From a Blue Ocean to a Pink Ocean
TATA unveiled the world's cheapest car at the Auto show in Delhi a few days back; 'TATA nano' the ""most"" economical car an Indian could ever get. It was definitely the crave for innovation and their blue ocean strategy that has made this a reality. But while gearing up for an uncontested market space actually the words ""most economical"" of their ad campaigns were way far enough but somehow they ended up doing a big mistake. And the consequence of that big mistake surely is going to be disastrous. Everything was going just fine until they launched the car, but why on earth did they ever think of comparing Nano with the good old India’s favorite entry segment car, i.e the Maruti 800 (Frontie, as her pet name goes). As for me this was the most insensible, dumb, foolish, moronic thing that TATA's would have ever done. They should have never compared Nano with some other small car. Now, this not only has become an advantage for Maruti but also has become a self check-mate for TATA's. Now here is probably what is happening.
Until today, Nobody ever heard a Pepsi-Coke like competition going on between the TATA's and the Marutis. Over in the hatchback segment Maruti Swift had its own edge while as TATA's Indica was doing good business too, but everyone knows where it makes business (The height was when they created a new Indica with the name "Indi-cab"). Now it seems like the Maruti guys have taken a good cognizance of the "Car comparing" mistake that TATA's did and they have come up with a all new ad all over the Radio as well as TV. They have started advertising Alto as the real contender for Indica with a punch line as "Taxi ko karo tata" which actually means "Say good bye to Taxi" but there is an intended pun which means "Refer to TATA as a Taxi". That might prove to be a real blot for all TATA products. Everyone that enters for the first time in the TATA showroom will constantly get an Echo which will bring the cheap dedicated passenger carrier car impression for all TATA product range. And believe it or not, going in for TATA car is going to be a compromise henceforth if you hear this ad.
On the other side, 800 sales might be headed for a deadly drop. Hence Maruti has "increased" the price of their best selling car. Confused? Quite natural.. as probably their logic says that people who want to go in for the India's favorite Maruti car will still go for the same Maruti car no matter at what price it is placed and people who are waiting for a cheap car to roll on roads will always wait and will never buy the Maruti unless they get an impression of Maruti is a little better than compromise. Hence once the worlds cheapest car arrives on the road, Maruti will make their car price a little cheaper too.
But in all it looks like TATA has ended up mixing Red color with their Blue ocean.....i.e Pink ocean... so much for a silly mistake.
Until today, Nobody ever heard a Pepsi-Coke like competition going on between the TATA's and the Marutis. Over in the hatchback segment Maruti Swift had its own edge while as TATA's Indica was doing good business too, but everyone knows where it makes business (The height was when they created a new Indica with the name "Indi-cab"). Now it seems like the Maruti guys have taken a good cognizance of the "Car comparing" mistake that TATA's did and they have come up with a all new ad all over the Radio as well as TV. They have started advertising Alto as the real contender for Indica with a punch line as "Taxi ko karo tata" which actually means "Say good bye to Taxi" but there is an intended pun which means "Refer to TATA as a Taxi". That might prove to be a real blot for all TATA products. Everyone that enters for the first time in the TATA showroom will constantly get an Echo which will bring the cheap dedicated passenger carrier car impression for all TATA product range. And believe it or not, going in for TATA car is going to be a compromise henceforth if you hear this ad.
On the other side, 800 sales might be headed for a deadly drop. Hence Maruti has "increased" the price of their best selling car. Confused? Quite natural.. as probably their logic says that people who want to go in for the India's favorite Maruti car will still go for the same Maruti car no matter at what price it is placed and people who are waiting for a cheap car to roll on roads will always wait and will never buy the Maruti unless they get an impression of Maruti is a little better than compromise. Hence once the worlds cheapest car arrives on the road, Maruti will make their car price a little cheaper too.
But in all it looks like TATA has ended up mixing Red color with their Blue ocean.....i.e Pink ocean... so much for a silly mistake.
