Brand journey: The enduring legacy of Royal Enfield, built on community & strong DNA

Royal Enfield has been a symbol of resilience, purposeful longevity, and authenticity since 1901. It has preserved the legacy of building simple, harmonious classic motorcycles by blending traditional craftsmanship with modern technology, to create pure motorcycling experiences.

Having its origins in the UK, the first Royal Enfield motorcycle was produced in 1901, designed by Bob Walker Smith and Frenchman Jules Gobiet. It was in 1932 that the legendary ‘Bullet’ motorcycle was born, first displayed in November 1932 at the Olympia Motorcycle Show in London.

In 1949, KR Sundaram Iyer launched Madras Motors to import British motorcycles into India, including Royal Enfields, setting the grounds for Royal Enfield’s entry into India. Madras Motors received an order from the Indian Army for 500 350cc Bullets in 1952. The motorcycles arrived from Redditch in early 1953 and proved to be a great success, being both hardy and easy to maintain.

In 1955, the Redditch company partnered Madras Motors in India to form ‘Enfield India’. Work commenced on the construction of a purpose-built factory at Tiruvottiyur, near Madras (now Chennai). A year later, the Tiruvottiyur factory opened and Bullets began to be manufactured under license. Initially, these machines were shipped from England in kit form and then assembled in the Madras plant. A total of 163 Enfield India Bullets were built by the end of the year.

Enfield India began exporting the 350cc Bullet to the UK and Europe in 1977. Sales grew rapidly as the bike developed a following amongst classic motorcycle enthusiasts.

In 1994, commercial vehicle and tractor manufacturer, The Eicher Group, acquired Enfield India Limited. Eicher, which has roots in India dating back to 1948, renamed the company Royal Enfield Motors Limited.

In 2021, Royal Enfield celebrated 120 years of Pure Motorcycling.

Royal Enfield in India has a cult following and a very strong community of bikers that keeps the brand’s legacy alive. A Royal Enfield spokesperson engages with Adgully in a conversation, where he shares insights into the bike manufacturer’s community engagement strategies, marketing approach, and future plans. This includes its strong community focus contributing to growth, distinctive personality in marketing, commitment to sustainability with electric mobility, and performance highlights such as Motoverse 2023 response and market growth, and more.

Royal Enfield has a strong presence in community engagement. Can you share some insights into the success factors behind this engagement and how it has contributed to the brand’s growth?

At the very core, Royal Enfield has always been about championing and celebrating our community and it is that constant that has helped Royal Enfield scale and grow into a community of loyalists. As a brand, Royal Enfield has always prioritised a holistic experience, which is not just about creating meticulously crafted motorcycles, but giving the community a sense of belonging, both on and off the saddle.

Royal Enfield has always recognised the importance of a strong consumer connection, and through a packed calendar of exciting community rides, events and initiatives, the brand continues to cement that connection. For example, Royal Enfield’s annual community event, Motorverse has proven to be a great platform for the brand and for consumers who are generating ideas that help the brand decode insights that are then distilled into the overall brand approach. Immersive and experiential activities like this, also allow the brand to connect with people who understand the motorcycling culture, but are not necessarily die-hard motorcyclists themselves.

As the oldest motorcycle brand in continuous production, it is important to stay true to the brand’s heritage, while still keeping a pulse on the future, and the community has played a significant role in helping us do just that.

The personality angle in Royal Enfield’s marketing is quite distinct. How do you ensure that this personality resonates with the target audience, and what role does it play in the brand’s overall strategy? What sets Royal Enfield’s marketing strategy apart from other motor vehicle brands, especially in the context of the Indian market?

Royal Enfield’s engagement philosophy is unique, to say the least, and has remained deeply rooted in the community. The goal has always been to stay true to the community and the proposition as a brand while remaining open and agile enough to adapt when our consumers give the cue. As a brand, Royal Enfield makes it a point to engage with the community on all levels.

Through curated rides, activations like Art of Motorcycling and various immersive touch points throughout the year, we have built a culture of inclusiveness, and it is because of these authentic touch points, that the brand has nurtured evangelists of this culture as well. The brand has cultivated a cult status not by focussing on marketing strategies but by staying true to what it stands for as a brand.

Most of Royal Enfield’s team members have a creative background and when working with agency partners, the brand likes to build on each other’s ideas together. That is what true creative partnerships look like.

With the increasing focus on clean emissions, is Royal Enfield planning to launch an electric version of its motorcycles? If so, what is the roadmap for this transition, and how does it align with the company's vision for a sustainable future?

As a brand that enables exploration and discovery, Royal Enfield’s commitment to ‘leave every place better’ is deeply ingrained in every part of the business. The brand’s Electric Mobility team is powered by the objective to preserve the quintessential Royal Enfield DNA and extend that into their creative ideas and designs for electric motorcycles as well.

This Himalayan Electric Testbed concept motorcycle is an outcome of this pursuit, melding purpose and innovation into the distinct design sensibilities, which Royal Enfield is known for. The Himalayas have been Royal Enfield’s spiritual home for decades and this motorcycle is another part of a much bigger sustainable ecosystem of exploration and adventure that the brand is working on in the Himalayas. From green charging pit-stops and its responsible travel initiative to creating self-sustaining communities and collaborating with UNESCO to preserve the intangible cultural heritage of the Himalayan region, there are a lot of initiatives that Royal Enfield is passionately driving.

The purpose and definition of exploration continue to evolve and the brand’s intention to retain and preserve these experiences for future generations led to the idea of creating an Electric Himalayan motorcycle as a testbed for future ideas and innovations at Royal Enfield. It is a silent, yet potent medium to augment the connection between man, machine, terrain and community.

The Electric Himalayan Testbed is so much more than just a design concept for Royal Enfield. It is a glimpse at what consumers can expect from the brand in the future.

Royal Enfield has a rich legacy. How has the brand built and transitioned its legacy over the years, and what role does consumer connect play in this process? Apart from Motoverse, what other strategies does Royal Enfield employ for consumer connect and engagement? Are there upcoming activations or events in the pipeline?
Looking back at the trajectory of the brand, the pivotal factor in its transformation has been its connection with the community. This has helped Royal Enfield preserve and evolve its legacy, authentically. Carefully balancing its heritage with the changing landscape of consumer preferences, the brand has ensured that each product retains the timeless design elements that truly define Royal Enfield.

This evolution hasn’t been easy, it involves not just keeping pace with evolving tastes and needs but also staying attuned to the emotional recall that riders have for the brand. Community events and rides like Motoverse, One Ride and more, provide platforms for enthusiasts to come together, foster a sense of camaraderie and contribute to extending the brand’s ‘Pure Motorcycling’ philosophy across the globe. Initiatives like The Great Himalayan Exploration and Helmets for India also showcase how Royal Enfield aligns itself with contemporary issues and engages with the community in meaningful ways.

Last year when Royal Enfield launched the Bullet, the approach was deeply rooted in letting the heritage of the motorcycle shine through its newest iteration. The brand campaign – “Bullet Meri Jaan” – featured stories of grit, and strength, told through personalities who are true reflections of the ‘Bullet DNA’. The campaign was so very well-received creating a digital space where the brand’s legacy is celebrated and amplified.

Royal Enfield has a strong association with movies, contributing to the brand's aura. How does this collaboration impact the community and overall marketing strategy?

Royal Enfield’s association with films, music and other art forms, has taken an authentic route as well. The brand has done a good job of perfectly spotlighting the distinctive persona of each nameplate, which in turn has resulted in organic and relatable integrations.

Bullets have graced the silver screen in countless Bollywood films and international shows like ‘Outlander’, solidifying their iconic status. Most recently, Royal Enfield’s motorcycles were a part of the Bollywood movie ‘Dhak Dhak’, which was a beautiful story of passion and the power of the ‘motorcycling way of life’, in breaking perceived barriers. Collaborations like these foster a profound emotional connection with the Royal Enfield community.

Beyond its impact on the community, the association with movies serves as a cornerstone of Royal Enfield’s role in pop culture moments. The timeless designs of its motorcycles seamlessly fit into various film genres and authentic integrations only reinforce the brand’s narrative and identity, making it relatable to a broader audience.

Following Motoverse 2023, what has been the response from Motoverse? Could you share insights into the leads and conversions generated from this event?

Every year, Motoverse unfolds over three days in Goa, and it’s truly incredible to see how the community has grown over the years. In its 13th edition now, the event welcomed more than 15,000 attendees and motorcyclists from across the world last year.

From a business standpoint, there were two big-ticket elements anchoring Motoverse this year – the official launch of the all-new Himalayan and the surprise unveiling of the Shotgun 650. To better facilitate leads, conversions and overall community coordination, the brand introduced a WhatsApp-enabled Chatbot, called Moto Captain that essentially operated as a digital face for the event. The platform facilitated 1100+ limited test ride bookings for the all-new Himalayan within 20 minutes of the campaign going live. For the Shotgun 650 as well, the entire registration and booking process took place exclusively on WhatsApp. This was a first for a product unveiled at an event.

The platform helped connect over 8,000 participants and facilitated a staggering 578,573 message exchanges. It delivered a 61% click-to-conversation rate (10x click-to-conversation rate through CTWA ads) which enabled a stellar 40% goal completion rate in the registration journey. On-ground Moto Captain ensured 72% engagement, surpassing industry averages by a remarkable 11x. It also helped amplify participation in an array of immersive experiences like the iconic pinstripe masterclass, which was nearly booked out (95%) in the first hour of going live.

Community opinions being the ultimate testament to everything the brand does, the platform also landed a 91.3% approval rating with users, further solidifying its role in reaching and resonating deeply with newer, previously untapped audiences.

In terms of unit sales and revenue growth, how did Royal Enfield perform in 2023? Were there any standout achievements or challenges faced?

In FY24 Royal Enfield recorded the sales of 761,246 motorcycles (YTD as of January 31, 2024), marking a 10% increase year on year. Also, the brand crossed a significant international milestone with 100,000 shipments in FY23.

It’s been an eventful year in terms of achievements too. The brand launched four new motorcycles, with positive feedback from both global experts and consumers, for the all-new Himalayan and Bullet 350.

The all-new Himalayan was awarded the ‘Indian Motorcycle Of The Year’ award, ‘Bike of the Year’ and ‘Best Premium Bike’ at the Motor Vikatan Awards 2024; and ‘Best Motorcycle Of The Year’ at the Stuff Awards. The Shotgun 650 was introduced as a bold reinterpretation of custom culture, at Motoverse last year, and the response from the community was overwhelming. All 25 Motoverse-edition motorcycles were sold out in 48 hours.

What is the overall size of the motorcycle market in India, and what is Royal Enfield's current market share? Which markets showed significant growth for Royal Enfield in 2023?

Royal Enfield’s dominance in the midweight segment is underscored by a significant market share in the 250cc-750cc category. As a brand, it has been instrumental in shaping and nurturing this segment, and that is more than evident in the brand’s evolution over the last few decades. Royal Enfield’s approach may change over the years, but the goal is constant and quite simple. The brand is determined to continue enhancing its consumer proposition across segments, whether it’s motorcycles, apparel, accessories, or immersive community experiences.

From a modest annual sale of 50,000 motorcycles, Royal Enfired now sells close to 70,000+ motorcycles per month, across India and more than 60 countries globally. The brand has diversified its portfolio from the iconic Classic in the early 2000s to a comprehensive range of nameplates that cater to a broad spectrum of riding enthusiasts worldwide.