Racing past the BarriersThe Success of the Apache Motorcycle in India

Once Upon a Time There Was a Markethellip

A market where licenses were controlled and were few and far between importswere restricted foreign investment was not allowed and local producers successfullylobbied with the government to maintain the status quo Production capacities werelimited and yet it was a marketing heaven for the existing producers Customerswaited uncomplainingly for long periods (extending to a year and beyond) after fullpayment to collect their set of wheels Even as late as the early 1990s Bajaj theleading two-wheeler company had a waiting list that was 26 times the companyrsquosannual output The CEO of Bajaj once remarked only half jokingly that they did notneed a marketing department only a dispatch department

And then things changed Compelled more by a vulnerable foreign exchange deficit ratherthan in the interest of free trade the Indian government opened up the market in the early1990s It was the opening up of floodgates leading to a boom in foreign investment technicalcollaborations and new media all of these factors paving the way for a new era ofconsumerism Perhaps the most tangible visible and much needed change took place in theAuto sector with new investment and increased capacity kick starting the growth Greaterchoice customization for different road conditions better distribution and price tiers to suit arange of budgets all contributed to unimaginable growth rates From a modest 01millionvehicles in early 1970s the market is expected to be a whopping 10 million (a hundredfoldincrease) in less than four decades India is now the largest two-wheeler market in the worldand most of the growth has taken place in the past 15 years

Driving GrowthTwo-wheelers have been the main means of transport in India accounting for over70 of the vehicle population The two-wheeler of the 1970s and 1980s was ascooter of a 1950s Italian design It wasnrsquot uncommon to see an entire family of four(or even five) carrying several bags making their way around the busy roads on thetwo wheels (See figure 1)

Figure 1

Although motorcycles made their debut in the 1950s they came in as imports by thegovernment to guard the Pakistani border (the first bike was appropriately calledBullet) Motorcycles until the mid-1990s never really had a strong volume baseBeing heavy and difficult to manage in addition to being fuel guzzlers they werequite unsuitable except for the very niche ndash law enforcement and the machoexceptions that opted for a motorbike over the practical scooter

TVS was the first to introduce a lighter version of the motorcycle to the Indianmarket which was to be the first of several models While the apparent appeal wasgreater fuel efficiency on account of the lighter body and four strike enginemotorcycles also injected a feeling of youth and modernity in tune with the optimismof a market just opening up Motorcycles now outstrip the scooter market by sixtimes

All of the initial growth was driven by technological innovation For a market starvedof choice on both prices as well as performance where the incumbent technologydated back to the early 1950s or before this was a critical step to draw in newcustomers Innovations were predominantly in the area of fuel efficiency whichbecame the basis for new models and the dialogue with the consumerSegmentation of the market was primarily on price tiers Branding was limited to thecorporate values of the company which served as a reassuring stamp of quality andafter sales service All communication emphasized functional performance and theextra miles that a liter of petrol would stretch to At best there was some use ofcelebrity endorsements to add humanity and appeal to factual advertising

The transition of the marketersrsquo mindset to this stage was quite painless Comingfrom a strong production orientation the new technology and engineering innovationprovided a new excitement without dragging them out of their comfort zones Mostpeople who work in automotive companies in India (then and even now) areengineers irrespective of their role and function in the company With theirengineering mindset they strongly believed in the consumersrsquo ability to evaluatesuperior performance and set about earnestly to build a better and better product

TVS was the market leader the first among the big three TVS in fact was acompany known for many firsts - the first lighter motorbike that went on torevolutionize the market the first to lead the market boom the first Japanese jointventure the first to bring in state of art technology the first moped and the first touse celebrity endorsement TVS was therefore a company not averse to taking therisks that are involved in moving into uncharted territories

The Market Shifted Gears

While growth continued the market gradually moved from a sellers market toovercapacity Increased number of choices several models at all price tiers and theabsence of any runaway new successes in five years led to an erosion of the TVSleadership position From being the market leader TVS slipped to the number threeposition There was a clear and immediate need to rejuvenate and to explore newopportunities TVS did what all auto marketers do best ndash turn to the engineering anddesign team for a solution Several new products were designed and tested somewere even found superior in product clinics and launched but the market responsewas lack luster at best With no opportunity to create a new price point and functionalperformance not breaking any new boundaries the time had come to turn in another

direction

Changing Lanes

Never strangers to trying avenues other than the conventional safe and the familiarTVS took the bold decision to look beyond improving functional performance for asolution Rather than taking a scatter gun trial and error approach TVS decided toattempt understanding what the market needed They had access to the besttechnical and design consultants in the world and were confident that once themarket gaps were identified and understood the task of creating a suitable productwould not be very difficult There was also a hesitant realization that consumer decisions were not wholly rational And that there were elements that went beyondfunctional parameters How else could they explain the less than successful launchof models that surpassed others on fuel efficiency

The decision to explore building the brand as a platform for a deeper consumerconnection was taken A research proposal to segment the market on needs wasasked for the initial reaction to which was a mix of both skepticism and enthusiasm

The Tool Box

The research consisted of several stages The first was a qualitative exploratoryphase to uncover the need structure of the market This was followed by quantitativeneed based segmentation to validate the need structure and measure the sizes ofthe need segments Mapping and measuring of existing brands on the needslandscape helped to identify where the opportunity lay Concepts were developedand tested and THEN finally the technical design team given the direction todevelop identify a suitable product that expressed the desired brand positioningThis represented a complete paradigm shift in the method of client working andthinking where most of the earlier launches (the successful ones as well as not sosuccessful) had emerged from the engineering and draftsman drawing boardsNeedScope TNSrsquos proprietary system was identified as the most suitable solution

The NeedScope System

Two concepts form the theoretical basis of NeedScope ndash a Marketing Model and anarchetypal framework

The Marketing Model describes how brands and needs are two sides of an equationand should fit together Needs are delayered into three levels (See figure 2)

The outer most easily accessible layer of consumer needs is the rational layer andis satisfied by the functional benefits the product delivers The Indian two-wheelermarket was largely competing at this need level ndash there was increased fragmentationon prices varying combination of features performance and mileage The only routeto competitive advantage seemed to be engineering innovation leading to long npdcycles high risk launches without any means to secure long term advantage as allthe big three had equal access to international state of art technology

Figure 2

The second layer has to do with sociology ndash the need to identify with particulargroups in society These needs are met by the social values or character of thebrand ndash a brand for young people for women upscale etc Interestingly the marketwas not very well differentiated at this layer either except through a default pricingroute

And finally at the heart of the model are the emotive needs These are the coredrivers of brand choice the engine that powers the consumerrsquos relationship with thebrand

The Marketing Model is therefore not just an emotive model It recognizes thatconsumers have needs at all levels and that the rational or functional level serves asa screener the first stop which if not satisfied will keep the brand out of theconsumerrsquos consideration set However this is not the layer at which loyalty can bebuilt and it is necessary to go below the surface Starting with the rational the modelsystematically uncovers the inner need layers There is also no hierarchy ndash no layeris considered more important than the other The needs are interlinked and onlywhen cohesively met across all three layers will a powerful connection be struck with the consumer The example of the iPod shuffle below illustrates this (See figure3)The second concept is the NeedScope archetypal framework (See figure 4)

Two axes are the fundamental anchors of the framework The horizontal is theI vs We axis The right side represents the drive for individualism and self assertionThis is the need to stand out to feel superior to be admired and to stay ahead ofothers The left is about the fundamental sense of belonging ndash the need foracceptance togetherness friendship and warmth

The vertical dimension divides the model into the extroverted and introverted polesThe top is about energy directed outwards ndash release stimulation freedom Thebottom is about energy that is inwards ndash more contained and controlled andtherefore less visible While these are polar opposites there are no hierarchies ornegatives The space represents alternative strategies that consumers use toresolve their needs It must also be pointed out that this is a needs rather than aconsumer framework Consumers are multi-faceted and have multiple needsdepending on the context of the category and occasion

Figure 3 The iPod shuffle Defining the need layers of Brand choice

Figure 4The space can be dissected in many ways but in its most basic way we can identifysix archetypes Archetypes are the unchanging constant in human beings that holdover time across different geographies and cultures For example everyonerecognizes and connects with the nurturing care of the Mother the appealing purityof the Innocent or the determined courage of the Winning Hero beating odds andwith the irresistible sensuality of the Seductress Over millenniums powerful storieshave been told and written about them They take different faces and names butthey still strike the same deep chord within all human beings They are reflected inour gods and goddesses in our mythologies and it doesnrsquot matter if one is one isGreek or Indian Chinese or Nordic Uncannily cultures that have evolved thousandsof miles from each other and with no real contact developed the same storiesThese archetypes are found in culture after culture they anchor our worlds and our

belief systems Carl Jung calls this the collective unconscious

Powerful brands too tell stories that connect at the same symbolic level asarchetypes Nikersquos Just Do It has among others Tiger Woods striding victoriouslyacross golf courses around the world having beaten racial prejudice in what was anexclusive elitist gentlemanrsquos game Or we have Nikersquos Rafael Nadal stopping hearts with his unconventional looks and repeatedly beating the world no 1 at the FrenchOpen Dove with its encompassing Real Beauty campaign recaptured the appealof wholesomeness naturalness and purity reaching out to all women LrsquoOrealrsquos lsquoIrsquomworth itrsquo speaks to the confidence of someone who knows what is best and is entitledto it Johnnie Walkerrsquos success is based on an intimate understating of the RulerArchetype ndash standing ahead of others Powerful brands are archetypal in natureThis is what enables them to connect at the deepest level inspiring consumers tobehave often lsquoirrationallyrsquo They build lasting commitments and relationships Theyspeak a symbolic language that is not made of words and therefore crosses barriersof language religion and politics - a language that unites that taps into universallyshared hopes dreams and needs That is what makes them the global icons theyare

Taking the Emotional leap forwardComing back to the TVS story ndash the market was largely operating at the functionallayer The only brand that had broken out of this mould was Pulsar from acompetitor house with enviable success Clearly the Indian consumer was not justready for a more meaningful dialogue but was actually seeking more than functionalpromisesWe started with qualitative research with recent buyers of motorbikes and thoseintending to buy a motorbike in the next few months Using projective techniques andthe NeedScope framework needs were uncovered at all layers (See figure 5)

Some of the key insights that came throughbull Modernity is at the heart of the category The market had moved away fromthe family orientation scooter days Consumers were looking forcontemporary expression in keeping with the optimism and hope of the newgeneration This had to be reflected in both the design and the emotivepropositionbull Stability reliability and trust which were critical strengths of the TVScorporate brand were now taken for granted important to have but no longerenough o which to build a differentiated propositionbull The new brand would therefore have to stand alone in fact perhaps lead theshift of TVS image towards modernitybull And to succeed in this direction there was a need to alter the thinking andfunctioning of existing stalwarts within the company with their strong technicalorientation

The next stage was the quantitative segmentation based on needs There were sixneed states identified and each need state was detailed on all layers of needs aswell as other demographic and behavioral parameters to enable targeting (Seefigure 6)

Figure 5

Figure 6IntrovertedDominanceAssertivenessIndividualityRecep

The archetypes are clearly evident Exclusivity is about asserting onersquos statuslooking and feeling better than others The brand has to reflect sophisticationknowledge and authority The social values of Exclusivity are premium internationaland exclusive Functionally the bike needs stronger safety assurances that only adiscerning buyer understands and visible enhancement features to match Incontrast Affiliation is a need to belong to own the tried and trusted to beappreciated by the family and to feel good about oneself The social values are that of a newly married person ready to settle down Functional needs are pillioncomfort low maintenance value and an assured resale price

The size of the need states indicates the dynamic shift of the market towards moremodernity and individualism 62 of the market is weighted towards self expressionand status needs (See figure 7)

Figure 7 TVS Portfolio Missing the Action

Brands were then mapped on the needs landscape based on how consumersperceived them Pulsar the big success in the market was unsurprisingly inPotency The TVS brands were all clustered in the lower part of the affiliative sectionof the map Clearly all of them were drawing imagery and symbology from theaffiliative reliable image of the corporate brand The position of the TVS brandsindicated sub-optimal utilization of the portfolio and the absence from the moredynamic and growing part of the market was a cause of concern TVS clearly had toget back into the action

Potency and Liberation being large and growing were identified as the opportunityAn in-depth need state- brand fit analysis showed that Liberation rather thanPotency was a more optimal target for several reasons

Potency while larger and exciting already had a formidable competitor inPulsar There was a high risk of becoming a me-too launch unless somethingDramatically different was createdbull While the need to create a new brand rather than a new TVS model wasRecognized it was also clear that the auto being a high ticket buy theSignature of an established company is needed for market acceptance andConsequently there would be some influence of the company brand ThePotency need state with its macho rugged individualism was just too distantto be targeted credibly with TVSrsquos affiliated imagery

Liberation had a younger skew which opened up the opportunity to target anew social group ndash the first time bike buyer With the market size growing theprofile of the buyer was getting younger and this segment was expected togrow even further as the shift of the older middle class consumers towardsfour-wheelers had begun

Liberation ndash Life Here I come

The first step was to understand Liberation at all layers of needs1048729 Emotively liberation represents the wonder years in a manrsquos life The firsttaste of freedom the first coming into adulthood A time of freedom funexploration of the world and experiences before responsibility and the realitiesof life take over The bike in this need state symbolizes a rite of passage ndash theboy becomes a man ndash and is the ideal partner to explore spaces bothphysically and emotively In the physical sense it is about mobilityEmotionally it is about reaching places yoursquove never been1048729 Liberation evokes the heady kick and excitement of youth the excitingdiscovery of adulthood and the bike is integral as a source of pleasure1048729 There was a definite younger skew demographically but the need alsoextended to the Young at Heart For the young man the motorbike is asymbol to flaunt his adult status (personified as a girlfriend for fun romance)With older men it is about recapturing moments gone by the wish forevergreen enduring youthfulness1048729 The social values of the need state are therefore younger men in the goldenperiod between boys and adult men The need has a strong peer contexttypical to that life stage The need for affiliation togetherness is also reflectedin the relationship with the bike - a buddy to share the fun with1048729 With every brand boasting of an international collaboration it was decidedthat this was not a differentiating or for that matter much of a motivatingproposition any more International technology is of course desirable butthere is also an emerging pride and comfort especially among the youth aboutbeing Indian and Indianness1048729 Functional delivery needs to live up to the vibrant need for a trendy coolexperience ndash a combination of speed power pick up and trendy looksAdvanced technology to reflect the fast paced lifestyles of the emerging IndianyouthTwo concepts were developed and tested on the same frame of reference

And so the Apache was born (See Figure 8)

Figure 8

Itrsquos Now or Never

Symbolism ndash Living life in the moment Targeting that part of every man that bringsback the wonder years ndash of Freedom of Irresponsibility of LIVING A sense ofrelease exploration and the anticipation that the world is waiting for you For thenewly initiated the promise of discovering a new world for the young at heart therecapturing of a time gone by a retreat to Ladland About living life to the fullest andmaking most of the moment

Social values ndash Unattached young popular men with lots of friends and popularamong girlsFunctional promise ndash stylish looks really cool accessories power and pick uplightness to reflect the mood easy maintenance

Reason to believe ndash Driven by those who young people identify with and look like(not celebrities) The brand had to be the rage of the moment something thateveryone is talking about This was brought about by innovative co-sponsorship andpartnership of events and promotions ndashon Channel V and MotoGP

Advertising ndash the tonality is irreverent but inoffensively so Fun easygoing defyingconventions and conservatism without becoming rebellious or edgy (See figure 9)

The television commercial is set to a rap tune but the words are in an Indianlanguage ndash in tune with the current youthrsquos desire for a blend of the international withthe Indian ndash a distinct flavor of modern IndiaThe strongly evocative emotional proposition was also translated into trendy styleand irresistible features Notably the much used propositions of reliability andmileage promises were absent (See figure 10)

The seeming purposelessness about the functional promises reinforced theindulgent wonderful irresponsibility of the carefree fun emotive positioning

All activities and touch points were aligned with the symbolic positioning -partnership promotion with a trendy retail outlet sponsorship on MotoGP sports(See figure 11)

In all Apache is a brand where all layers of needs and all marketing touch pointswere in perfect harmony and therefore the rewards recognition and successinevitably had to follow

The Taste of Success (See figure 12)

Apache has been voted as the bike of the year by almost all stakeholder groups Thebrand struck a deep chord with the Auto experts the auto media and mostimportantly with the consumers Some of the awards won includedbull Bike of the year 2006 ndash Overdrivebull Bike of the year 2006 ndash AutoCarbull Bike of the year 2006 ndash BS Motoringbull Best design of the year 2006 ndash BBC Top Gearbull Indigenous design of the year ndash Overdri

A Final WordWith increasing competition the dialogue between the consumer and marketergrows in sophistication and the balance of power shifts to the consumer Marketingthen has to shift from push to pull From selling and product focused marketing themarket moves to a need for brands that connect with consumer emotion The Indianmarket jumpstarted from a world of controlled undersupply and in no time theconsumer quickly evolved perhaps even ahead of the Indian marketer The Indian 2wheeler market was waiting for brands like Apache that understood this and met

more than just the need for great mileage and reliabilityApache exemplifies bold decision making and a willingness to break away from theconventional way of doing things TVS recognized that the market had moved to anew level of consumerization that demanded brand connections to be built at adeeper level They decided to explore an alternative way of segmenting the marketand commissioned needs based researchNeedScope through the use of a needs based model and an archetypal frameworkuncovered the needs landscape identified the market essentials and thediscriminating needs The underlying motivations were validated and quantified interms of the commercial opportunity offered Brands were mapped and measured onthe same frame of reference and market gaps identified TNS partnered the client inbringing the segments to life development of concepts and guidance to theadvertising and design teamIt was not just about bold decision making and creating the right concept Theexecution and implementation remained true to the archetypal positioning and delivered the perfect tonality Advertising created was completely different bothanything TVS had done before and a complete break from the corporate image Toensure that the planners remained true to the archetype and did not give in to thetemptation of resorting to a comfortable direction that had worked before a principleof NOTness was used to develop the advertising and marketing communication

Apache ishellip1048729 Not doing stuff by himself but with a group ndash to be different fromPotency and to avoid the temptation of showing an all-man rugged terrainbike that conquers elements and space1048729 Not with a girlfriend ndash to keep away from the hackneyed boy-girl story that allyouth brands tell Instead the bike was about having NO commitments1048729 Not aspirationally upwardly mobile or about success at work ndash again atemptation of all new launches to ride the optimism of the lsquoShining Indiarsquomood The bike was not about status or success - instead the optimism wascaptured by a carefree attitude that enables living of life without worryingabout tomorrow1048729 Not about family and the responsibilities that come with family ndash to avoidtemptation to capture not just the youth but family people as well1048729 Not overtly premium ndash although modernity and premiumness were conveyedthrough features amp styling rather than by exclusivity The bike SPOKE thearchetypeAnd finally there was realization that to target Liberation the planners and brandmanagers had to feel and live the archetype They had to break out of their Brahminengineering rooted in rationality mindset The team therefore had fun spendingseveral Friday afternoons observing young people

Although motorcycles made their debut in the 1950s they came in as imports by thegovernment to guard the Pakistani border (the first bike was appropriately calledBullet) Motorcycles until the mid-1990s never really had a strong volume baseBeing heavy and difficult to manage in addition to being fuel guzzlers they werequite unsuitable except for the very niche ndash law enforcement and the machoexceptions that opted for a motorbike over the practical scooter

TVS was the first to introduce a lighter version of the motorcycle to the Indianmarket which was to be the first of several models While the apparent appeal wasgreater fuel efficiency on account of the lighter body and four strike enginemotorcycles also injected a feeling of youth and modernity in tune with the optimismof a market just opening up Motorcycles now outstrip the scooter market by sixtimes

All of the initial growth was driven by technological innovation For a market starvedof choice on both prices as well as performance where the incumbent technologydated back to the early 1950s or before this was a critical step to draw in newcustomers Innovations were predominantly in the area of fuel efficiency whichbecame the basis for new models and the dialogue with the consumerSegmentation of the market was primarily on price tiers Branding was limited to thecorporate values of the company which served as a reassuring stamp of quality andafter sales service All communication emphasized functional performance and theextra miles that a liter of petrol would stretch to At best there was some use ofcelebrity endorsements to add humanity and appeal to factual advertising

The transition of the marketersrsquo mindset to this stage was quite painless Comingfrom a strong production orientation the new technology and engineering innovationprovided a new excitement without dragging them out of their comfort zones Mostpeople who work in automotive companies in India (then and even now) areengineers irrespective of their role and function in the company With theirengineering mindset they strongly believed in the consumersrsquo ability to evaluatesuperior performance and set about earnestly to build a better and better product

TVS was the market leader the first among the big three TVS in fact was acompany known for many firsts - the first lighter motorbike that went on torevolutionize the market the first to lead the market boom the first Japanese jointventure the first to bring in state of art technology the first moped and the first touse celebrity endorsement TVS was therefore a company not averse to taking therisks that are involved in moving into uncharted territories

The Market Shifted Gears

While growth continued the market gradually moved from a sellers market toovercapacity Increased number of choices several models at all price tiers and theabsence of any runaway new successes in five years led to an erosion of the TVSleadership position From being the market leader TVS slipped to the number threeposition There was a clear and immediate need to rejuvenate and to explore newopportunities TVS did what all auto marketers do best ndash turn to the engineering anddesign team for a solution Several new products were designed and tested somewere even found superior in product clinics and launched but the market responsewas lack luster at best With no opportunity to create a new price point and functionalperformance not breaking any new boundaries the time had come to turn in another

direction

Changing Lanes

Never strangers to trying avenues other than the conventional safe and the familiarTVS took the bold decision to look beyond improving functional performance for asolution Rather than taking a scatter gun trial and error approach TVS decided toattempt understanding what the market needed They had access to the besttechnical and design consultants in the world and were confident that once themarket gaps were identified and understood the task of creating a suitable productwould not be very difficult There was also a hesitant realization that consumer decisions were not wholly rational And that there were elements that went beyondfunctional parameters How else could they explain the less than successful launchof models that surpassed others on fuel efficiency

The decision to explore building the brand as a platform for a deeper consumerconnection was taken A research proposal to segment the market on needs wasasked for the initial reaction to which was a mix of both skepticism and enthusiasm

The Tool Box

The research consisted of several stages The first was a qualitative exploratoryphase to uncover the need structure of the market This was followed by quantitativeneed based segmentation to validate the need structure and measure the sizes ofthe need segments Mapping and measuring of existing brands on the needslandscape helped to identify where the opportunity lay Concepts were developedand tested and THEN finally the technical design team given the direction todevelop identify a suitable product that expressed the desired brand positioningThis represented a complete paradigm shift in the method of client working andthinking where most of the earlier launches (the successful ones as well as not sosuccessful) had emerged from the engineering and draftsman drawing boardsNeedScope TNSrsquos proprietary system was identified as the most suitable solution

The NeedScope System

Two concepts form the theoretical basis of NeedScope ndash a Marketing Model and anarchetypal framework

The Marketing Model describes how brands and needs are two sides of an equationand should fit together Needs are delayered into three levels (See figure 2)

The outer most easily accessible layer of consumer needs is the rational layer andis satisfied by the functional benefits the product delivers The Indian two-wheelermarket was largely competing at this need level ndash there was increased fragmentationon prices varying combination of features performance and mileage The only routeto competitive advantage seemed to be engineering innovation leading to long npdcycles high risk launches without any means to secure long term advantage as allthe big three had equal access to international state of art technology

Figure 2

The second layer has to do with sociology ndash the need to identify with particulargroups in society These needs are met by the social values or character of thebrand ndash a brand for young people for women upscale etc Interestingly the marketwas not very well differentiated at this layer either except through a default pricingroute

And finally at the heart of the model are the emotive needs These are the coredrivers of brand choice the engine that powers the consumerrsquos relationship with thebrand

The Marketing Model is therefore not just an emotive model It recognizes thatconsumers have needs at all levels and that the rational or functional level serves asa screener the first stop which if not satisfied will keep the brand out of theconsumerrsquos consideration set However this is not the layer at which loyalty can bebuilt and it is necessary to go below the surface Starting with the rational the modelsystematically uncovers the inner need layers There is also no hierarchy ndash no layeris considered more important than the other The needs are interlinked and onlywhen cohesively met across all three layers will a powerful connection be struck with the consumer The example of the iPod shuffle below illustrates this (See figure3)The second concept is the NeedScope archetypal framework (See figure 4)

Two axes are the fundamental anchors of the framework The horizontal is theI vs We axis The right side represents the drive for individualism and self assertionThis is the need to stand out to feel superior to be admired and to stay ahead ofothers The left is about the fundamental sense of belonging ndash the need foracceptance togetherness friendship and warmth

The vertical dimension divides the model into the extroverted and introverted polesThe top is about energy directed outwards ndash release stimulation freedom Thebottom is about energy that is inwards ndash more contained and controlled andtherefore less visible While these are polar opposites there are no hierarchies ornegatives The space represents alternative strategies that consumers use toresolve their needs It must also be pointed out that this is a needs rather than aconsumer framework Consumers are multi-faceted and have multiple needsdepending on the context of the category and occasion

Figure 3 The iPod shuffle Defining the need layers of Brand choice

Figure 4The space can be dissected in many ways but in its most basic way we can identifysix archetypes Archetypes are the unchanging constant in human beings that holdover time across different geographies and cultures For example everyonerecognizes and connects with the nurturing care of the Mother the appealing purityof the Innocent or the determined courage of the Winning Hero beating odds andwith the irresistible sensuality of the Seductress Over millenniums powerful storieshave been told and written about them They take different faces and names butthey still strike the same deep chord within all human beings They are reflected inour gods and goddesses in our mythologies and it doesnrsquot matter if one is one isGreek or Indian Chinese or Nordic Uncannily cultures that have evolved thousandsof miles from each other and with no real contact developed the same storiesThese archetypes are found in culture after culture they anchor our worlds and our

belief systems Carl Jung calls this the collective unconscious

Powerful brands too tell stories that connect at the same symbolic level asarchetypes Nikersquos Just Do It has among others Tiger Woods striding victoriouslyacross golf courses around the world having beaten racial prejudice in what was anexclusive elitist gentlemanrsquos game Or we have Nikersquos Rafael Nadal stopping hearts with his unconventional looks and repeatedly beating the world no 1 at the FrenchOpen Dove with its encompassing Real Beauty campaign recaptured the appealof wholesomeness naturalness and purity reaching out to all women LrsquoOrealrsquos lsquoIrsquomworth itrsquo speaks to the confidence of someone who knows what is best and is entitledto it Johnnie Walkerrsquos success is based on an intimate understating of the RulerArchetype ndash standing ahead of others Powerful brands are archetypal in natureThis is what enables them to connect at the deepest level inspiring consumers tobehave often lsquoirrationallyrsquo They build lasting commitments and relationships Theyspeak a symbolic language that is not made of words and therefore crosses barriersof language religion and politics - a language that unites that taps into universallyshared hopes dreams and needs That is what makes them the global icons theyare

Taking the Emotional leap forwardComing back to the TVS story ndash the market was largely operating at the functionallayer The only brand that had broken out of this mould was Pulsar from acompetitor house with enviable success Clearly the Indian consumer was not justready for a more meaningful dialogue but was actually seeking more than functionalpromisesWe started with qualitative research with recent buyers of motorbikes and thoseintending to buy a motorbike in the next few months Using projective techniques andthe NeedScope framework needs were uncovered at all layers (See figure 5)

Some of the key insights that came throughbull Modernity is at the heart of the category The market had moved away fromthe family orientation scooter days Consumers were looking forcontemporary expression in keeping with the optimism and hope of the newgeneration This had to be reflected in both the design and the emotivepropositionbull Stability reliability and trust which were critical strengths of the TVScorporate brand were now taken for granted important to have but no longerenough o which to build a differentiated propositionbull The new brand would therefore have to stand alone in fact perhaps lead theshift of TVS image towards modernitybull And to succeed in this direction there was a need to alter the thinking andfunctioning of existing stalwarts within the company with their strong technicalorientation

The next stage was the quantitative segmentation based on needs There were sixneed states identified and each need state was detailed on all layers of needs aswell as other demographic and behavioral parameters to enable targeting (Seefigure 6)

Figure 5

Figure 6IntrovertedDominanceAssertivenessIndividualityRecep

The archetypes are clearly evident Exclusivity is about asserting onersquos statuslooking and feeling better than others The brand has to reflect sophisticationknowledge and authority The social values of Exclusivity are premium internationaland exclusive Functionally the bike needs stronger safety assurances that only adiscerning buyer understands and visible enhancement features to match Incontrast Affiliation is a need to belong to own the tried and trusted to beappreciated by the family and to feel good about oneself The social values are that of a newly married person ready to settle down Functional needs are pillioncomfort low maintenance value and an assured resale price

The size of the need states indicates the dynamic shift of the market towards moremodernity and individualism 62 of the market is weighted towards self expressionand status needs (See figure 7)

Figure 7 TVS Portfolio Missing the Action

Brands were then mapped on the needs landscape based on how consumersperceived them Pulsar the big success in the market was unsurprisingly inPotency The TVS brands were all clustered in the lower part of the affiliative sectionof the map Clearly all of them were drawing imagery and symbology from theaffiliative reliable image of the corporate brand The position of the TVS brandsindicated sub-optimal utilization of the portfolio and the absence from the moredynamic and growing part of the market was a cause of concern TVS clearly had toget back into the action

Potency and Liberation being large and growing were identified as the opportunityAn in-depth need state- brand fit analysis showed that Liberation rather thanPotency was a more optimal target for several reasons

Potency while larger and exciting already had a formidable competitor inPulsar There was a high risk of becoming a me-too launch unless somethingDramatically different was createdbull While the need to create a new brand rather than a new TVS model wasRecognized it was also clear that the auto being a high ticket buy theSignature of an established company is needed for market acceptance andConsequently there would be some influence of the company brand ThePotency need state with its macho rugged individualism was just too distantto be targeted credibly with TVSrsquos affiliated imagery

Liberation had a younger skew which opened up the opportunity to target anew social group ndash the first time bike buyer With the market size growing theprofile of the buyer was getting younger and this segment was expected togrow even further as the shift of the older middle class consumers towardsfour-wheelers had begun

Liberation ndash Life Here I come

The first step was to understand Liberation at all layers of needs1048729 Emotively liberation represents the wonder years in a manrsquos life The firsttaste of freedom the first coming into adulthood A time of freedom funexploration of the world and experiences before responsibility and the realitiesof life take over The bike in this need state symbolizes a rite of passage ndash theboy becomes a man ndash and is the ideal partner to explore spaces bothphysically and emotively In the physical sense it is about mobilityEmotionally it is about reaching places yoursquove never been1048729 Liberation evokes the heady kick and excitement of youth the excitingdiscovery of adulthood and the bike is integral as a source of pleasure1048729 There was a definite younger skew demographically but the need alsoextended to the Young at Heart For the young man the motorbike is asymbol to flaunt his adult status (personified as a girlfriend for fun romance)With older men it is about recapturing moments gone by the wish forevergreen enduring youthfulness1048729 The social values of the need state are therefore younger men in the goldenperiod between boys and adult men The need has a strong peer contexttypical to that life stage The need for affiliation togetherness is also reflectedin the relationship with the bike - a buddy to share the fun with1048729 With every brand boasting of an international collaboration it was decidedthat this was not a differentiating or for that matter much of a motivatingproposition any more International technology is of course desirable butthere is also an emerging pride and comfort especially among the youth aboutbeing Indian and Indianness1048729 Functional delivery needs to live up to the vibrant need for a trendy coolexperience ndash a combination of speed power pick up and trendy looksAdvanced technology to reflect the fast paced lifestyles of the emerging IndianyouthTwo concepts were developed and tested on the same frame of reference

And so the Apache was born (See Figure 8)

Figure 8

Itrsquos Now or Never

Symbolism ndash Living life in the moment Targeting that part of every man that bringsback the wonder years ndash of Freedom of Irresponsibility of LIVING A sense ofrelease exploration and the anticipation that the world is waiting for you For thenewly initiated the promise of discovering a new world for the young at heart therecapturing of a time gone by a retreat to Ladland About living life to the fullest andmaking most of the moment

Social values ndash Unattached young popular men with lots of friends and popularamong girlsFunctional promise ndash stylish looks really cool accessories power and pick uplightness to reflect the mood easy maintenance

Reason to believe ndash Driven by those who young people identify with and look like(not celebrities) The brand had to be the rage of the moment something thateveryone is talking about This was brought about by innovative co-sponsorship andpartnership of events and promotions ndashon Channel V and MotoGP

Advertising ndash the tonality is irreverent but inoffensively so Fun easygoing defyingconventions and conservatism without becoming rebellious or edgy (See figure 9)

The television commercial is set to a rap tune but the words are in an Indianlanguage ndash in tune with the current youthrsquos desire for a blend of the international withthe Indian ndash a distinct flavor of modern IndiaThe strongly evocative emotional proposition was also translated into trendy styleand irresistible features Notably the much used propositions of reliability andmileage promises were absent (See figure 10)

The seeming purposelessness about the functional promises reinforced theindulgent wonderful irresponsibility of the carefree fun emotive positioning

All activities and touch points were aligned with the symbolic positioning -partnership promotion with a trendy retail outlet sponsorship on MotoGP sports(See figure 11)

In all Apache is a brand where all layers of needs and all marketing touch pointswere in perfect harmony and therefore the rewards recognition and successinevitably had to follow

The Taste of Success (See figure 12)

Apache has been voted as the bike of the year by almost all stakeholder groups Thebrand struck a deep chord with the Auto experts the auto media and mostimportantly with the consumers Some of the awards won includedbull Bike of the year 2006 ndash Overdrivebull Bike of the year 2006 ndash AutoCarbull Bike of the year 2006 ndash BS Motoringbull Best design of the year 2006 ndash BBC Top Gearbull Indigenous design of the year ndash Overdri

A Final WordWith increasing competition the dialogue between the consumer and marketergrows in sophistication and the balance of power shifts to the consumer Marketingthen has to shift from push to pull From selling and product focused marketing themarket moves to a need for brands that connect with consumer emotion The Indianmarket jumpstarted from a world of controlled undersupply and in no time theconsumer quickly evolved perhaps even ahead of the Indian marketer The Indian 2wheeler market was waiting for brands like Apache that understood this and met

more than just the need for great mileage and reliabilityApache exemplifies bold decision making and a willingness to break away from theconventional way of doing things TVS recognized that the market had moved to anew level of consumerization that demanded brand connections to be built at adeeper level They decided to explore an alternative way of segmenting the marketand commissioned needs based researchNeedScope through the use of a needs based model and an archetypal frameworkuncovered the needs landscape identified the market essentials and thediscriminating needs The underlying motivations were validated and quantified interms of the commercial opportunity offered Brands were mapped and measured onthe same frame of reference and market gaps identified TNS partnered the client inbringing the segments to life development of concepts and guidance to theadvertising and design teamIt was not just about bold decision making and creating the right concept Theexecution and implementation remained true to the archetypal positioning and delivered the perfect tonality Advertising created was completely different bothanything TVS had done before and a complete break from the corporate image Toensure that the planners remained true to the archetype and did not give in to thetemptation of resorting to a comfortable direction that had worked before a principleof NOTness was used to develop the advertising and marketing communication

Apache ishellip1048729 Not doing stuff by himself but with a group ndash to be different fromPotency and to avoid the temptation of showing an all-man rugged terrainbike that conquers elements and space1048729 Not with a girlfriend ndash to keep away from the hackneyed boy-girl story that allyouth brands tell Instead the bike was about having NO commitments1048729 Not aspirationally upwardly mobile or about success at work ndash again atemptation of all new launches to ride the optimism of the lsquoShining Indiarsquomood The bike was not about status or success - instead the optimism wascaptured by a carefree attitude that enables living of life without worryingabout tomorrow1048729 Not about family and the responsibilities that come with family ndash to avoidtemptation to capture not just the youth but family people as well1048729 Not overtly premium ndash although modernity and premiumness were conveyedthrough features amp styling rather than by exclusivity The bike SPOKE thearchetypeAnd finally there was realization that to target Liberation the planners and brandmanagers had to feel and live the archetype They had to break out of their Brahminengineering rooted in rationality mindset The team therefore had fun spendingseveral Friday afternoons observing young people

direction

Changing Lanes

Never strangers to trying avenues other than the conventional safe and the familiarTVS took the bold decision to look beyond improving functional performance for asolution Rather than taking a scatter gun trial and error approach TVS decided toattempt understanding what the market needed They had access to the besttechnical and design consultants in the world and were confident that once themarket gaps were identified and understood the task of creating a suitable productwould not be very difficult There was also a hesitant realization that consumer decisions were not wholly rational And that there were elements that went beyondfunctional parameters How else could they explain the less than successful launchof models that surpassed others on fuel efficiency

The decision to explore building the brand as a platform for a deeper consumerconnection was taken A research proposal to segment the market on needs wasasked for the initial reaction to which was a mix of both skepticism and enthusiasm

The Tool Box

The research consisted of several stages The first was a qualitative exploratoryphase to uncover the need structure of the market This was followed by quantitativeneed based segmentation to validate the need structure and measure the sizes ofthe need segments Mapping and measuring of existing brands on the needslandscape helped to identify where the opportunity lay Concepts were developedand tested and THEN finally the technical design team given the direction todevelop identify a suitable product that expressed the desired brand positioningThis represented a complete paradigm shift in the method of client working andthinking where most of the earlier launches (the successful ones as well as not sosuccessful) had emerged from the engineering and draftsman drawing boardsNeedScope TNSrsquos proprietary system was identified as the most suitable solution

The NeedScope System

Two concepts form the theoretical basis of NeedScope ndash a Marketing Model and anarchetypal framework

The Marketing Model describes how brands and needs are two sides of an equationand should fit together Needs are delayered into three levels (See figure 2)

The outer most easily accessible layer of consumer needs is the rational layer andis satisfied by the functional benefits the product delivers The Indian two-wheelermarket was largely competing at this need level ndash there was increased fragmentationon prices varying combination of features performance and mileage The only routeto competitive advantage seemed to be engineering innovation leading to long npdcycles high risk launches without any means to secure long term advantage as allthe big three had equal access to international state of art technology

Figure 2

The second layer has to do with sociology ndash the need to identify with particulargroups in society These needs are met by the social values or character of thebrand ndash a brand for young people for women upscale etc Interestingly the marketwas not very well differentiated at this layer either except through a default pricingroute

And finally at the heart of the model are the emotive needs These are the coredrivers of brand choice the engine that powers the consumerrsquos relationship with thebrand

The Marketing Model is therefore not just an emotive model It recognizes thatconsumers have needs at all levels and that the rational or functional level serves asa screener the first stop which if not satisfied will keep the brand out of theconsumerrsquos consideration set However this is not the layer at which loyalty can bebuilt and it is necessary to go below the surface Starting with the rational the modelsystematically uncovers the inner need layers There is also no hierarchy ndash no layeris considered more important than the other The needs are interlinked and onlywhen cohesively met across all three layers will a powerful connection be struck with the consumer The example of the iPod shuffle below illustrates this (See figure3)The second concept is the NeedScope archetypal framework (See figure 4)

Two axes are the fundamental anchors of the framework The horizontal is theI vs We axis The right side represents the drive for individualism and self assertionThis is the need to stand out to feel superior to be admired and to stay ahead ofothers The left is about the fundamental sense of belonging ndash the need foracceptance togetherness friendship and warmth

The vertical dimension divides the model into the extroverted and introverted polesThe top is about energy directed outwards ndash release stimulation freedom Thebottom is about energy that is inwards ndash more contained and controlled andtherefore less visible While these are polar opposites there are no hierarchies ornegatives The space represents alternative strategies that consumers use toresolve their needs It must also be pointed out that this is a needs rather than aconsumer framework Consumers are multi-faceted and have multiple needsdepending on the context of the category and occasion

Figure 3 The iPod shuffle Defining the need layers of Brand choice

Figure 4The space can be dissected in many ways but in its most basic way we can identifysix archetypes Archetypes are the unchanging constant in human beings that holdover time across different geographies and cultures For example everyonerecognizes and connects with the nurturing care of the Mother the appealing purityof the Innocent or the determined courage of the Winning Hero beating odds andwith the irresistible sensuality of the Seductress Over millenniums powerful storieshave been told and written about them They take different faces and names butthey still strike the same deep chord within all human beings They are reflected inour gods and goddesses in our mythologies and it doesnrsquot matter if one is one isGreek or Indian Chinese or Nordic Uncannily cultures that have evolved thousandsof miles from each other and with no real contact developed the same storiesThese archetypes are found in culture after culture they anchor our worlds and our

belief systems Carl Jung calls this the collective unconscious

Powerful brands too tell stories that connect at the same symbolic level asarchetypes Nikersquos Just Do It has among others Tiger Woods striding victoriouslyacross golf courses around the world having beaten racial prejudice in what was anexclusive elitist gentlemanrsquos game Or we have Nikersquos Rafael Nadal stopping hearts with his unconventional looks and repeatedly beating the world no 1 at the FrenchOpen Dove with its encompassing Real Beauty campaign recaptured the appealof wholesomeness naturalness and purity reaching out to all women LrsquoOrealrsquos lsquoIrsquomworth itrsquo speaks to the confidence of someone who knows what is best and is entitledto it Johnnie Walkerrsquos success is based on an intimate understating of the RulerArchetype ndash standing ahead of others Powerful brands are archetypal in natureThis is what enables them to connect at the deepest level inspiring consumers tobehave often lsquoirrationallyrsquo They build lasting commitments and relationships Theyspeak a symbolic language that is not made of words and therefore crosses barriersof language religion and politics - a language that unites that taps into universallyshared hopes dreams and needs That is what makes them the global icons theyare

Taking the Emotional leap forwardComing back to the TVS story ndash the market was largely operating at the functionallayer The only brand that had broken out of this mould was Pulsar from acompetitor house with enviable success Clearly the Indian consumer was not justready for a more meaningful dialogue but was actually seeking more than functionalpromisesWe started with qualitative research with recent buyers of motorbikes and thoseintending to buy a motorbike in the next few months Using projective techniques andthe NeedScope framework needs were uncovered at all layers (See figure 5)

Some of the key insights that came throughbull Modernity is at the heart of the category The market had moved away fromthe family orientation scooter days Consumers were looking forcontemporary expression in keeping with the optimism and hope of the newgeneration This had to be reflected in both the design and the emotivepropositionbull Stability reliability and trust which were critical strengths of the TVScorporate brand were now taken for granted important to have but no longerenough o which to build a differentiated propositionbull The new brand would therefore have to stand alone in fact perhaps lead theshift of TVS image towards modernitybull And to succeed in this direction there was a need to alter the thinking andfunctioning of existing stalwarts within the company with their strong technicalorientation

The next stage was the quantitative segmentation based on needs There were sixneed states identified and each need state was detailed on all layers of needs aswell as other demographic and behavioral parameters to enable targeting (Seefigure 6)

Figure 5

Figure 6IntrovertedDominanceAssertivenessIndividualityRecep

The archetypes are clearly evident Exclusivity is about asserting onersquos statuslooking and feeling better than others The brand has to reflect sophisticationknowledge and authority The social values of Exclusivity are premium internationaland exclusive Functionally the bike needs stronger safety assurances that only adiscerning buyer understands and visible enhancement features to match Incontrast Affiliation is a need to belong to own the tried and trusted to beappreciated by the family and to feel good about oneself The social values are that of a newly married person ready to settle down Functional needs are pillioncomfort low maintenance value and an assured resale price

The size of the need states indicates the dynamic shift of the market towards moremodernity and individualism 62 of the market is weighted towards self expressionand status needs (See figure 7)

Figure 7 TVS Portfolio Missing the Action

Brands were then mapped on the needs landscape based on how consumersperceived them Pulsar the big success in the market was unsurprisingly inPotency The TVS brands were all clustered in the lower part of the affiliative sectionof the map Clearly all of them were drawing imagery and symbology from theaffiliative reliable image of the corporate brand The position of the TVS brandsindicated sub-optimal utilization of the portfolio and the absence from the moredynamic and growing part of the market was a cause of concern TVS clearly had toget back into the action

Potency and Liberation being large and growing were identified as the opportunityAn in-depth need state- brand fit analysis showed that Liberation rather thanPotency was a more optimal target for several reasons

Potency while larger and exciting already had a formidable competitor inPulsar There was a high risk of becoming a me-too launch unless somethingDramatically different was createdbull While the need to create a new brand rather than a new TVS model wasRecognized it was also clear that the auto being a high ticket buy theSignature of an established company is needed for market acceptance andConsequently there would be some influence of the company brand ThePotency need state with its macho rugged individualism was just too distantto be targeted credibly with TVSrsquos affiliated imagery

Liberation had a younger skew which opened up the opportunity to target anew social group ndash the first time bike buyer With the market size growing theprofile of the buyer was getting younger and this segment was expected togrow even further as the shift of the older middle class consumers towardsfour-wheelers had begun

Liberation ndash Life Here I come

The first step was to understand Liberation at all layers of needs1048729 Emotively liberation represents the wonder years in a manrsquos life The firsttaste of freedom the first coming into adulthood A time of freedom funexploration of the world and experiences before responsibility and the realitiesof life take over The bike in this need state symbolizes a rite of passage ndash theboy becomes a man ndash and is the ideal partner to explore spaces bothphysically and emotively In the physical sense it is about mobilityEmotionally it is about reaching places yoursquove never been1048729 Liberation evokes the heady kick and excitement of youth the excitingdiscovery of adulthood and the bike is integral as a source of pleasure1048729 There was a definite younger skew demographically but the need alsoextended to the Young at Heart For the young man the motorbike is asymbol to flaunt his adult status (personified as a girlfriend for fun romance)With older men it is about recapturing moments gone by the wish forevergreen enduring youthfulness1048729 The social values of the need state are therefore younger men in the goldenperiod between boys and adult men The need has a strong peer contexttypical to that life stage The need for affiliation togetherness is also reflectedin the relationship with the bike - a buddy to share the fun with1048729 With every brand boasting of an international collaboration it was decidedthat this was not a differentiating or for that matter much of a motivatingproposition any more International technology is of course desirable butthere is also an emerging pride and comfort especially among the youth aboutbeing Indian and Indianness1048729 Functional delivery needs to live up to the vibrant need for a trendy coolexperience ndash a combination of speed power pick up and trendy looksAdvanced technology to reflect the fast paced lifestyles of the emerging IndianyouthTwo concepts were developed and tested on the same frame of reference

And so the Apache was born (See Figure 8)

Figure 8

Itrsquos Now or Never

Symbolism ndash Living life in the moment Targeting that part of every man that bringsback the wonder years ndash of Freedom of Irresponsibility of LIVING A sense ofrelease exploration and the anticipation that the world is waiting for you For thenewly initiated the promise of discovering a new world for the young at heart therecapturing of a time gone by a retreat to Ladland About living life to the fullest andmaking most of the moment

Social values ndash Unattached young popular men with lots of friends and popularamong girlsFunctional promise ndash stylish looks really cool accessories power and pick uplightness to reflect the mood easy maintenance

Reason to believe ndash Driven by those who young people identify with and look like(not celebrities) The brand had to be the rage of the moment something thateveryone is talking about This was brought about by innovative co-sponsorship andpartnership of events and promotions ndashon Channel V and MotoGP

Advertising ndash the tonality is irreverent but inoffensively so Fun easygoing defyingconventions and conservatism without becoming rebellious or edgy (See figure 9)

The television commercial is set to a rap tune but the words are in an Indianlanguage ndash in tune with the current youthrsquos desire for a blend of the international withthe Indian ndash a distinct flavor of modern IndiaThe strongly evocative emotional proposition was also translated into trendy styleand irresistible features Notably the much used propositions of reliability andmileage promises were absent (See figure 10)

The seeming purposelessness about the functional promises reinforced theindulgent wonderful irresponsibility of the carefree fun emotive positioning

All activities and touch points were aligned with the symbolic positioning -partnership promotion with a trendy retail outlet sponsorship on MotoGP sports(See figure 11)

In all Apache is a brand where all layers of needs and all marketing touch pointswere in perfect harmony and therefore the rewards recognition and successinevitably had to follow

The Taste of Success (See figure 12)

Apache has been voted as the bike of the year by almost all stakeholder groups Thebrand struck a deep chord with the Auto experts the auto media and mostimportantly with the consumers Some of the awards won includedbull Bike of the year 2006 ndash Overdrivebull Bike of the year 2006 ndash AutoCarbull Bike of the year 2006 ndash BS Motoringbull Best design of the year 2006 ndash BBC Top Gearbull Indigenous design of the year ndash Overdri

A Final WordWith increasing competition the dialogue between the consumer and marketergrows in sophistication and the balance of power shifts to the consumer Marketingthen has to shift from push to pull From selling and product focused marketing themarket moves to a need for brands that connect with consumer emotion The Indianmarket jumpstarted from a world of controlled undersupply and in no time theconsumer quickly evolved perhaps even ahead of the Indian marketer The Indian 2wheeler market was waiting for brands like Apache that understood this and met

more than just the need for great mileage and reliabilityApache exemplifies bold decision making and a willingness to break away from theconventional way of doing things TVS recognized that the market had moved to anew level of consumerization that demanded brand connections to be built at adeeper level They decided to explore an alternative way of segmenting the marketand commissioned needs based researchNeedScope through the use of a needs based model and an archetypal frameworkuncovered the needs landscape identified the market essentials and thediscriminating needs The underlying motivations were validated and quantified interms of the commercial opportunity offered Brands were mapped and measured onthe same frame of reference and market gaps identified TNS partnered the client inbringing the segments to life development of concepts and guidance to theadvertising and design teamIt was not just about bold decision making and creating the right concept Theexecution and implementation remained true to the archetypal positioning and delivered the perfect tonality Advertising created was completely different bothanything TVS had done before and a complete break from the corporate image Toensure that the planners remained true to the archetype and did not give in to thetemptation of resorting to a comfortable direction that had worked before a principleof NOTness was used to develop the advertising and marketing communication

Apache ishellip1048729 Not doing stuff by himself but with a group ndash to be different fromPotency and to avoid the temptation of showing an all-man rugged terrainbike that conquers elements and space1048729 Not with a girlfriend ndash to keep away from the hackneyed boy-girl story that allyouth brands tell Instead the bike was about having NO commitments1048729 Not aspirationally upwardly mobile or about success at work ndash again atemptation of all new launches to ride the optimism of the lsquoShining Indiarsquomood The bike was not about status or success - instead the optimism wascaptured by a carefree attitude that enables living of life without worryingabout tomorrow1048729 Not about family and the responsibilities that come with family ndash to avoidtemptation to capture not just the youth but family people as well1048729 Not overtly premium ndash although modernity and premiumness were conveyedthrough features amp styling rather than by exclusivity The bike SPOKE thearchetypeAnd finally there was realization that to target Liberation the planners and brandmanagers had to feel and live the archetype They had to break out of their Brahminengineering rooted in rationality mindset The team therefore had fun spendingseveral Friday afternoons observing young people

Figure 2

The second layer has to do with sociology ndash the need to identify with particulargroups in society These needs are met by the social values or character of thebrand ndash a brand for young people for women upscale etc Interestingly the marketwas not very well differentiated at this layer either except through a default pricingroute

And finally at the heart of the model are the emotive needs These are the coredrivers of brand choice the engine that powers the consumerrsquos relationship with thebrand

The Marketing Model is therefore not just an emotive model It recognizes thatconsumers have needs at all levels and that the rational or functional level serves asa screener the first stop which if not satisfied will keep the brand out of theconsumerrsquos consideration set However this is not the layer at which loyalty can bebuilt and it is necessary to go below the surface Starting with the rational the modelsystematically uncovers the inner need layers There is also no hierarchy ndash no layeris considered more important than the other The needs are interlinked and onlywhen cohesively met across all three layers will a powerful connection be struck with the consumer The example of the iPod shuffle below illustrates this (See figure3)The second concept is the NeedScope archetypal framework (See figure 4)

Two axes are the fundamental anchors of the framework The horizontal is theI vs We axis The right side represents the drive for individualism and self assertionThis is the need to stand out to feel superior to be admired and to stay ahead ofothers The left is about the fundamental sense of belonging ndash the need foracceptance togetherness friendship and warmth

The vertical dimension divides the model into the extroverted and introverted polesThe top is about energy directed outwards ndash release stimulation freedom Thebottom is about energy that is inwards ndash more contained and controlled andtherefore less visible While these are polar opposites there are no hierarchies ornegatives The space represents alternative strategies that consumers use toresolve their needs It must also be pointed out that this is a needs rather than aconsumer framework Consumers are multi-faceted and have multiple needsdepending on the context of the category and occasion

Figure 3 The iPod shuffle Defining the need layers of Brand choice

Figure 4The space can be dissected in many ways but in its most basic way we can identifysix archetypes Archetypes are the unchanging constant in human beings that holdover time across different geographies and cultures For example everyonerecognizes and connects with the nurturing care of the Mother the appealing purityof the Innocent or the determined courage of the Winning Hero beating odds andwith the irresistible sensuality of the Seductress Over millenniums powerful storieshave been told and written about them They take different faces and names butthey still strike the same deep chord within all human beings They are reflected inour gods and goddesses in our mythologies and it doesnrsquot matter if one is one isGreek or Indian Chinese or Nordic Uncannily cultures that have evolved thousandsof miles from each other and with no real contact developed the same storiesThese archetypes are found in culture after culture they anchor our worlds and our

belief systems Carl Jung calls this the collective unconscious

Powerful brands too tell stories that connect at the same symbolic level asarchetypes Nikersquos Just Do It has among others Tiger Woods striding victoriouslyacross golf courses around the world having beaten racial prejudice in what was anexclusive elitist gentlemanrsquos game Or we have Nikersquos Rafael Nadal stopping hearts with his unconventional looks and repeatedly beating the world no 1 at the FrenchOpen Dove with its encompassing Real Beauty campaign recaptured the appealof wholesomeness naturalness and purity reaching out to all women LrsquoOrealrsquos lsquoIrsquomworth itrsquo speaks to the confidence of someone who knows what is best and is entitledto it Johnnie Walkerrsquos success is based on an intimate understating of the RulerArchetype ndash standing ahead of others Powerful brands are archetypal in natureThis is what enables them to connect at the deepest level inspiring consumers tobehave often lsquoirrationallyrsquo They build lasting commitments and relationships Theyspeak a symbolic language that is not made of words and therefore crosses barriersof language religion and politics - a language that unites that taps into universallyshared hopes dreams and needs That is what makes them the global icons theyare

Taking the Emotional leap forwardComing back to the TVS story ndash the market was largely operating at the functionallayer The only brand that had broken out of this mould was Pulsar from acompetitor house with enviable success Clearly the Indian consumer was not justready for a more meaningful dialogue but was actually seeking more than functionalpromisesWe started with qualitative research with recent buyers of motorbikes and thoseintending to buy a motorbike in the next few months Using projective techniques andthe NeedScope framework needs were uncovered at all layers (See figure 5)

Some of the key insights that came throughbull Modernity is at the heart of the category The market had moved away fromthe family orientation scooter days Consumers were looking forcontemporary expression in keeping with the optimism and hope of the newgeneration This had to be reflected in both the design and the emotivepropositionbull Stability reliability and trust which were critical strengths of the TVScorporate brand were now taken for granted important to have but no longerenough o which to build a differentiated propositionbull The new brand would therefore have to stand alone in fact perhaps lead theshift of TVS image towards modernitybull And to succeed in this direction there was a need to alter the thinking andfunctioning of existing stalwarts within the company with their strong technicalorientation

The next stage was the quantitative segmentation based on needs There were sixneed states identified and each need state was detailed on all layers of needs aswell as other demographic and behavioral parameters to enable targeting (Seefigure 6)

Figure 5

Figure 6IntrovertedDominanceAssertivenessIndividualityRecep

The archetypes are clearly evident Exclusivity is about asserting onersquos statuslooking and feeling better than others The brand has to reflect sophisticationknowledge and authority The social values of Exclusivity are premium internationaland exclusive Functionally the bike needs stronger safety assurances that only adiscerning buyer understands and visible enhancement features to match Incontrast Affiliation is a need to belong to own the tried and trusted to beappreciated by the family and to feel good about oneself The social values are that of a newly married person ready to settle down Functional needs are pillioncomfort low maintenance value and an assured resale price

The size of the need states indicates the dynamic shift of the market towards moremodernity and individualism 62 of the market is weighted towards self expressionand status needs (See figure 7)

Figure 7 TVS Portfolio Missing the Action

Brands were then mapped on the needs landscape based on how consumersperceived them Pulsar the big success in the market was unsurprisingly inPotency The TVS brands were all clustered in the lower part of the affiliative sectionof the map Clearly all of them were drawing imagery and symbology from theaffiliative reliable image of the corporate brand The position of the TVS brandsindicated sub-optimal utilization of the portfolio and the absence from the moredynamic and growing part of the market was a cause of concern TVS clearly had toget back into the action

Potency and Liberation being large and growing were identified as the opportunityAn in-depth need state- brand fit analysis showed that Liberation rather thanPotency was a more optimal target for several reasons

Potency while larger and exciting already had a formidable competitor inPulsar There was a high risk of becoming a me-too launch unless somethingDramatically different was createdbull While the need to create a new brand rather than a new TVS model wasRecognized it was also clear that the auto being a high ticket buy theSignature of an established company is needed for market acceptance andConsequently there would be some influence of the company brand ThePotency need state with its macho rugged individualism was just too distantto be targeted credibly with TVSrsquos affiliated imagery

Liberation had a younger skew which opened up the opportunity to target anew social group ndash the first time bike buyer With the market size growing theprofile of the buyer was getting younger and this segment was expected togrow even further as the shift of the older middle class consumers towardsfour-wheelers had begun

Liberation ndash Life Here I come

The first step was to understand Liberation at all layers of needs1048729 Emotively liberation represents the wonder years in a manrsquos life The firsttaste of freedom the first coming into adulthood A time of freedom funexploration of the world and experiences before responsibility and the realitiesof life take over The bike in this need state symbolizes a rite of passage ndash theboy becomes a man ndash and is the ideal partner to explore spaces bothphysically and emotively In the physical sense it is about mobilityEmotionally it is about reaching places yoursquove never been1048729 Liberation evokes the heady kick and excitement of youth the excitingdiscovery of adulthood and the bike is integral as a source of pleasure1048729 There was a definite younger skew demographically but the need alsoextended to the Young at Heart For the young man the motorbike is asymbol to flaunt his adult status (personified as a girlfriend for fun romance)With older men it is about recapturing moments gone by the wish forevergreen enduring youthfulness1048729 The social values of the need state are therefore younger men in the goldenperiod between boys and adult men The need has a strong peer contexttypical to that life stage The need for affiliation togetherness is also reflectedin the relationship with the bike - a buddy to share the fun with1048729 With every brand boasting of an international collaboration it was decidedthat this was not a differentiating or for that matter much of a motivatingproposition any more International technology is of course desirable butthere is also an emerging pride and comfort especially among the youth aboutbeing Indian and Indianness1048729 Functional delivery needs to live up to the vibrant need for a trendy coolexperience ndash a combination of speed power pick up and trendy looksAdvanced technology to reflect the fast paced lifestyles of the emerging IndianyouthTwo concepts were developed and tested on the same frame of reference

And so the Apache was born (See Figure 8)

Figure 8

Itrsquos Now or Never

Symbolism ndash Living life in the moment Targeting that part of every man that bringsback the wonder years ndash of Freedom of Irresponsibility of LIVING A sense ofrelease exploration and the anticipation that the world is waiting for you For thenewly initiated the promise of discovering a new world for the young at heart therecapturing of a time gone by a retreat to Ladland About living life to the fullest andmaking most of the moment

Social values ndash Unattached young popular men with lots of friends and popularamong girlsFunctional promise ndash stylish looks really cool accessories power and pick uplightness to reflect the mood easy maintenance

Reason to believe ndash Driven by those who young people identify with and look like(not celebrities) The brand had to be the rage of the moment something thateveryone is talking about This was brought about by innovative co-sponsorship andpartnership of events and promotions ndashon Channel V and MotoGP

Advertising ndash the tonality is irreverent but inoffensively so Fun easygoing defyingconventions and conservatism without becoming rebellious or edgy (See figure 9)

The television commercial is set to a rap tune but the words are in an Indianlanguage ndash in tune with the current youthrsquos desire for a blend of the international withthe Indian ndash a distinct flavor of modern IndiaThe strongly evocative emotional proposition was also translated into trendy styleand irresistible features Notably the much used propositions of reliability andmileage promises were absent (See figure 10)

The seeming purposelessness about the functional promises reinforced theindulgent wonderful irresponsibility of the carefree fun emotive positioning

All activities and touch points were aligned with the symbolic positioning -partnership promotion with a trendy retail outlet sponsorship on MotoGP sports(See figure 11)

In all Apache is a brand where all layers of needs and all marketing touch pointswere in perfect harmony and therefore the rewards recognition and successinevitably had to follow

The Taste of Success (See figure 12)

Apache has been voted as the bike of the year by almost all stakeholder groups Thebrand struck a deep chord with the Auto experts the auto media and mostimportantly with the consumers Some of the awards won includedbull Bike of the year 2006 ndash Overdrivebull Bike of the year 2006 ndash AutoCarbull Bike of the year 2006 ndash BS Motoringbull Best design of the year 2006 ndash BBC Top Gearbull Indigenous design of the year ndash Overdri

A Final WordWith increasing competition the dialogue between the consumer and marketergrows in sophistication and the balance of power shifts to the consumer Marketingthen has to shift from push to pull From selling and product focused marketing themarket moves to a need for brands that connect with consumer emotion The Indianmarket jumpstarted from a world of controlled undersupply and in no time theconsumer quickly evolved perhaps even ahead of the Indian marketer The Indian 2wheeler market was waiting for brands like Apache that understood this and met

more than just the need for great mileage and reliabilityApache exemplifies bold decision making and a willingness to break away from theconventional way of doing things TVS recognized that the market had moved to anew level of consumerization that demanded brand connections to be built at adeeper level They decided to explore an alternative way of segmenting the marketand commissioned needs based researchNeedScope through the use of a needs based model and an archetypal frameworkuncovered the needs landscape identified the market essentials and thediscriminating needs The underlying motivations were validated and quantified interms of the commercial opportunity offered Brands were mapped and measured onthe same frame of reference and market gaps identified TNS partnered the client inbringing the segments to life development of concepts and guidance to theadvertising and design teamIt was not just about bold decision making and creating the right concept Theexecution and implementation remained true to the archetypal positioning and delivered the perfect tonality Advertising created was completely different bothanything TVS had done before and a complete break from the corporate image Toensure that the planners remained true to the archetype and did not give in to thetemptation of resorting to a comfortable direction that had worked before a principleof NOTness was used to develop the advertising and marketing communication

Apache ishellip1048729 Not doing stuff by himself but with a group ndash to be different fromPotency and to avoid the temptation of showing an all-man rugged terrainbike that conquers elements and space1048729 Not with a girlfriend ndash to keep away from the hackneyed boy-girl story that allyouth brands tell Instead the bike was about having NO commitments1048729 Not aspirationally upwardly mobile or about success at work ndash again atemptation of all new launches to ride the optimism of the lsquoShining Indiarsquomood The bike was not about status or success - instead the optimism wascaptured by a carefree attitude that enables living of life without worryingabout tomorrow1048729 Not about family and the responsibilities that come with family ndash to avoidtemptation to capture not just the youth but family people as well1048729 Not overtly premium ndash although modernity and premiumness were conveyedthrough features amp styling rather than by exclusivity The bike SPOKE thearchetypeAnd finally there was realization that to target Liberation the planners and brandmanagers had to feel and live the archetype They had to break out of their Brahminengineering rooted in rationality mindset The team therefore had fun spendingseveral Friday afternoons observing young people

Figure 3 The iPod shuffle Defining the need layers of Brand choice

Figure 4The space can be dissected in many ways but in its most basic way we can identifysix archetypes Archetypes are the unchanging constant in human beings that holdover time across different geographies and cultures For example everyonerecognizes and connects with the nurturing care of the Mother the appealing purityof the Innocent or the determined courage of the Winning Hero beating odds andwith the irresistible sensuality of the Seductress Over millenniums powerful storieshave been told and written about them They take different faces and names butthey still strike the same deep chord within all human beings They are reflected inour gods and goddesses in our mythologies and it doesnrsquot matter if one is one isGreek or Indian Chinese or Nordic Uncannily cultures that have evolved thousandsof miles from each other and with no real contact developed the same storiesThese archetypes are found in culture after culture they anchor our worlds and our

belief systems Carl Jung calls this the collective unconscious

Powerful brands too tell stories that connect at the same symbolic level asarchetypes Nikersquos Just Do It has among others Tiger Woods striding victoriouslyacross golf courses around the world having beaten racial prejudice in what was anexclusive elitist gentlemanrsquos game Or we have Nikersquos Rafael Nadal stopping hearts with his unconventional looks and repeatedly beating the world no 1 at the FrenchOpen Dove with its encompassing Real Beauty campaign recaptured the appealof wholesomeness naturalness and purity reaching out to all women LrsquoOrealrsquos lsquoIrsquomworth itrsquo speaks to the confidence of someone who knows what is best and is entitledto it Johnnie Walkerrsquos success is based on an intimate understating of the RulerArchetype ndash standing ahead of others Powerful brands are archetypal in natureThis is what enables them to connect at the deepest level inspiring consumers tobehave often lsquoirrationallyrsquo They build lasting commitments and relationships Theyspeak a symbolic language that is not made of words and therefore crosses barriersof language religion and politics - a language that unites that taps into universallyshared hopes dreams and needs That is what makes them the global icons theyare

Taking the Emotional leap forwardComing back to the TVS story ndash the market was largely operating at the functionallayer The only brand that had broken out of this mould was Pulsar from acompetitor house with enviable success Clearly the Indian consumer was not justready for a more meaningful dialogue but was actually seeking more than functionalpromisesWe started with qualitative research with recent buyers of motorbikes and thoseintending to buy a motorbike in the next few months Using projective techniques andthe NeedScope framework needs were uncovered at all layers (See figure 5)

Some of the key insights that came throughbull Modernity is at the heart of the category The market had moved away fromthe family orientation scooter days Consumers were looking forcontemporary expression in keeping with the optimism and hope of the newgeneration This had to be reflected in both the design and the emotivepropositionbull Stability reliability and trust which were critical strengths of the TVScorporate brand were now taken for granted important to have but no longerenough o which to build a differentiated propositionbull The new brand would therefore have to stand alone in fact perhaps lead theshift of TVS image towards modernitybull And to succeed in this direction there was a need to alter the thinking andfunctioning of existing stalwarts within the company with their strong technicalorientation

The next stage was the quantitative segmentation based on needs There were sixneed states identified and each need state was detailed on all layers of needs aswell as other demographic and behavioral parameters to enable targeting (Seefigure 6)

Figure 5

Figure 6IntrovertedDominanceAssertivenessIndividualityRecep

The archetypes are clearly evident Exclusivity is about asserting onersquos statuslooking and feeling better than others The brand has to reflect sophisticationknowledge and authority The social values of Exclusivity are premium internationaland exclusive Functionally the bike needs stronger safety assurances that only adiscerning buyer understands and visible enhancement features to match Incontrast Affiliation is a need to belong to own the tried and trusted to beappreciated by the family and to feel good about oneself The social values are that of a newly married person ready to settle down Functional needs are pillioncomfort low maintenance value and an assured resale price

The size of the need states indicates the dynamic shift of the market towards moremodernity and individualism 62 of the market is weighted towards self expressionand status needs (See figure 7)

Figure 7 TVS Portfolio Missing the Action

Brands were then mapped on the needs landscape based on how consumersperceived them Pulsar the big success in the market was unsurprisingly inPotency The TVS brands were all clustered in the lower part of the affiliative sectionof the map Clearly all of them were drawing imagery and symbology from theaffiliative reliable image of the corporate brand The position of the TVS brandsindicated sub-optimal utilization of the portfolio and the absence from the moredynamic and growing part of the market was a cause of concern TVS clearly had toget back into the action

Potency and Liberation being large and growing were identified as the opportunityAn in-depth need state- brand fit analysis showed that Liberation rather thanPotency was a more optimal target for several reasons

Potency while larger and exciting already had a formidable competitor inPulsar There was a high risk of becoming a me-too launch unless somethingDramatically different was createdbull While the need to create a new brand rather than a new TVS model wasRecognized it was also clear that the auto being a high ticket buy theSignature of an established company is needed for market acceptance andConsequently there would be some influence of the company brand ThePotency need state with its macho rugged individualism was just too distantto be targeted credibly with TVSrsquos affiliated imagery

Liberation had a younger skew which opened up the opportunity to target anew social group ndash the first time bike buyer With the market size growing theprofile of the buyer was getting younger and this segment was expected togrow even further as the shift of the older middle class consumers towardsfour-wheelers had begun

Liberation ndash Life Here I come

The first step was to understand Liberation at all layers of needs1048729 Emotively liberation represents the wonder years in a manrsquos life The firsttaste of freedom the first coming into adulthood A time of freedom funexploration of the world and experiences before responsibility and the realitiesof life take over The bike in this need state symbolizes a rite of passage ndash theboy becomes a man ndash and is the ideal partner to explore spaces bothphysically and emotively In the physical sense it is about mobilityEmotionally it is about reaching places yoursquove never been1048729 Liberation evokes the heady kick and excitement of youth the excitingdiscovery of adulthood and the bike is integral as a source of pleasure1048729 There was a definite younger skew demographically but the need alsoextended to the Young at Heart For the young man the motorbike is asymbol to flaunt his adult status (personified as a girlfriend for fun romance)With older men it is about recapturing moments gone by the wish forevergreen enduring youthfulness1048729 The social values of the need state are therefore younger men in the goldenperiod between boys and adult men The need has a strong peer contexttypical to that life stage The need for affiliation togetherness is also reflectedin the relationship with the bike - a buddy to share the fun with1048729 With every brand boasting of an international collaboration it was decidedthat this was not a differentiating or for that matter much of a motivatingproposition any more International technology is of course desirable butthere is also an emerging pride and comfort especially among the youth aboutbeing Indian and Indianness1048729 Functional delivery needs to live up to the vibrant need for a trendy coolexperience ndash a combination of speed power pick up and trendy looksAdvanced technology to reflect the fast paced lifestyles of the emerging IndianyouthTwo concepts were developed and tested on the same frame of reference

And so the Apache was born (See Figure 8)

Figure 8

Itrsquos Now or Never

Symbolism ndash Living life in the moment Targeting that part of every man that bringsback the wonder years ndash of Freedom of Irresponsibility of LIVING A sense ofrelease exploration and the anticipation that the world is waiting for you For thenewly initiated the promise of discovering a new world for the young at heart therecapturing of a time gone by a retreat to Ladland About living life to the fullest andmaking most of the moment

Social values ndash Unattached young popular men with lots of friends and popularamong girlsFunctional promise ndash stylish looks really cool accessories power and pick uplightness to reflect the mood easy maintenance

Reason to believe ndash Driven by those who young people identify with and look like(not celebrities) The brand had to be the rage of the moment something thateveryone is talking about This was brought about by innovative co-sponsorship andpartnership of events and promotions ndashon Channel V and MotoGP

Advertising ndash the tonality is irreverent but inoffensively so Fun easygoing defyingconventions and conservatism without becoming rebellious or edgy (See figure 9)

The television commercial is set to a rap tune but the words are in an Indianlanguage ndash in tune with the current youthrsquos desire for a blend of the international withthe Indian ndash a distinct flavor of modern IndiaThe strongly evocative emotional proposition was also translated into trendy styleand irresistible features Notably the much used propositions of reliability andmileage promises were absent (See figure 10)

The seeming purposelessness about the functional promises reinforced theindulgent wonderful irresponsibility of the carefree fun emotive positioning

All activities and touch points were aligned with the symbolic positioning -partnership promotion with a trendy retail outlet sponsorship on MotoGP sports(See figure 11)

In all Apache is a brand where all layers of needs and all marketing touch pointswere in perfect harmony and therefore the rewards recognition and successinevitably had to follow

The Taste of Success (See figure 12)

Apache has been voted as the bike of the year by almost all stakeholder groups Thebrand struck a deep chord with the Auto experts the auto media and mostimportantly with the consumers Some of the awards won includedbull Bike of the year 2006 ndash Overdrivebull Bike of the year 2006 ndash AutoCarbull Bike of the year 2006 ndash BS Motoringbull Best design of the year 2006 ndash BBC Top Gearbull Indigenous design of the year ndash Overdri

A Final WordWith increasing competition the dialogue between the consumer and marketergrows in sophistication and the balance of power shifts to the consumer Marketingthen has to shift from push to pull From selling and product focused marketing themarket moves to a need for brands that connect with consumer emotion The Indianmarket jumpstarted from a world of controlled undersupply and in no time theconsumer quickly evolved perhaps even ahead of the Indian marketer The Indian 2wheeler market was waiting for brands like Apache that understood this and met

more than just the need for great mileage and reliabilityApache exemplifies bold decision making and a willingness to break away from theconventional way of doing things TVS recognized that the market had moved to anew level of consumerization that demanded brand connections to be built at adeeper level They decided to explore an alternative way of segmenting the marketand commissioned needs based researchNeedScope through the use of a needs based model and an archetypal frameworkuncovered the needs landscape identified the market essentials and thediscriminating needs The underlying motivations were validated and quantified interms of the commercial opportunity offered Brands were mapped and measured onthe same frame of reference and market gaps identified TNS partnered the client inbringing the segments to life development of concepts and guidance to theadvertising and design teamIt was not just about bold decision making and creating the right concept Theexecution and implementation remained true to the archetypal positioning and delivered the perfect tonality Advertising created was completely different bothanything TVS had done before and a complete break from the corporate image Toensure that the planners remained true to the archetype and did not give in to thetemptation of resorting to a comfortable direction that had worked before a principleof NOTness was used to develop the advertising and marketing communication

Apache ishellip1048729 Not doing stuff by himself but with a group ndash to be different fromPotency and to avoid the temptation of showing an all-man rugged terrainbike that conquers elements and space1048729 Not with a girlfriend ndash to keep away from the hackneyed boy-girl story that allyouth brands tell Instead the bike was about having NO commitments1048729 Not aspirationally upwardly mobile or about success at work ndash again atemptation of all new launches to ride the optimism of the lsquoShining Indiarsquomood The bike was not about status or success - instead the optimism wascaptured by a carefree attitude that enables living of life without worryingabout tomorrow1048729 Not about family and the responsibilities that come with family ndash to avoidtemptation to capture not just the youth but family people as well1048729 Not overtly premium ndash although modernity and premiumness were conveyedthrough features amp styling rather than by exclusivity The bike SPOKE thearchetypeAnd finally there was realization that to target Liberation the planners and brandmanagers had to feel and live the archetype They had to break out of their Brahminengineering rooted in rationality mindset The team therefore had fun spendingseveral Friday afternoons observing young people

belief systems Carl Jung calls this the collective unconscious

Powerful brands too tell stories that connect at the same symbolic level asarchetypes Nikersquos Just Do It has among others Tiger Woods striding victoriouslyacross golf courses around the world having beaten racial prejudice in what was anexclusive elitist gentlemanrsquos game Or we have Nikersquos Rafael Nadal stopping hearts with his unconventional looks and repeatedly beating the world no 1 at the FrenchOpen Dove with its encompassing Real Beauty campaign recaptured the appealof wholesomeness naturalness and purity reaching out to all women LrsquoOrealrsquos lsquoIrsquomworth itrsquo speaks to the confidence of someone who knows what is best and is entitledto it Johnnie Walkerrsquos success is based on an intimate understating of the RulerArchetype ndash standing ahead of others Powerful brands are archetypal in natureThis is what enables them to connect at the deepest level inspiring consumers tobehave often lsquoirrationallyrsquo They build lasting commitments and relationships Theyspeak a symbolic language that is not made of words and therefore crosses barriersof language religion and politics - a language that unites that taps into universallyshared hopes dreams and needs That is what makes them the global icons theyare

Taking the Emotional leap forwardComing back to the TVS story ndash the market was largely operating at the functionallayer The only brand that had broken out of this mould was Pulsar from acompetitor house with enviable success Clearly the Indian consumer was not justready for a more meaningful dialogue but was actually seeking more than functionalpromisesWe started with qualitative research with recent buyers of motorbikes and thoseintending to buy a motorbike in the next few months Using projective techniques andthe NeedScope framework needs were uncovered at all layers (See figure 5)

Some of the key insights that came throughbull Modernity is at the heart of the category The market had moved away fromthe family orientation scooter days Consumers were looking forcontemporary expression in keeping with the optimism and hope of the newgeneration This had to be reflected in both the design and the emotivepropositionbull Stability reliability and trust which were critical strengths of the TVScorporate brand were now taken for granted important to have but no longerenough o which to build a differentiated propositionbull The new brand would therefore have to stand alone in fact perhaps lead theshift of TVS image towards modernitybull And to succeed in this direction there was a need to alter the thinking andfunctioning of existing stalwarts within the company with their strong technicalorientation

The next stage was the quantitative segmentation based on needs There were sixneed states identified and each need state was detailed on all layers of needs aswell as other demographic and behavioral parameters to enable targeting (Seefigure 6)

Figure 5

Figure 6IntrovertedDominanceAssertivenessIndividualityRecep

The archetypes are clearly evident Exclusivity is about asserting onersquos statuslooking and feeling better than others The brand has to reflect sophisticationknowledge and authority The social values of Exclusivity are premium internationaland exclusive Functionally the bike needs stronger safety assurances that only adiscerning buyer understands and visible enhancement features to match Incontrast Affiliation is a need to belong to own the tried and trusted to beappreciated by the family and to feel good about oneself The social values are that of a newly married person ready to settle down Functional needs are pillioncomfort low maintenance value and an assured resale price

The size of the need states indicates the dynamic shift of the market towards moremodernity and individualism 62 of the market is weighted towards self expressionand status needs (See figure 7)

Figure 7 TVS Portfolio Missing the Action

Brands were then mapped on the needs landscape based on how consumersperceived them Pulsar the big success in the market was unsurprisingly inPotency The TVS brands were all clustered in the lower part of the affiliative sectionof the map Clearly all of them were drawing imagery and symbology from theaffiliative reliable image of the corporate brand The position of the TVS brandsindicated sub-optimal utilization of the portfolio and the absence from the moredynamic and growing part of the market was a cause of concern TVS clearly had toget back into the action

Potency and Liberation being large and growing were identified as the opportunityAn in-depth need state- brand fit analysis showed that Liberation rather thanPotency was a more optimal target for several reasons

Potency while larger and exciting already had a formidable competitor inPulsar There was a high risk of becoming a me-too launch unless somethingDramatically different was createdbull While the need to create a new brand rather than a new TVS model wasRecognized it was also clear that the auto being a high ticket buy theSignature of an established company is needed for market acceptance andConsequently there would be some influence of the company brand ThePotency need state with its macho rugged individualism was just too distantto be targeted credibly with TVSrsquos affiliated imagery

Liberation had a younger skew which opened up the opportunity to target anew social group ndash the first time bike buyer With the market size growing theprofile of the buyer was getting younger and this segment was expected togrow even further as the shift of the older middle class consumers towardsfour-wheelers had begun

Liberation ndash Life Here I come

The first step was to understand Liberation at all layers of needs1048729 Emotively liberation represents the wonder years in a manrsquos life The firsttaste of freedom the first coming into adulthood A time of freedom funexploration of the world and experiences before responsibility and the realitiesof life take over The bike in this need state symbolizes a rite of passage ndash theboy becomes a man ndash and is the ideal partner to explore spaces bothphysically and emotively In the physical sense it is about mobilityEmotionally it is about reaching places yoursquove never been1048729 Liberation evokes the heady kick and excitement of youth the excitingdiscovery of adulthood and the bike is integral as a source of pleasure1048729 There was a definite younger skew demographically but the need alsoextended to the Young at Heart For the young man the motorbike is asymbol to flaunt his adult status (personified as a girlfriend for fun romance)With older men it is about recapturing moments gone by the wish forevergreen enduring youthfulness1048729 The social values of the need state are therefore younger men in the goldenperiod between boys and adult men The need has a strong peer contexttypical to that life stage The need for affiliation togetherness is also reflectedin the relationship with the bike - a buddy to share the fun with1048729 With every brand boasting of an international collaboration it was decidedthat this was not a differentiating or for that matter much of a motivatingproposition any more International technology is of course desirable butthere is also an emerging pride and comfort especially among the youth aboutbeing Indian and Indianness1048729 Functional delivery needs to live up to the vibrant need for a trendy coolexperience ndash a combination of speed power pick up and trendy looksAdvanced technology to reflect the fast paced lifestyles of the emerging IndianyouthTwo concepts were developed and tested on the same frame of reference

And so the Apache was born (See Figure 8)

Figure 8

Itrsquos Now or Never

Symbolism ndash Living life in the moment Targeting that part of every man that bringsback the wonder years ndash of Freedom of Irresponsibility of LIVING A sense ofrelease exploration and the anticipation that the world is waiting for you For thenewly initiated the promise of discovering a new world for the young at heart therecapturing of a time gone by a retreat to Ladland About living life to the fullest andmaking most of the moment

Social values ndash Unattached young popular men with lots of friends and popularamong girlsFunctional promise ndash stylish looks really cool accessories power and pick uplightness to reflect the mood easy maintenance

Reason to believe ndash Driven by those who young people identify with and look like(not celebrities) The brand had to be the rage of the moment something thateveryone is talking about This was brought about by innovative co-sponsorship andpartnership of events and promotions ndashon Channel V and MotoGP

Advertising ndash the tonality is irreverent but inoffensively so Fun easygoing defyingconventions and conservatism without becoming rebellious or edgy (See figure 9)

The television commercial is set to a rap tune but the words are in an Indianlanguage ndash in tune with the current youthrsquos desire for a blend of the international withthe Indian ndash a distinct flavor of modern IndiaThe strongly evocative emotional proposition was also translated into trendy styleand irresistible features Notably the much used propositions of reliability andmileage promises were absent (See figure 10)

The seeming purposelessness about the functional promises reinforced theindulgent wonderful irresponsibility of the carefree fun emotive positioning

All activities and touch points were aligned with the symbolic positioning -partnership promotion with a trendy retail outlet sponsorship on MotoGP sports(See figure 11)

In all Apache is a brand where all layers of needs and all marketing touch pointswere in perfect harmony and therefore the rewards recognition and successinevitably had to follow

The Taste of Success (See figure 12)

Apache has been voted as the bike of the year by almost all stakeholder groups Thebrand struck a deep chord with the Auto experts the auto media and mostimportantly with the consumers Some of the awards won includedbull Bike of the year 2006 ndash Overdrivebull Bike of the year 2006 ndash AutoCarbull Bike of the year 2006 ndash BS Motoringbull Best design of the year 2006 ndash BBC Top Gearbull Indigenous design of the year ndash Overdri

A Final WordWith increasing competition the dialogue between the consumer and marketergrows in sophistication and the balance of power shifts to the consumer Marketingthen has to shift from push to pull From selling and product focused marketing themarket moves to a need for brands that connect with consumer emotion The Indianmarket jumpstarted from a world of controlled undersupply and in no time theconsumer quickly evolved perhaps even ahead of the Indian marketer The Indian 2wheeler market was waiting for brands like Apache that understood this and met

more than just the need for great mileage and reliabilityApache exemplifies bold decision making and a willingness to break away from theconventional way of doing things TVS recognized that the market had moved to anew level of consumerization that demanded brand connections to be built at adeeper level They decided to explore an alternative way of segmenting the marketand commissioned needs based researchNeedScope through the use of a needs based model and an archetypal frameworkuncovered the needs landscape identified the market essentials and thediscriminating needs The underlying motivations were validated and quantified interms of the commercial opportunity offered Brands were mapped and measured onthe same frame of reference and market gaps identified TNS partnered the client inbringing the segments to life development of concepts and guidance to theadvertising and design teamIt was not just about bold decision making and creating the right concept Theexecution and implementation remained true to the archetypal positioning and delivered the perfect tonality Advertising created was completely different bothanything TVS had done before and a complete break from the corporate image Toensure that the planners remained true to the archetype and did not give in to thetemptation of resorting to a comfortable direction that had worked before a principleof NOTness was used to develop the advertising and marketing communication

Apache ishellip1048729 Not doing stuff by himself but with a group ndash to be different fromPotency and to avoid the temptation of showing an all-man rugged terrainbike that conquers elements and space1048729 Not with a girlfriend ndash to keep away from the hackneyed boy-girl story that allyouth brands tell Instead the bike was about having NO commitments1048729 Not aspirationally upwardly mobile or about success at work ndash again atemptation of all new launches to ride the optimism of the lsquoShining Indiarsquomood The bike was not about status or success - instead the optimism wascaptured by a carefree attitude that enables living of life without worryingabout tomorrow1048729 Not about family and the responsibilities that come with family ndash to avoidtemptation to capture not just the youth but family people as well1048729 Not overtly premium ndash although modernity and premiumness were conveyedthrough features amp styling rather than by exclusivity The bike SPOKE thearchetypeAnd finally there was realization that to target Liberation the planners and brandmanagers had to feel and live the archetype They had to break out of their Brahminengineering rooted in rationality mindset The team therefore had fun spendingseveral Friday afternoons observing young people

Figure 5

Figure 6IntrovertedDominanceAssertivenessIndividualityRecep

The archetypes are clearly evident Exclusivity is about asserting onersquos statuslooking and feeling better than others The brand has to reflect sophisticationknowledge and authority The social values of Exclusivity are premium internationaland exclusive Functionally the bike needs stronger safety assurances that only adiscerning buyer understands and visible enhancement features to match Incontrast Affiliation is a need to belong to own the tried and trusted to beappreciated by the family and to feel good about oneself The social values are that of a newly married person ready to settle down Functional needs are pillioncomfort low maintenance value and an assured resale price

The size of the need states indicates the dynamic shift of the market towards moremodernity and individualism 62 of the market is weighted towards self expressionand status needs (See figure 7)

Figure 7 TVS Portfolio Missing the Action

Brands were then mapped on the needs landscape based on how consumersperceived them Pulsar the big success in the market was unsurprisingly inPotency The TVS brands were all clustered in the lower part of the affiliative sectionof the map Clearly all of them were drawing imagery and symbology from theaffiliative reliable image of the corporate brand The position of the TVS brandsindicated sub-optimal utilization of the portfolio and the absence from the moredynamic and growing part of the market was a cause of concern TVS clearly had toget back into the action

Potency and Liberation being large and growing were identified as the opportunityAn in-depth need state- brand fit analysis showed that Liberation rather thanPotency was a more optimal target for several reasons

Potency while larger and exciting already had a formidable competitor inPulsar There was a high risk of becoming a me-too launch unless somethingDramatically different was createdbull While the need to create a new brand rather than a new TVS model wasRecognized it was also clear that the auto being a high ticket buy theSignature of an established company is needed for market acceptance andConsequently there would be some influence of the company brand ThePotency need state with its macho rugged individualism was just too distantto be targeted credibly with TVSrsquos affiliated imagery

Liberation had a younger skew which opened up the opportunity to target anew social group ndash the first time bike buyer With the market size growing theprofile of the buyer was getting younger and this segment was expected togrow even further as the shift of the older middle class consumers towardsfour-wheelers had begun

Liberation ndash Life Here I come

The first step was to understand Liberation at all layers of needs1048729 Emotively liberation represents the wonder years in a manrsquos life The firsttaste of freedom the first coming into adulthood A time of freedom funexploration of the world and experiences before responsibility and the realitiesof life take over The bike in this need state symbolizes a rite of passage ndash theboy becomes a man ndash and is the ideal partner to explore spaces bothphysically and emotively In the physical sense it is about mobilityEmotionally it is about reaching places yoursquove never been1048729 Liberation evokes the heady kick and excitement of youth the excitingdiscovery of adulthood and the bike is integral as a source of pleasure1048729 There was a definite younger skew demographically but the need alsoextended to the Young at Heart For the young man the motorbike is asymbol to flaunt his adult status (personified as a girlfriend for fun romance)With older men it is about recapturing moments gone by the wish forevergreen enduring youthfulness1048729 The social values of the need state are therefore younger men in the goldenperiod between boys and adult men The need has a strong peer contexttypical to that life stage The need for affiliation togetherness is also reflectedin the relationship with the bike - a buddy to share the fun with1048729 With every brand boasting of an international collaboration it was decidedthat this was not a differentiating or for that matter much of a motivatingproposition any more International technology is of course desirable butthere is also an emerging pride and comfort especially among the youth aboutbeing Indian and Indianness1048729 Functional delivery needs to live up to the vibrant need for a trendy coolexperience ndash a combination of speed power pick up and trendy looksAdvanced technology to reflect the fast paced lifestyles of the emerging IndianyouthTwo concepts were developed and tested on the same frame of reference

And so the Apache was born (See Figure 8)

Figure 8

Itrsquos Now or Never

Symbolism ndash Living life in the moment Targeting that part of every man that bringsback the wonder years ndash of Freedom of Irresponsibility of LIVING A sense ofrelease exploration and the anticipation that the world is waiting for you For thenewly initiated the promise of discovering a new world for the young at heart therecapturing of a time gone by a retreat to Ladland About living life to the fullest andmaking most of the moment

Social values ndash Unattached young popular men with lots of friends and popularamong girlsFunctional promise ndash stylish looks really cool accessories power and pick uplightness to reflect the mood easy maintenance

Reason to believe ndash Driven by those who young people identify with and look like(not celebrities) The brand had to be the rage of the moment something thateveryone is talking about This was brought about by innovative co-sponsorship andpartnership of events and promotions ndashon Channel V and MotoGP

Advertising ndash the tonality is irreverent but inoffensively so Fun easygoing defyingconventions and conservatism without becoming rebellious or edgy (See figure 9)

The television commercial is set to a rap tune but the words are in an Indianlanguage ndash in tune with the current youthrsquos desire for a blend of the international withthe Indian ndash a distinct flavor of modern IndiaThe strongly evocative emotional proposition was also translated into trendy styleand irresistible features Notably the much used propositions of reliability andmileage promises were absent (See figure 10)

The seeming purposelessness about the functional promises reinforced theindulgent wonderful irresponsibility of the carefree fun emotive positioning

All activities and touch points were aligned with the symbolic positioning -partnership promotion with a trendy retail outlet sponsorship on MotoGP sports(See figure 11)

In all Apache is a brand where all layers of needs and all marketing touch pointswere in perfect harmony and therefore the rewards recognition and successinevitably had to follow

The Taste of Success (See figure 12)

Apache has been voted as the bike of the year by almost all stakeholder groups Thebrand struck a deep chord with the Auto experts the auto media and mostimportantly with the consumers Some of the awards won includedbull Bike of the year 2006 ndash Overdrivebull Bike of the year 2006 ndash AutoCarbull Bike of the year 2006 ndash BS Motoringbull Best design of the year 2006 ndash BBC Top Gearbull Indigenous design of the year ndash Overdri

A Final WordWith increasing competition the dialogue between the consumer and marketergrows in sophistication and the balance of power shifts to the consumer Marketingthen has to shift from push to pull From selling and product focused marketing themarket moves to a need for brands that connect with consumer emotion The Indianmarket jumpstarted from a world of controlled undersupply and in no time theconsumer quickly evolved perhaps even ahead of the Indian marketer The Indian 2wheeler market was waiting for brands like Apache that understood this and met

more than just the need for great mileage and reliabilityApache exemplifies bold decision making and a willingness to break away from theconventional way of doing things TVS recognized that the market had moved to anew level of consumerization that demanded brand connections to be built at adeeper level They decided to explore an alternative way of segmenting the marketand commissioned needs based researchNeedScope through the use of a needs based model and an archetypal frameworkuncovered the needs landscape identified the market essentials and thediscriminating needs The underlying motivations were validated and quantified interms of the commercial opportunity offered Brands were mapped and measured onthe same frame of reference and market gaps identified TNS partnered the client inbringing the segments to life development of concepts and guidance to theadvertising and design teamIt was not just about bold decision making and creating the right concept Theexecution and implementation remained true to the archetypal positioning and delivered the perfect tonality Advertising created was completely different bothanything TVS had done before and a complete break from the corporate image Toensure that the planners remained true to the archetype and did not give in to thetemptation of resorting to a comfortable direction that had worked before a principleof NOTness was used to develop the advertising and marketing communication

Apache ishellip1048729 Not doing stuff by himself but with a group ndash to be different fromPotency and to avoid the temptation of showing an all-man rugged terrainbike that conquers elements and space1048729 Not with a girlfriend ndash to keep away from the hackneyed boy-girl story that allyouth brands tell Instead the bike was about having NO commitments1048729 Not aspirationally upwardly mobile or about success at work ndash again atemptation of all new launches to ride the optimism of the lsquoShining Indiarsquomood The bike was not about status or success - instead the optimism wascaptured by a carefree attitude that enables living of life without worryingabout tomorrow1048729 Not about family and the responsibilities that come with family ndash to avoidtemptation to capture not just the youth but family people as well1048729 Not overtly premium ndash although modernity and premiumness were conveyedthrough features amp styling rather than by exclusivity The bike SPOKE thearchetypeAnd finally there was realization that to target Liberation the planners and brandmanagers had to feel and live the archetype They had to break out of their Brahminengineering rooted in rationality mindset The team therefore had fun spendingseveral Friday afternoons observing young people

The archetypes are clearly evident Exclusivity is about asserting onersquos statuslooking and feeling better than others The brand has to reflect sophisticationknowledge and authority The social values of Exclusivity are premium internationaland exclusive Functionally the bike needs stronger safety assurances that only adiscerning buyer understands and visible enhancement features to match Incontrast Affiliation is a need to belong to own the tried and trusted to beappreciated by the family and to feel good about oneself The social values are that of a newly married person ready to settle down Functional needs are pillioncomfort low maintenance value and an assured resale price

The size of the need states indicates the dynamic shift of the market towards moremodernity and individualism 62 of the market is weighted towards self expressionand status needs (See figure 7)

Figure 7 TVS Portfolio Missing the Action

Brands were then mapped on the needs landscape based on how consumersperceived them Pulsar the big success in the market was unsurprisingly inPotency The TVS brands were all clustered in the lower part of the affiliative sectionof the map Clearly all of them were drawing imagery and symbology from theaffiliative reliable image of the corporate brand The position of the TVS brandsindicated sub-optimal utilization of the portfolio and the absence from the moredynamic and growing part of the market was a cause of concern TVS clearly had toget back into the action

Potency and Liberation being large and growing were identified as the opportunityAn in-depth need state- brand fit analysis showed that Liberation rather thanPotency was a more optimal target for several reasons

Potency while larger and exciting already had a formidable competitor inPulsar There was a high risk of becoming a me-too launch unless somethingDramatically different was createdbull While the need to create a new brand rather than a new TVS model wasRecognized it was also clear that the auto being a high ticket buy theSignature of an established company is needed for market acceptance andConsequently there would be some influence of the company brand ThePotency need state with its macho rugged individualism was just too distantto be targeted credibly with TVSrsquos affiliated imagery

Liberation had a younger skew which opened up the opportunity to target anew social group ndash the first time bike buyer With the market size growing theprofile of the buyer was getting younger and this segment was expected togrow even further as the shift of the older middle class consumers towardsfour-wheelers had begun

Liberation ndash Life Here I come

The first step was to understand Liberation at all layers of needs1048729 Emotively liberation represents the wonder years in a manrsquos life The firsttaste of freedom the first coming into adulthood A time of freedom funexploration of the world and experiences before responsibility and the realitiesof life take over The bike in this need state symbolizes a rite of passage ndash theboy becomes a man ndash and is the ideal partner to explore spaces bothphysically and emotively In the physical sense it is about mobilityEmotionally it is about reaching places yoursquove never been1048729 Liberation evokes the heady kick and excitement of youth the excitingdiscovery of adulthood and the bike is integral as a source of pleasure1048729 There was a definite younger skew demographically but the need alsoextended to the Young at Heart For the young man the motorbike is asymbol to flaunt his adult status (personified as a girlfriend for fun romance)With older men it is about recapturing moments gone by the wish forevergreen enduring youthfulness1048729 The social values of the need state are therefore younger men in the goldenperiod between boys and adult men The need has a strong peer contexttypical to that life stage The need for affiliation togetherness is also reflectedin the relationship with the bike - a buddy to share the fun with1048729 With every brand boasting of an international collaboration it was decidedthat this was not a differentiating or for that matter much of a motivatingproposition any more International technology is of course desirable butthere is also an emerging pride and comfort especially among the youth aboutbeing Indian and Indianness1048729 Functional delivery needs to live up to the vibrant need for a trendy coolexperience ndash a combination of speed power pick up and trendy looksAdvanced technology to reflect the fast paced lifestyles of the emerging IndianyouthTwo concepts were developed and tested on the same frame of reference

And so the Apache was born (See Figure 8)

Figure 8

Itrsquos Now or Never

Symbolism ndash Living life in the moment Targeting that part of every man that bringsback the wonder years ndash of Freedom of Irresponsibility of LIVING A sense ofrelease exploration and the anticipation that the world is waiting for you For thenewly initiated the promise of discovering a new world for the young at heart therecapturing of a time gone by a retreat to Ladland About living life to the fullest andmaking most of the moment

Social values ndash Unattached young popular men with lots of friends and popularamong girlsFunctional promise ndash stylish looks really cool accessories power and pick uplightness to reflect the mood easy maintenance

Reason to believe ndash Driven by those who young people identify with and look like(not celebrities) The brand had to be the rage of the moment something thateveryone is talking about This was brought about by innovative co-sponsorship andpartnership of events and promotions ndashon Channel V and MotoGP

Advertising ndash the tonality is irreverent but inoffensively so Fun easygoing defyingconventions and conservatism without becoming rebellious or edgy (See figure 9)

The television commercial is set to a rap tune but the words are in an Indianlanguage ndash in tune with the current youthrsquos desire for a blend of the international withthe Indian ndash a distinct flavor of modern IndiaThe strongly evocative emotional proposition was also translated into trendy styleand irresistible features Notably the much used propositions of reliability andmileage promises were absent (See figure 10)

The seeming purposelessness about the functional promises reinforced theindulgent wonderful irresponsibility of the carefree fun emotive positioning

All activities and touch points were aligned with the symbolic positioning -partnership promotion with a trendy retail outlet sponsorship on MotoGP sports(See figure 11)

In all Apache is a brand where all layers of needs and all marketing touch pointswere in perfect harmony and therefore the rewards recognition and successinevitably had to follow

The Taste of Success (See figure 12)

Apache has been voted as the bike of the year by almost all stakeholder groups Thebrand struck a deep chord with the Auto experts the auto media and mostimportantly with the consumers Some of the awards won includedbull Bike of the year 2006 ndash Overdrivebull Bike of the year 2006 ndash AutoCarbull Bike of the year 2006 ndash BS Motoringbull Best design of the year 2006 ndash BBC Top Gearbull Indigenous design of the year ndash Overdri

A Final WordWith increasing competition the dialogue between the consumer and marketergrows in sophistication and the balance of power shifts to the consumer Marketingthen has to shift from push to pull From selling and product focused marketing themarket moves to a need for brands that connect with consumer emotion The Indianmarket jumpstarted from a world of controlled undersupply and in no time theconsumer quickly evolved perhaps even ahead of the Indian marketer The Indian 2wheeler market was waiting for brands like Apache that understood this and met

more than just the need for great mileage and reliabilityApache exemplifies bold decision making and a willingness to break away from theconventional way of doing things TVS recognized that the market had moved to anew level of consumerization that demanded brand connections to be built at adeeper level They decided to explore an alternative way of segmenting the marketand commissioned needs based researchNeedScope through the use of a needs based model and an archetypal frameworkuncovered the needs landscape identified the market essentials and thediscriminating needs The underlying motivations were validated and quantified interms of the commercial opportunity offered Brands were mapped and measured onthe same frame of reference and market gaps identified TNS partnered the client inbringing the segments to life development of concepts and guidance to theadvertising and design teamIt was not just about bold decision making and creating the right concept Theexecution and implementation remained true to the archetypal positioning and delivered the perfect tonality Advertising created was completely different bothanything TVS had done before and a complete break from the corporate image Toensure that the planners remained true to the archetype and did not give in to thetemptation of resorting to a comfortable direction that had worked before a principleof NOTness was used to develop the advertising and marketing communication

Apache ishellip1048729 Not doing stuff by himself but with a group ndash to be different fromPotency and to avoid the temptation of showing an all-man rugged terrainbike that conquers elements and space1048729 Not with a girlfriend ndash to keep away from the hackneyed boy-girl story that allyouth brands tell Instead the bike was about having NO commitments1048729 Not aspirationally upwardly mobile or about success at work ndash again atemptation of all new launches to ride the optimism of the lsquoShining Indiarsquomood The bike was not about status or success - instead the optimism wascaptured by a carefree attitude that enables living of life without worryingabout tomorrow1048729 Not about family and the responsibilities that come with family ndash to avoidtemptation to capture not just the youth but family people as well1048729 Not overtly premium ndash although modernity and premiumness were conveyedthrough features amp styling rather than by exclusivity The bike SPOKE thearchetypeAnd finally there was realization that to target Liberation the planners and brandmanagers had to feel and live the archetype They had to break out of their Brahminengineering rooted in rationality mindset The team therefore had fun spendingseveral Friday afternoons observing young people

Potency and Liberation being large and growing were identified as the opportunityAn in-depth need state- brand fit analysis showed that Liberation rather thanPotency was a more optimal target for several reasons

Potency while larger and exciting already had a formidable competitor inPulsar There was a high risk of becoming a me-too launch unless somethingDramatically different was createdbull While the need to create a new brand rather than a new TVS model wasRecognized it was also clear that the auto being a high ticket buy theSignature of an established company is needed for market acceptance andConsequently there would be some influence of the company brand ThePotency need state with its macho rugged individualism was just too distantto be targeted credibly with TVSrsquos affiliated imagery

Liberation had a younger skew which opened up the opportunity to target anew social group ndash the first time bike buyer With the market size growing theprofile of the buyer was getting younger and this segment was expected togrow even further as the shift of the older middle class consumers towardsfour-wheelers had begun

Liberation ndash Life Here I come

The first step was to understand Liberation at all layers of needs1048729 Emotively liberation represents the wonder years in a manrsquos life The firsttaste of freedom the first coming into adulthood A time of freedom funexploration of the world and experiences before responsibility and the realitiesof life take over The bike in this need state symbolizes a rite of passage ndash theboy becomes a man ndash and is the ideal partner to explore spaces bothphysically and emotively In the physical sense it is about mobilityEmotionally it is about reaching places yoursquove never been1048729 Liberation evokes the heady kick and excitement of youth the excitingdiscovery of adulthood and the bike is integral as a source of pleasure1048729 There was a definite younger skew demographically but the need alsoextended to the Young at Heart For the young man the motorbike is asymbol to flaunt his adult status (personified as a girlfriend for fun romance)With older men it is about recapturing moments gone by the wish forevergreen enduring youthfulness1048729 The social values of the need state are therefore younger men in the goldenperiod between boys and adult men The need has a strong peer contexttypical to that life stage The need for affiliation togetherness is also reflectedin the relationship with the bike - a buddy to share the fun with1048729 With every brand boasting of an international collaboration it was decidedthat this was not a differentiating or for that matter much of a motivatingproposition any more International technology is of course desirable butthere is also an emerging pride and comfort especially among the youth aboutbeing Indian and Indianness1048729 Functional delivery needs to live up to the vibrant need for a trendy coolexperience ndash a combination of speed power pick up and trendy looksAdvanced technology to reflect the fast paced lifestyles of the emerging IndianyouthTwo concepts were developed and tested on the same frame of reference

And so the Apache was born (See Figure 8)

Figure 8

Itrsquos Now or Never

Symbolism ndash Living life in the moment Targeting that part of every man that bringsback the wonder years ndash of Freedom of Irresponsibility of LIVING A sense ofrelease exploration and the anticipation that the world is waiting for you For thenewly initiated the promise of discovering a new world for the young at heart therecapturing of a time gone by a retreat to Ladland About living life to the fullest andmaking most of the moment

Social values ndash Unattached young popular men with lots of friends and popularamong girlsFunctional promise ndash stylish looks really cool accessories power and pick uplightness to reflect the mood easy maintenance

Reason to believe ndash Driven by those who young people identify with and look like(not celebrities) The brand had to be the rage of the moment something thateveryone is talking about This was brought about by innovative co-sponsorship andpartnership of events and promotions ndashon Channel V and MotoGP

Advertising ndash the tonality is irreverent but inoffensively so Fun easygoing defyingconventions and conservatism without becoming rebellious or edgy (See figure 9)

The television commercial is set to a rap tune but the words are in an Indianlanguage ndash in tune with the current youthrsquos desire for a blend of the international withthe Indian ndash a distinct flavor of modern IndiaThe strongly evocative emotional proposition was also translated into trendy styleand irresistible features Notably the much used propositions of reliability andmileage promises were absent (See figure 10)

The seeming purposelessness about the functional promises reinforced theindulgent wonderful irresponsibility of the carefree fun emotive positioning

All activities and touch points were aligned with the symbolic positioning -partnership promotion with a trendy retail outlet sponsorship on MotoGP sports(See figure 11)

In all Apache is a brand where all layers of needs and all marketing touch pointswere in perfect harmony and therefore the rewards recognition and successinevitably had to follow

The Taste of Success (See figure 12)

Apache has been voted as the bike of the year by almost all stakeholder groups Thebrand struck a deep chord with the Auto experts the auto media and mostimportantly with the consumers Some of the awards won includedbull Bike of the year 2006 ndash Overdrivebull Bike of the year 2006 ndash AutoCarbull Bike of the year 2006 ndash BS Motoringbull Best design of the year 2006 ndash BBC Top Gearbull Indigenous design of the year ndash Overdri

A Final WordWith increasing competition the dialogue between the consumer and marketergrows in sophistication and the balance of power shifts to the consumer Marketingthen has to shift from push to pull From selling and product focused marketing themarket moves to a need for brands that connect with consumer emotion The Indianmarket jumpstarted from a world of controlled undersupply and in no time theconsumer quickly evolved perhaps even ahead of the Indian marketer The Indian 2wheeler market was waiting for brands like Apache that understood this and met

more than just the need for great mileage and reliabilityApache exemplifies bold decision making and a willingness to break away from theconventional way of doing things TVS recognized that the market had moved to anew level of consumerization that demanded brand connections to be built at adeeper level They decided to explore an alternative way of segmenting the marketand commissioned needs based researchNeedScope through the use of a needs based model and an archetypal frameworkuncovered the needs landscape identified the market essentials and thediscriminating needs The underlying motivations were validated and quantified interms of the commercial opportunity offered Brands were mapped and measured onthe same frame of reference and market gaps identified TNS partnered the client inbringing the segments to life development of concepts and guidance to theadvertising and design teamIt was not just about bold decision making and creating the right concept Theexecution and implementation remained true to the archetypal positioning and delivered the perfect tonality Advertising created was completely different bothanything TVS had done before and a complete break from the corporate image Toensure that the planners remained true to the archetype and did not give in to thetemptation of resorting to a comfortable direction that had worked before a principleof NOTness was used to develop the advertising and marketing communication

Apache ishellip1048729 Not doing stuff by himself but with a group ndash to be different fromPotency and to avoid the temptation of showing an all-man rugged terrainbike that conquers elements and space1048729 Not with a girlfriend ndash to keep away from the hackneyed boy-girl story that allyouth brands tell Instead the bike was about having NO commitments1048729 Not aspirationally upwardly mobile or about success at work ndash again atemptation of all new launches to ride the optimism of the lsquoShining Indiarsquomood The bike was not about status or success - instead the optimism wascaptured by a carefree attitude that enables living of life without worryingabout tomorrow1048729 Not about family and the responsibilities that come with family ndash to avoidtemptation to capture not just the youth but family people as well1048729 Not overtly premium ndash although modernity and premiumness were conveyedthrough features amp styling rather than by exclusivity The bike SPOKE thearchetypeAnd finally there was realization that to target Liberation the planners and brandmanagers had to feel and live the archetype They had to break out of their Brahminengineering rooted in rationality mindset The team therefore had fun spendingseveral Friday afternoons observing young people

And so the Apache was born (See Figure 8)

Figure 8

Itrsquos Now or Never

Symbolism ndash Living life in the moment Targeting that part of every man that bringsback the wonder years ndash of Freedom of Irresponsibility of LIVING A sense ofrelease exploration and the anticipation that the world is waiting for you For thenewly initiated the promise of discovering a new world for the young at heart therecapturing of a time gone by a retreat to Ladland About living life to the fullest andmaking most of the moment

Social values ndash Unattached young popular men with lots of friends and popularamong girlsFunctional promise ndash stylish looks really cool accessories power and pick uplightness to reflect the mood easy maintenance

Reason to believe ndash Driven by those who young people identify with and look like(not celebrities) The brand had to be the rage of the moment something thateveryone is talking about This was brought about by innovative co-sponsorship andpartnership of events and promotions ndashon Channel V and MotoGP

Advertising ndash the tonality is irreverent but inoffensively so Fun easygoing defyingconventions and conservatism without becoming rebellious or edgy (See figure 9)

The television commercial is set to a rap tune but the words are in an Indianlanguage ndash in tune with the current youthrsquos desire for a blend of the international withthe Indian ndash a distinct flavor of modern IndiaThe strongly evocative emotional proposition was also translated into trendy styleand irresistible features Notably the much used propositions of reliability andmileage promises were absent (See figure 10)

The seeming purposelessness about the functional promises reinforced theindulgent wonderful irresponsibility of the carefree fun emotive positioning

All activities and touch points were aligned with the symbolic positioning -partnership promotion with a trendy retail outlet sponsorship on MotoGP sports(See figure 11)

In all Apache is a brand where all layers of needs and all marketing touch pointswere in perfect harmony and therefore the rewards recognition and successinevitably had to follow

The Taste of Success (See figure 12)

Apache has been voted as the bike of the year by almost all stakeholder groups Thebrand struck a deep chord with the Auto experts the auto media and mostimportantly with the consumers Some of the awards won includedbull Bike of the year 2006 ndash Overdrivebull Bike of the year 2006 ndash AutoCarbull Bike of the year 2006 ndash BS Motoringbull Best design of the year 2006 ndash BBC Top Gearbull Indigenous design of the year ndash Overdri

A Final WordWith increasing competition the dialogue between the consumer and marketergrows in sophistication and the balance of power shifts to the consumer Marketingthen has to shift from push to pull From selling and product focused marketing themarket moves to a need for brands that connect with consumer emotion The Indianmarket jumpstarted from a world of controlled undersupply and in no time theconsumer quickly evolved perhaps even ahead of the Indian marketer The Indian 2wheeler market was waiting for brands like Apache that understood this and met

more than just the need for great mileage and reliabilityApache exemplifies bold decision making and a willingness to break away from theconventional way of doing things TVS recognized that the market had moved to anew level of consumerization that demanded brand connections to be built at adeeper level They decided to explore an alternative way of segmenting the marketand commissioned needs based researchNeedScope through the use of a needs based model and an archetypal frameworkuncovered the needs landscape identified the market essentials and thediscriminating needs The underlying motivations were validated and quantified interms of the commercial opportunity offered Brands were mapped and measured onthe same frame of reference and market gaps identified TNS partnered the client inbringing the segments to life development of concepts and guidance to theadvertising and design teamIt was not just about bold decision making and creating the right concept Theexecution and implementation remained true to the archetypal positioning and delivered the perfect tonality Advertising created was completely different bothanything TVS had done before and a complete break from the corporate image Toensure that the planners remained true to the archetype and did not give in to thetemptation of resorting to a comfortable direction that had worked before a principleof NOTness was used to develop the advertising and marketing communication

Apache ishellip1048729 Not doing stuff by himself but with a group ndash to be different fromPotency and to avoid the temptation of showing an all-man rugged terrainbike that conquers elements and space1048729 Not with a girlfriend ndash to keep away from the hackneyed boy-girl story that allyouth brands tell Instead the bike was about having NO commitments1048729 Not aspirationally upwardly mobile or about success at work ndash again atemptation of all new launches to ride the optimism of the lsquoShining Indiarsquomood The bike was not about status or success - instead the optimism wascaptured by a carefree attitude that enables living of life without worryingabout tomorrow1048729 Not about family and the responsibilities that come with family ndash to avoidtemptation to capture not just the youth but family people as well1048729 Not overtly premium ndash although modernity and premiumness were conveyedthrough features amp styling rather than by exclusivity The bike SPOKE thearchetypeAnd finally there was realization that to target Liberation the planners and brandmanagers had to feel and live the archetype They had to break out of their Brahminengineering rooted in rationality mindset The team therefore had fun spendingseveral Friday afternoons observing young people

The television commercial is set to a rap tune but the words are in an Indianlanguage ndash in tune with the current youthrsquos desire for a blend of the international withthe Indian ndash a distinct flavor of modern IndiaThe strongly evocative emotional proposition was also translated into trendy styleand irresistible features Notably the much used propositions of reliability andmileage promises were absent (See figure 10)

The seeming purposelessness about the functional promises reinforced theindulgent wonderful irresponsibility of the carefree fun emotive positioning

All activities and touch points were aligned with the symbolic positioning -partnership promotion with a trendy retail outlet sponsorship on MotoGP sports(See figure 11)

In all Apache is a brand where all layers of needs and all marketing touch pointswere in perfect harmony and therefore the rewards recognition and successinevitably had to follow

The Taste of Success (See figure 12)

Apache has been voted as the bike of the year by almost all stakeholder groups Thebrand struck a deep chord with the Auto experts the auto media and mostimportantly with the consumers Some of the awards won includedbull Bike of the year 2006 ndash Overdrivebull Bike of the year 2006 ndash AutoCarbull Bike of the year 2006 ndash BS Motoringbull Best design of the year 2006 ndash BBC Top Gearbull Indigenous design of the year ndash Overdri

A Final WordWith increasing competition the dialogue between the consumer and marketergrows in sophistication and the balance of power shifts to the consumer Marketingthen has to shift from push to pull From selling and product focused marketing themarket moves to a need for brands that connect with consumer emotion The Indianmarket jumpstarted from a world of controlled undersupply and in no time theconsumer quickly evolved perhaps even ahead of the Indian marketer The Indian 2wheeler market was waiting for brands like Apache that understood this and met

more than just the need for great mileage and reliabilityApache exemplifies bold decision making and a willingness to break away from theconventional way of doing things TVS recognized that the market had moved to anew level of consumerization that demanded brand connections to be built at adeeper level They decided to explore an alternative way of segmenting the marketand commissioned needs based researchNeedScope through the use of a needs based model and an archetypal frameworkuncovered the needs landscape identified the market essentials and thediscriminating needs The underlying motivations were validated and quantified interms of the commercial opportunity offered Brands were mapped and measured onthe same frame of reference and market gaps identified TNS partnered the client inbringing the segments to life development of concepts and guidance to theadvertising and design teamIt was not just about bold decision making and creating the right concept Theexecution and implementation remained true to the archetypal positioning and delivered the perfect tonality Advertising created was completely different bothanything TVS had done before and a complete break from the corporate image Toensure that the planners remained true to the archetype and did not give in to thetemptation of resorting to a comfortable direction that had worked before a principleof NOTness was used to develop the advertising and marketing communication

Apache ishellip1048729 Not doing stuff by himself but with a group ndash to be different fromPotency and to avoid the temptation of showing an all-man rugged terrainbike that conquers elements and space1048729 Not with a girlfriend ndash to keep away from the hackneyed boy-girl story that allyouth brands tell Instead the bike was about having NO commitments1048729 Not aspirationally upwardly mobile or about success at work ndash again atemptation of all new launches to ride the optimism of the lsquoShining Indiarsquomood The bike was not about status or success - instead the optimism wascaptured by a carefree attitude that enables living of life without worryingabout tomorrow1048729 Not about family and the responsibilities that come with family ndash to avoidtemptation to capture not just the youth but family people as well1048729 Not overtly premium ndash although modernity and premiumness were conveyedthrough features amp styling rather than by exclusivity The bike SPOKE thearchetypeAnd finally there was realization that to target Liberation the planners and brandmanagers had to feel and live the archetype They had to break out of their Brahminengineering rooted in rationality mindset The team therefore had fun spendingseveral Friday afternoons observing young people

The seeming purposelessness about the functional promises reinforced theindulgent wonderful irresponsibility of the carefree fun emotive positioning

All activities and touch points were aligned with the symbolic positioning -partnership promotion with a trendy retail outlet sponsorship on MotoGP sports(See figure 11)

In all Apache is a brand where all layers of needs and all marketing touch pointswere in perfect harmony and therefore the rewards recognition and successinevitably had to follow

The Taste of Success (See figure 12)

Apache has been voted as the bike of the year by almost all stakeholder groups Thebrand struck a deep chord with the Auto experts the auto media and mostimportantly with the consumers Some of the awards won includedbull Bike of the year 2006 ndash Overdrivebull Bike of the year 2006 ndash AutoCarbull Bike of the year 2006 ndash BS Motoringbull Best design of the year 2006 ndash BBC Top Gearbull Indigenous design of the year ndash Overdri

A Final WordWith increasing competition the dialogue between the consumer and marketergrows in sophistication and the balance of power shifts to the consumer Marketingthen has to shift from push to pull From selling and product focused marketing themarket moves to a need for brands that connect with consumer emotion The Indianmarket jumpstarted from a world of controlled undersupply and in no time theconsumer quickly evolved perhaps even ahead of the Indian marketer The Indian 2wheeler market was waiting for brands like Apache that understood this and met

more than just the need for great mileage and reliabilityApache exemplifies bold decision making and a willingness to break away from theconventional way of doing things TVS recognized that the market had moved to anew level of consumerization that demanded brand connections to be built at adeeper level They decided to explore an alternative way of segmenting the marketand commissioned needs based researchNeedScope through the use of a needs based model and an archetypal frameworkuncovered the needs landscape identified the market essentials and thediscriminating needs The underlying motivations were validated and quantified interms of the commercial opportunity offered Brands were mapped and measured onthe same frame of reference and market gaps identified TNS partnered the client inbringing the segments to life development of concepts and guidance to theadvertising and design teamIt was not just about bold decision making and creating the right concept Theexecution and implementation remained true to the archetypal positioning and delivered the perfect tonality Advertising created was completely different bothanything TVS had done before and a complete break from the corporate image Toensure that the planners remained true to the archetype and did not give in to thetemptation of resorting to a comfortable direction that had worked before a principleof NOTness was used to develop the advertising and marketing communication

Apache ishellip1048729 Not doing stuff by himself but with a group ndash to be different fromPotency and to avoid the temptation of showing an all-man rugged terrainbike that conquers elements and space1048729 Not with a girlfriend ndash to keep away from the hackneyed boy-girl story that allyouth brands tell Instead the bike was about having NO commitments1048729 Not aspirationally upwardly mobile or about success at work ndash again atemptation of all new launches to ride the optimism of the lsquoShining Indiarsquomood The bike was not about status or success - instead the optimism wascaptured by a carefree attitude that enables living of life without worryingabout tomorrow1048729 Not about family and the responsibilities that come with family ndash to avoidtemptation to capture not just the youth but family people as well1048729 Not overtly premium ndash although modernity and premiumness were conveyedthrough features amp styling rather than by exclusivity The bike SPOKE thearchetypeAnd finally there was realization that to target Liberation the planners and brandmanagers had to feel and live the archetype They had to break out of their Brahminengineering rooted in rationality mindset The team therefore had fun spendingseveral Friday afternoons observing young people

The Taste of Success (See figure 12)

Apache has been voted as the bike of the year by almost all stakeholder groups Thebrand struck a deep chord with the Auto experts the auto media and mostimportantly with the consumers Some of the awards won includedbull Bike of the year 2006 ndash Overdrivebull Bike of the year 2006 ndash AutoCarbull Bike of the year 2006 ndash BS Motoringbull Best design of the year 2006 ndash BBC Top Gearbull Indigenous design of the year ndash Overdri

A Final WordWith increasing competition the dialogue between the consumer and marketergrows in sophistication and the balance of power shifts to the consumer Marketingthen has to shift from push to pull From selling and product focused marketing themarket moves to a need for brands that connect with consumer emotion The Indianmarket jumpstarted from a world of controlled undersupply and in no time theconsumer quickly evolved perhaps even ahead of the Indian marketer The Indian 2wheeler market was waiting for brands like Apache that understood this and met

more than just the need for great mileage and reliabilityApache exemplifies bold decision making and a willingness to break away from theconventional way of doing things TVS recognized that the market had moved to anew level of consumerization that demanded brand connections to be built at adeeper level They decided to explore an alternative way of segmenting the marketand commissioned needs based researchNeedScope through the use of a needs based model and an archetypal frameworkuncovered the needs landscape identified the market essentials and thediscriminating needs The underlying motivations were validated and quantified interms of the commercial opportunity offered Brands were mapped and measured onthe same frame of reference and market gaps identified TNS partnered the client inbringing the segments to life development of concepts and guidance to theadvertising and design teamIt was not just about bold decision making and creating the right concept Theexecution and implementation remained true to the archetypal positioning and delivered the perfect tonality Advertising created was completely different bothanything TVS had done before and a complete break from the corporate image Toensure that the planners remained true to the archetype and did not give in to thetemptation of resorting to a comfortable direction that had worked before a principleof NOTness was used to develop the advertising and marketing communication

Apache ishellip1048729 Not doing stuff by himself but with a group ndash to be different fromPotency and to avoid the temptation of showing an all-man rugged terrainbike that conquers elements and space1048729 Not with a girlfriend ndash to keep away from the hackneyed boy-girl story that allyouth brands tell Instead the bike was about having NO commitments1048729 Not aspirationally upwardly mobile or about success at work ndash again atemptation of all new launches to ride the optimism of the lsquoShining Indiarsquomood The bike was not about status or success - instead the optimism wascaptured by a carefree attitude that enables living of life without worryingabout tomorrow1048729 Not about family and the responsibilities that come with family ndash to avoidtemptation to capture not just the youth but family people as well1048729 Not overtly premium ndash although modernity and premiumness were conveyedthrough features amp styling rather than by exclusivity The bike SPOKE thearchetypeAnd finally there was realization that to target Liberation the planners and brandmanagers had to feel and live the archetype They had to break out of their Brahminengineering rooted in rationality mindset The team therefore had fun spendingseveral Friday afternoons observing young people

more than just the need for great mileage and reliabilityApache exemplifies bold decision making and a willingness to break away from theconventional way of doing things TVS recognized that the market had moved to anew level of consumerization that demanded brand connections to be built at adeeper level They decided to explore an alternative way of segmenting the marketand commissioned needs based researchNeedScope through the use of a needs based model and an archetypal frameworkuncovered the needs landscape identified the market essentials and thediscriminating needs The underlying motivations were validated and quantified interms of the commercial opportunity offered Brands were mapped and measured onthe same frame of reference and market gaps identified TNS partnered the client inbringing the segments to life development of concepts and guidance to theadvertising and design teamIt was not just about bold decision making and creating the right concept Theexecution and implementation remained true to the archetypal positioning and delivered the perfect tonality Advertising created was completely different bothanything TVS had done before and a complete break from the corporate image Toensure that the planners remained true to the archetype and did not give in to thetemptation of resorting to a comfortable direction that had worked before a principleof NOTness was used to develop the advertising and marketing communication

Apache ishellip1048729 Not doing stuff by himself but with a group ndash to be different fromPotency and to avoid the temptation of showing an all-man rugged terrainbike that conquers elements and space1048729 Not with a girlfriend ndash to keep away from the hackneyed boy-girl story that allyouth brands tell Instead the bike was about having NO commitments1048729 Not aspirationally upwardly mobile or about success at work ndash again atemptation of all new launches to ride the optimism of the lsquoShining Indiarsquomood The bike was not about status or success - instead the optimism wascaptured by a carefree attitude that enables living of life without worryingabout tomorrow1048729 Not about family and the responsibilities that come with family ndash to avoidtemptation to capture not just the youth but family people as well1048729 Not overtly premium ndash although modernity and premiumness were conveyedthrough features amp styling rather than by exclusivity The bike SPOKE thearchetypeAnd finally there was realization that to target Liberation the planners and brandmanagers had to feel and live the archetype They had to break out of their Brahminengineering rooted in rationality mindset The team therefore had fun spendingseveral Friday afternoons observing young people