Auto segment is showing some early signals of recovery: Kaushik Prasad, Ford India

While the global COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns have disrupted businesses across the world, things are now slowly settling down as we enter a ‘new normal’, or as some are calling it, ‘never normal’. During this period, there has been a massive transition to digital by businesses. Brands have come up with some excellent and sensitive communication even when they are not promoting any product or service.

The ongoing Indian Premier League and the festive season has revved up industry sentiments.

The Auto industry has been facing some tough times even before the pandemic hit the world. Post-COVID-19, the challenging times have been exacerbated for the auto industry, with quite a few majors seeing zero sales in the peak lockdown period.

Also read:  Ford Promotes Freestyle with A Flair of Innovation Via JioSaavn Partnership

However, as India unlocks, things are looking up and this is reflected in Ford India’s recently launched campaign – ‘Open Doors To A New Beginning’, which not only highlights the new normal, but also the sensitivities of relationships during this time as well as the festive season.

https://youtu.be/3MUoCW8EHL0

In conversation with Adgully, Kaushik Prasad, General Manager - Consumer Marketing, Ford India, provides some insights into this campaign, the plans for the festive season, expectations of revival and much more.

It’s a nice soft and emotional film capturing the festive mood. What was your key communication objective for this film? Also, what was the creative thought on this film as the approach to the festive mood is quite different?

This festive season, Ford wanted to stand for Optimism and Positivity. An opportunity to build relevance with emotions, we wanted to be a part of a larger sentiment based on strong cultural insights rooted in family like values of Authenticity and A Better Future – which are unique to Ford.

Culturally, festivals signify a great time to start something new – make a new beginning. And Ford is an enabler. Opening a Ford door is never just to drive. It leads to new discoveries, new relationships, new opportunities. We open doors to make beginnings for ourselves and our families. (‘Kholo dil ke darwaaze aur karo naiyi shuruvaat’) All driven from the Ford brand promise of ‘Kuch alag si, family wali feeling’.

Who are you targeting with this film? Any specific audiences that you are looking to engage with during the festive season as the general economic climate is not looking bright at the moment?

This film is targeted at in-market buyers. The key intent being how might we inspire auto intenders to view festivals with renewed positivity that calls for New Beginnings in life and prefer Ford over others.

How did you manage to produce and execute this film as there are still restrictions when it comes to shooting films outdoors?

As officially announced by Information & Broadcasting Ministry, all film and television shoots have been resumed across the country since August 23, 2020, along with a set of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in place. The SOPs ensure adequate distancing at shoot locations and other workplaces and contains measures, including proper sanitisation, crowd management and provision for protective equipment.

Safety is core to Brand Ford. These films were shot in Mumbai in a controlled environment with all necessary precautions as advised by the government.

There are some signs of recovery in the auto segment. What are your expectations this festive season? Will the festive season generate demand?

The Auto segment is showing some early signals of recovery and we do expect this festive season to be positive for the business.

According to some marketing experts, the growth will happen in smaller towns. How are you gearing to address those markets and what’s going to be your strategy to engage with the audience in the smaller towns?

A relatively stronger bounce-back has been observed for the industry in Tier 2-3 towns compared to bigger cities. Ford’s wide network, including Extended Sales & Service Network for smaller towns, services like Dial-A-Ford and Online Booking helps make the Ford brand accessible to consumers across Tiers. Marketing communications in regional languages supplements these efforts.

How are you planning your media strategy? Will you be leveraging IPL to reach out to your potential audience? Any special focus on digital?

While these festive films have been conceived for digital usage, Ford’s festive campaign will leverage multiple media. Ford’s latest campaign, ‘Rishtoon Ki Servicing’ (Value-of-ownership), is currently on air on TV and we are reaching out to potential audiences on IPL, amongst other genres.