the piece. Moreover, the Bengali voice overs are heavily accented. It could’ve been done on purpose to go with the background score but doesn’t help the tune in any way. It stands out as  a noticeable blunder. The song, the script and overall performance of the cast makes this a wannabe number desperate for attention. We’re still on the look out for an ad that captures Gen Z mentality correctly and executes it well. 

<strong>MAST</strong>

<strong>Brand</strong> - The Body Shop

<strong>Agency</strong> - In house

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FkFmgjTZJ4g" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Breaking the popular notion that young citizens are becoming increasingly apathetic towards societal issues, The Body Shop launches a campaign calling upon policy makers to evaluate lowering the age of candidacy in the Lok Sabha from 25 to 21 years of age. The goal is to get greater youth representation in the Lok Sabha. To spread the message, the brands video campaign features young leaders from across the country including Sudhanshu Kaushik, founder, Young India Foundation (27), Jalandhar High Court lawyer Inderpreet Kaur (24) and Sachin Rathod, independent panch ingalangi (29) talking about their efforts in bringing change in society thereby inspiring others. The ‘Be Seen Be Heard’ initiative is being rolled out through a partnership with Young India Foundation. The WHY25 drive has been launched across India at all The Body Shop stores in September 2022 and will run till end 2024 in over 25 states with offline and online petitions to support the cause. Now, that's what you call a brand with a purpose. A mast ad, definitely a great watch. 

<strong>MEH</strong>

<strong>Brand</strong> - Levi’s India

<strong>Agency</strong> - Spring Marketing Capital

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vZ8pJXzA1h0" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Levi's India’s series of ads with Deepika Padukone follow a pattern that has become repetitive and boring. In the new ad Padukone is seen in a space that needs to be set up and decorated. The camera follows her doing various chores like pushing a sofa into place, sticking a poster on a wall while ambling around with her friends, etc dressed in a new baggy Levi’s jeans of course. The spot ends abruptly leaving viewers confused. While Levi's baggy collection might be in vogue, its advertising seems really last season! It’s time for a refresh. 


<strong>MAST</strong>

<strong>Brand</strong> – Bombae Fuzz Off Trimmer | Painless hair removal for women

<strong>Agency/Production House</strong> – Talented, StudioFry

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tJdv1KX0cPY" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

This 30 seconder is an edgy one. It’s probably the only hair removal brand that has shown body hair before women shave/wax/trim it off. Bombae says #FuzzOff to societal expectations. It shows the pain women go through to go hairless and attempts to normalise never-seen-before body hair imageries. An empowering ad that breaks boundaries. It’s a mast watch because it is changing the narrative of the category.


<strong>MEH</strong>

<strong>Brand</strong> – Manyavar | Taiyaar Hokar Aaiye

<strong>Agency</strong> - Shreyansh Innovations

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FmSZL1LByzE" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

The hyperactive actor Ranveer Singh for the new commercial of Manyavar is featured as a spunky wedding photographer. For a change, he is dressed perfectly fine. However, he singles out a suit-clad ‘mausaji’ by saying he is ruining the perfect family photo in his western outfit. Okay, we get it, this was all supposed to be in good fun and maybe for the sake of advertising. However, we think the brand could have picked a better line of thought to stitch the script. After all, isn’t fashion a personal choice? Shouldn’t Singh know that better than anyone else?



Mast & Meh: Oakley, Thums Up, Tata Motors, Myntra, Levi's India

A vast majority of automobile manufacturers have hopped on to the trend of revamping their brand logos. It's a similar pattern that these companies have been following - simplifying their logos. A smoother, cleaner and minimalist design is what is being chosen for the foreseeable future. Back in the 90’s automotive manufacturers’ logos were made three dimensional in an attempt to showcase it in the same way it would appear on a vehicle. However, with the rapid growth of digital mediums and formats in the last decade, these brands have adopted minimalist two-dimensional logos as they translate better onto screens.       

<strong>Toyota</strong>

<img src="https://images.storyboard18.com/storyboard18/IMG_9720.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="400" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1981" />

Toyota is a brand that is synonymous with reliability of not only its vehicles but also the relationship it maintains with its customers. Their logo flaunts just that. We see two intersecting ovals inside a larger third oval. The intersecting ovals depicts the strong bond the manufacturer has with its customers. Moreover, if you look closely, you'll be able to see the four letters in the manufacturers name, T, O, Y and A.

<strong>BMW</strong>

<img src="https://images.storyboard18.com/storyboard18/IMG_9721.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="400" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1982" />

It is a well known fact that before manufacturing cars and bikes, BMW used to be an aircraft manufacturer. They built aircraft engines all through World War II. The cross pattern represents the propeller of an aircraft. As for the colours, white and blue are the colours of the state of Bavaria, which is the home of BMW. 

A lesser known fact - BMW never actually designed the logo with the intent of it symbolising a propeller. It was just an observation that many made which the company never corrected as it played well for marketing.

<strong>Hyundai</strong>

<img src="https://images.storyboard18.com/storyboard18/IMG_9722.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="400" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1983" />

The Hyundai logo is certainly an interesting one. At first glance, it seems like just an 'H', the first letter of the brand's name. Due to this many often confuse it with the logo of Honda. In reality though, it's much more than that.
The letter 'H' is actually two people shaking hands. Yes, you read that correctly. Quite complex for the common man to realise immediately. One is supposed to be a customer and the other, a company representative, symbolising the strong association the company has with its customers.

<strong>Mercedes-Benz</strong>

<img src="https://images.storyboard18.com/storyboard18/IMG_9719.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="400" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1984" />

The three-pointed star has been the face of the luxury automotive division for forever and a day. The logo was initially embraced as a tribute to the company's founder, Gottlieb Daimler. However, There is actually great symbolisation behind this. The three points of the star signify three of the earth's elements, land, air and sea, showcasing Mercedes Benz's goal to one day dominate all three environments with their vehicles and engines.

[caption id="attachment_1992" align="alignnone" width="750"]<img src="https://images.storyboard18.com/storyboard18/aaron-huber-8qYE6LGHW-c-unsplash-min-1024x683.jpg" alt="Representative image via Unsplash" width="750" height="500" class="size-large wp-image-1992" /> Representative image via Unsplash[/caption]

<strong>Tata Motors</strong>

<img src="https://images.storyboard18.com/storyboard18/IMG_9723.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="400" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1985" />

C'mon, this is just a 'T' isn't it?

Yes and No.

The Tata logo is one that hasn't changed even once since its inception in 1945. It does look like a plain 'T' but it has a much deeper meaning with its roots in the strong beliefs of the Tata brand. The logo is meant to signify fluidity. The 'T' can be viewed from two perspectives. It can be seen as a fountain of knowledge and/or as a tree of trust under which people can take refuge.

<strong>Audi</strong>

<img src="https://images.storyboard18.com/storyboard18/IMG_9724.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="400" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1986" />

Unlike a lot of other logos, Audi's four rings have a pretty straight-forward meaning. Originally, the company was founded as ‘Auto Union Consortium’ which later came to be known as Audi. The four rings represent the four companies that merged in 1932 to form what we know as Audi today. The companies were Dampf Kraft Wagen (DKW), August Horch & CIE, Wanderer and Audiwerke GMBH.


<strong>Volkswagen</strong>

<img src="https://images.storyboard18.com/storyboard18/IMG_9725.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="400" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1987" />

One of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, Volkswagen too has a very uncomplicated logo. More commonly known as VW, the logo, very simply comprises of those two exact letters. The 'V' stands for 'Volks' which in german means 'people' and the 'W' stands for 'Wagen' which means 'car'. In German, Volkswagen translates to 'People's Car’ 

[caption id="attachment_1993" align="alignnone" width="750"]<img src="https://images.storyboard18.com/storyboard18/oskars-sylwan-uLybsLAtStw-unsplash-min-791x1024.jpg" alt="Representative image via Unsplash" width="750" height="971" class="size-large wp-image-1993" /> Representative image via Unsplash[/caption]

Decoding auto manufacturers’ logos and their meanings

<strong>Note to readers: <em>The last decade has witnessed significant advances in mobility and transport. New technologies and opportunities have brought a dramatic change to our societies. Planet and people-friendly transportation is more relevant than ever in the history of humankind, with everything from health to climate crises hitting us at warp speed. Storyboard18’s Month In This - EVolve 2022: Building an electric future, is an opportunity to bring to the forefront conversations around charging up marketing and brand building, to exchange and share new ideas, challenges and solutions in the field of clean transportation and mobility. Catch this Storyboard18 special on Moneycontrol, CNBC-TV18 and Forbes India.</em></strong> 

For 28-year old Shreyas Sharma buying an electric scooter was a big decision especially with multiple incidents of vehicles catching fire. He did an extensive amount of research and decided only after an EV owner shared his personal experience.

“I decided only after my friend who owns an EV himself answered various queries and shared his positive personal experience,” he tells Storyboard18. 

Sharma belongs to a bandwagon of consumers who are extremely curious and interested in electric vehicles but are often deterred by negative news and perception, myths and lack of reliable information available to them. This is exactly what electric vehicles makers in India are trying to solve through various marketing efforts which includes awareness creation and myth-busting exercises, community building, influencer engagement and mainstream promotions.

There is a huge marketing push by major brands in two and four-wheeler categories. Tata Motors, Ola Electric, Ather Energy, Audi India and Mercedes-Benz India are all fuelling up their marketing tanks. These companies are taking over every possible media platform ranging from digital and social media to television commercials to create awareness, intent and dispel myths around owning an electric vehicle.

Unlike regular automotive advertising which heavily focuses on the brand and the product, when it comes to EV, brands have to also take the responsibility of educating the customers as they are trying to shift consumption patterns.

<strong>Creating awareness, busting myths</strong>

Building awareness and busting myths in the EV category clearly emerged as the top priority for EV makers in India. Industry executives believe that the EV category, especially four-wheelers, is still at a nascent stage. The category is broadly divided into four key barriers - a price premium, inadequate charging infrastructure, range anxiety and limited choices.

Tata Motors, for instance, which recently launched the Nexon EV MAX followed by the Nexon EV Prime, also unveiled two new concepts that captured consumers’ interest – Tata Curvv and Tata Avinya in April 2022. Across communication, they addressed various barriers through the four pillars of myth busting, leveraging owners’ testimonials, range rallies, and expert opinions.

Vivek Srivatsa, head marketing, sales and service strategy, Tata Passenger Electric Mobility, tells us that when the Tata Group company launched the Nexon EV, it roped in Milind Soman and Ankita Konwar to drive the car all the way from Manali to Leh to demonstrate its capabilities. 

He goes on, “When we launched the ‘Evolve to Electric’ campaign, we activated multiple touch points, right from a stunt activity - ‘The Electric Ascent’, to social media communication that busted myths. We were also recently present at the TCS Marathon in Bangalore.”  

Srivatsa tells us that owner experiences are also amplified regularly to offer an authentic opinion of owning an EV, adding that “this adds to our overall credibility.” 

<strong>Influencer engagement, word-of-mouth works</strong>  

Ather Energy, which sells two-wheeler EVs, has focused on community building and CRM marketing, PR and influencer marketing to get the news out about a product that will launch shortly.

“That really worked well for us because we got our first set of evangelists through that route,” says Nilay Chandra, VP - Scooter Business, Ather Energy. 

The company, which first focussed heavily on digital marketing has now switched to a mix of digital and mainline media platforms to truly achieve scale and become a national brand. Influencer engagement and its experience centers remain its key marketing points as well.

“Our brand is known to a lot more people, we have moved to a pan-India approach and gone mainstream by adopting TV and print in the last one year. We want Ather to be considered like any other scooter company that has been there for decades,” Chandra adds.

<strong>Customized communication</strong>

Mercedes-Benz India, which deploys social media and television to promote its range of EVs, believes in creating customisable communication for luxury EV buyers. Marketing a luxury EV is similar to marketing a top-end luxury vehicle as the focus remains on individual requirements and brand experience desired from the brand. The company further adds that attributes like sustainable driving, zero emission, reduced carbon footprint, latest technology onboard, hassle free ownership etc. are highlighted through its marketing campaigns.

“For a luxury EV customer the marketing approach combines offering sustainable mobility with an emotional appeal and luxury brand experience synonymous with Mercedes-Benz. With our brand campaign and retail marketing approach we showcased the EV with its world-class product attributes along with an EQ ecosystem that promises hassle free ownership devoid of issues like range anxiety, charging infra etc,” shares Santosh Iyer, vice president of sales and marketing for Mercedes-Benz India. Iyer was recently announced as the next MD and CEO of Mercedes-Benz India and will take over the luxury car marker’s operations in India.  

All leading players are pushing their boundaries when it comes to branding and marketing. The focus is on supplying reliable products and quashing fears and anxiety around owning EVs which will push its adoption in a big way. 

<strong>Focus on reliability</strong> 

Ather's Chandra tells us that what the category needs is people who are as focussed on the quality, reliability and consistency. 

He says, “When consumers want to adopt a category because the products are better, especially in a category where families are going to use it and deeply linked to their livelihood as it is related to the commute, I think reliability of a product becomes fundamental.” 

In an interview with Storyboard18, Chandra says, “Rather than pointing fingers at how things are blown up in the EV category which might be true, the industry needs to focus on measures to make reliable products. Once consumers see evident action being taken by all players then half of the problem will be solved and then we could do myth busting exercises. At this stage, there’s no substitute to having good reliable products with an intent to be industry for a longer haul and not running after selling certain volumes.” 


EVolve 2022: Making EVs more desirable and accessible

It wasn’t a surprise of sorts when content creator Kusha Kapila appeared in Tata Punch's digital video as a worried parent Rita. Kapila, who has been associated with multiple brands, has done an automobile brand promotion for the first time. The video in which Kapila is seen scolding her young children after an eventful parent-teacher (PTM) meeting has been shot in Tata's SUV Punch. The creator is seen talking about the sub-compact SUV brand albeit subtly in the entertaining video full of punches.

Conceptualised and executed by Tata Motor’s internal team, the campaign on Instagram itself has garnered over 5 million views and close to 4,300 comments. Tata Punch was launched in India on October 18, 2021.

Speaking exclusively to Storyboard18, Rajan Amba, vice president, sales, marketing and customer care, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, says that since Punch is a young brand, the company wanted to choose someone who not only matches the brand personality but also has a strong digital presence.

“As a part of this targeted outreach, we wanted to focus on our women customers. Tata Motors has witnessed a surge in women customers by more than 30 percent, making it an important category for us. To take this ahead, the collaboration with Kusha Kapila fit our requirement. Her content is very well received by audiences across demographics and it made perfect sense for us to leverage her popularity,” he says.



<blockquote>"Tata Motors has witnessed a surge in women customers by more than 30 percent, making it an important category for us," Rajan Amba, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles</blockquote>



The new influencer-led campaign is aimed at communicating the safety, infotainment and design attributes of Punch to consumers between 22 and 50 years of age.

Earlier this year, Tata Motors partnered with Indian cricketers during the Indian Premier League (IPL) to promote Tata Punch.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DmQqhr7rI7c" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

The brand will continue to leverage influencer outreach campaigns with a focus on developing powerful digital content across platforms.

“We carefully choose the influencers we want to engage with depending on the messaging we want to communicate,” says Tata Motor’s Amba.



<blockquote>"Tata Punch's campaign could play a key role in redefining automobile advertising in India,” Mitesh Kothari, White Rivers Media</blockquote>




According to him these campaigns are not restricted to bigger cities or metro. “Depending on the region we want to focus on, we choose influencers who are locally popular and make content that customers can relate to. However, while working on larger campaigns, we make sure that the content we create resonates with a wide spectrum of audience. The communication then becomes such that it is relevant to someone living in a metro as well as someone living in a Tier II and III towns,” he adds.

Tata Punch sits below the Nexon in Tata Motors’ portfolio and is now the smallest sports utility vehicle in the company’s India line-up. The prices of the Punch start at Rs 5.49 lakh and they go up to Rs 9.09 lakh for the top-spec variant with AMT.

Mitesh Kothari, co-founder and CCO of digital agency, White Rivers Media believes that the SUV sector, which has been dominated by men all along, is now observing a growing interest from women.

“Not just small cars, we often see women preferring to drive bigger SUVs these days, and Tata Motors understands this fact. India's ever-growing female automobile influencers are showing considerable interest in the campaign. It's time to steer past the prejudice and stereotypical opinions and put women behind the wheel. Tata Punch's campaign could play a key role in redefining automobile advertising in India,” he concludes.


Kusha Kapila packs a punch for Tata Motors’s Punch

<strong>Note to readers:</strong> <em>The last decade has witnessed significant advances in mobility and transport. New technologies and opportunities have brought a dramatic change to our societies. Planet and people-friendly transportation is more relevant than ever in the history of humankind, with everything from health to climate crises hitting us at warp speed. Storyboard18’s Month In This - EVolve 2022: Building an electric future, is an opportunity to bring to the forefront conversations around charging up marketing and brand building, to exchange and share new ideas, challenges and solutions in the field of clean transportation and mobility. Catch this Storyboard18 special on Moneycontrol, CNBC-TV18 and Forbes India.</em> 

“Once you try an EV, it’s hard to go back to internal combustion,” says Arun Vinayak, founder of Exponent Energy, a Bengaluru-based maker of battery packs and battery management systems. Vinayak’s statement might seem biased, and can possibly invite the ire of many-a-petrolhead but is objectively hard to argue with. 

Electric vehicles deliver torque instantaneously, have far fewer components than an internal combustion vehicle, and therefore experience far less wear and tear. They’re silent and swift and capable of being constantly updated via easy-to-download software upgrades. They’re the future.

In the last two years alone, the EV segment has witnessed immense growth. The last financial quarter alone revealed a cumulative growth of 668% across two, three and four-wheeled electric vehicles (according to FADA data). Experts suggest that first adopters of EVs were drawn towards the technology for a multitude of reasons. According to Bertrand D’Souza, Editor-in-Chief of Overdrive, consumers do wish to contribute towards sustainability, although high costs of petrol and diesel are a major reason for the shift to EVs. “People also want to drive what few other people own” 

According to Hormazd Sorabjee, Editor-in-Chief of Autocar India however, the average EV consumer has always been buoyed by financial incentives as EVs, for the first time, present a viable alternative to the rising cost of petrol and diesel. Environmental considerations rarely, if ever, come into the picture. “95% are concerned about their wallets rather than saving the planet”  

Even though EV startup’s like Ather Energy began building an EV brand in 2013, with both its co-founders, fresh out of IIT, it wasn’t until four years ago that the technology became a viable mobility solution. “Back in 2014, it was more of an urban mobility toy,” says Vinayak who formerly served as the Chief Product Officer at Ather Energy. “Now when people are looking for a product that’s efficient, well built, well designed, EVs have made it to the choice list, across the price spectrum,” he adds. Sorabjee seconds that notion, citing low running costs and ease of use as the chief preference for early adopters. “EV adopters are ready to embrace the technology as the future”. 

In many ways, brands like Tesla were almost single-handedly responsible for putting EVs on the global map, by making them desirable. No longer was the technology limited to golf carts and milk floats. Instead Tesla proved that lithium-ion battery chemistry could be used to deliver explosive speed, wrapped-up in top-shelf luxury. Tesla may have done plenty to make the technology aspirational, but the price point it operated in, did little to make it accessible. And while global carmakers continue to struggle with the conundrum of the elusive low-cost EV, the challenge of making EVs accessible seems to have fallen upon Indian EV makers, offering a variety of two-wheeled mobility solutions to a populace besieged by crippling fuel prices. Unlike highly industrialised car markets like the US and Europe, India’s EV market has grown from the bottom up. By all accounts, when it comes to Indian consumers, utility trumps novelty. However, when it comes to purchasing decisions, it’s not all number crunching and utilitarian logic, as far as the Indian EV buyer is concerned. 

Srinivas Krishnan, Senior Vice President at Adfactors PR, says that the risk-taking ability of the Indian EV consumer is not to be overlooked. “I think the Indian consumer, yet again, is surprising OEMs, the government, policymakers and all other stakeholders in the mobility space.” According to Krishnan, there have been several missing links in the E-mobility space, despite which, consumers were willing to put their faith in relatively unknown technology. 

<blockquote>“We are still an emotional lot, we perceive risks and rewards differently as compared to many other consumer cohorts in other countries,”</blockquote> 

says Srinivas Krishnan, adding that brands which are mindful of this notion, and attempt to understand the Indian EV consumer’s willingness to experiment with promising technology, are the ones that go far. “The most successful companies in India are those that treat the Indian customer with respect and take the effort to understand their behaviour rather than try to unilaterally change it”. 

Of course that isn’t to say that Central and State Government sponsored rebates and incentives haven’t played a role. In fact there’s an evidently direct correlation between EV sales, particularly for e2W and the FAME II incentives and state EV policies that have been introduced in 2021. But it’s not as if the EV space has been entirely moribund in the states that are yet to offer incentives (Karnataka, for example) on par with the most pro-EV states (Gujarat, Maharashtra).

<strong>Barriers to entry</strong> 

Despite the steady growth that the EV segment is experiencing, it still occupies only three percent of the overall market share, with electric two-wheelers occupying the lion’s share of the sliver of the automotive pie. The reasons are manifold and are interconnected in a way that perpetuates the cycle of EV sparseness. “Personally, I am ready to switch to EVs. But there is currently no product in the segment I want,” says Krishnan, a motoring traditionalist who drives a diesel crossover on most days, with a penchant for classic and vintage automobiles. The lack of options in the EV space are one of the many issues keeping potential customers at bay, and, as a corollary, has caused many manufacturers to continuously hedge their bets when it comes to introducing EVs. This in turn keeps more customers from making the switch. 

For starters, no local manufacturer, be it Tata Motors or Maruti Suzuki, has managed to successfully take a crack at the affordable low-cost EV. Something of a chimera, given that lack of local lithium-ion cell manufacturing and battery costs make it impossible to sell EVs at an entry-level price point. Then there’s the fact that low-cost hatchbacks come with the sort of footprint which allows for a lower battery cell count, and therefore, lower range. It’s no accident that one of the first breakthrough EVs happened to be a large, luxury EV like the Tesla Model S. It allowed its makers a large canvas upon which a large battery could be placed, to justify the high costs. The fact that it made the product aspirational was an added benefit. 

<img src="https://images.storyboard18.com/storyboard18/t-684x1024.jpg" alt="" width="684" height="1024" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-1462" />

The absence of a strong public charging infrastructure, especially on highways, has played a major role in keeping EVs out of the driveways of single-car households. Why buy a car that limits mobility? “Mobility is about freedom. It’s about going where you want, when you want. And with the advent of cab aggregates, mobility has become a lot more flexible,” says  Exponent Energy’s Arun Vinayak, adding that at present, electric mobility in the country does not offer that sort of untethered freedom. According to Sorabjee however, the reasons for limited adoption aren’t all that complicated and essentially come down to one thing: price. “EVs are too expensive. Range and charging infrastructure aren’t such an issue because people who are ready to buy an EV have sorted out their charging and range requirements before they sign the cheque.”

Ravin Mirchandani, Chairman of the ADOR Group, a manufacturer of AC and DC power solutions, concurs. 

<blockquote>“Cheaper will always win in India. And EVs will win when the total cost of ownership is at par with an ICE vehicle.”</blockquote>

But he sees the light at the end of the tunnel, that may be ending. “We will see an inflection point around 2025 in electric car ownership, because that’s when giga factories (for localised battery manufacturing) are scheduled to come online,” he adds. Mirchandani’s claimed inflection point, however, doesn’t come with a quantifiable number. And the only number that has come out of market research, isn’t particularly encouraging, pointing at a highly optimistic 30 percent market share by 2030. In reality, it’s likely to be somewhere between 20-25 percent. If everything goes according to plan. 

<strong>How brands are approaching the matter</strong> 

Even though the EV story in India has just begun, consumer focus and concerns appear to have gone through a shift, especially when it comes to electric two-wheelers, a lot of which gained notoriety over the last six months, for catching fire, seemingly spontaneously. 

Ather Energy, which has developed a reputation for making reliable, robust products, chose to highlight its battery’s resilience as the USP of its latest offering, the Gen 3 450X, instead of range and speed. Sure, range went up with the Gen 3 update, as did battery size, but those weren’t the elements that made it to Ather’s latest ad campaign. The TVC shows the brand’s head of Battery development sitting atop an oven containing Ather’s own battery pack, while eating ice cream. The word “battery” is then mentioned several times in the 1 minute long advertisement, with no mention of design, range or any of the scooter’s external attributes, signifying that battery safety is now front and centre, the main focus for e2W consumers. 

But concerns around battery safety aren’t something manufacturers can quell alone. “There will always be a reason not to adopt certain technologies,” says Krishnan, advocating that it will take concerted efforts from all stakeholders to accelerate adoption of zero emission vehicles. Not doing anything is no longer an option.” Krishnan, a PR pro sees a silver lining in the clouds of smoke emanating from burning batteries. “EV fires are a crisis that needs to be turned into an opportunity. By bringing awareness and getting the government to pay attention to this issue and regulate it. It’s the only way to separate the wheat from the chaff.” 

Vinayak is of a similar view when it comes to the need to differentiate between EV start-ups. “In India, I think we have three kinds of OEMs. First you have legacy OEMs who have ventured into EV making and they understand the need for quality and trust. Then there are start-ups which are building a serious product from the ground-up. I think Ather has done a very good job of establishing customer trust. Then you have the traders, who essentially repackage imported components and essentially just wish to make a sale and not design or create anything special. That one portion of the industry doesn’t do justice to what EV segment could be”. 

According to Bertrand D’Souza, “Brands fixate on performance and range instead of sustainability, probably because the entire cycle isn’t  sustainable or eco-friendly yet” adding that “manufacturers don’t talk enough about how EVs reduce dependency on fossil fuels or if their vehicles are made from recyclable materials. For early adopters, these are critical matters” 

EV brands have clearly incorporated consumer anxieties into their marketing rhetoric, but according to Sorabjee, they’re yet to highlight the other obvious benefit of owning an EV: they’re just much easier to use and own. “EV Brands have focussed on the obvious, so far, which is about how EVs benefit the environment and how cost effective they are (in the long run). The fact that they are much easier to own and drive than ICE vehicles hasn’t been highlighted enough. EVs really take the stress out of everyday driving,” says Sorabjee. 

According to Arun Vinayak, EVs can be marketed around a vast number of aspects from the humdrum to the sensational. “You can tell a story about efficiency via a scooter providing a cost advantage, or a story about how an EV can be faster than a sports car,” he says. Krishnan reaffirms that much of the sensationalising of EVs was done by Tesla alone. “Tesla single handedly revolutionised the image of EVs.”

D’Souza feels that range will continue to be a core area of focus for brands, regardless of the price of the EV, or the segment which they operate in. “The current effort is to make denser batteries with higher range. But this would not be necessary if there was an adequate charging network, which still does not exist, both in India and globally” He also predicts that range anxieties will be alleviated in the future, but it will take a major infrastructural overhaul. “Studies have shown that what is required is a grid spread 50km apart from each other to ensure seamless mobility.”



EVolve 2022: Decoding the Indian EV consumer

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