Brand Positioning of Maruti Suzuki

MARUTI SUZUKI – BRAND POSITIONING By: Shweta Amin [ Market Research Analyst ] on  February 13, 2011 1 Comment What comes to your mind first when u come across the term ‘MARUTI SUZUKI’, it always absolutely has to be Maruti 800, best known as ‘The Middle class car of India’. BRAND IMAGE:- MARUTI from as a brand itself is seldom looked at, as a luxury brand. Maruti as a brand is more linked with the SEC B rather than A. And over past many years Maruti Has maintained and up till certain extent restricted its Target Market to same SEC’s.VARIOUS MODELS OF MARUTI SUZUKI IN MARKET:- Hatchback: – Maruti 800, Wragon R, Alto, Swift, Estilo, Ritz, A-star Sedan: – SX4 & Dzire. SUV:- Grand Vitara, Maruti Gypsy, EECO This is quite evident that Maruti Suzuki is leading in its variety of ‘Hatchback’ cars. These for all this while were targeting the group of people who are middle incomed, but Maruti Suzuki has slowly entered and is steadily growing into the category of ‘Sedan’ Vehicles. REMARKABLE GROWTH:-If we observe Maruti as a brand over the years we can note a remarkable phenomena or strategy from their growth in past years. * It first became popular n still is with its launch of Maruti 800 many years back. They targeted middle income groups, who were first time car buyers, looking for low ownership cost with basic need of a family vehicle and the price was approx 2lacs. * After this they never looked back. Then came the other various hatchback models of Maruti like Zen, Wragon, and Alto etc.These Cars again targeted the middle income groups, but this time the positioning was not as the basic need, it was comfort at comparatively lower price, of 4 – 5 lacs. * Then putting Yet another Step forward, they came into Sedan’s with a price of 8-9 lacs these Sedans targeted SEC A as well as B(up till a certain extent) MARUTI KIZASHI The most recent development from Maruti Suzuki is the Launch of ‘Maruti Kizashi’. It has been positioned as the sports sedan; it is fairly high on cost with a Price of approx 17 to 19 Lacs.This Sedan is targeted towards the SEC A with a luxury touch to it. By this way, Maruti Suzuki is now able to target and provide a solution to various types of car buyers, who basically are the different targeted groups according to its Database. Maruti Suzuki seems to have efficiently planned and structured to connect its brand to masses as not only an ‘Economic Brand’ but also a ‘Luxury Brand’ turning it into an all-rounder. It will be interesting to see the consumers’ reaction to this change in the Brand Image of their one of most trusted brands