"Mercedes is not merely for chauffeur-driven customers": Santosh Iyer, marketing head, Mercedes-Benz

The German luxury car brand is poised to lure India's young with a new variant, the TVC for which positions it as a car to be driven, not just owned. A look at the brand strategy.

Through its latest campaign for its compact performance sedan, the CLA 45 AMG, Mercedes-Benz does three things: Firstly, it simplifies the engineering-heavy acronym AMG (which stands for Aufrecht Melcher Grossaspach, a twister for the Indian tongue!) by giving it a far easier and near-orgasmic spin with the tagline 'Ah My God'.

Secondly, it tries hard to forge an association between luxury cars and adventure sports; the minute-long TVC, with shots of daredevils going out of their way to tempt fate, is a far cry from the images of laidback luxury one typically associates with this product segment.

And thirdly, it makes clear its intentions to target a new set of young consumers, particularly those who aspire to become part of the AMG engine club.

Shedding light on the brand's core target group for this model, Santosh Iyer, head, marketing, Mercedes-Benz India, says, "We are targeting first-time AMG buyers, who're looking for an expression of their success and style. These customers are affluent, urban dwellers between 30-45 years. They are successful entrepreneurs/professionals who are well-travelled, high-heeled and well-acquainted with the rush of adventure sports."

This model, Iyer tells us, bridges the gap between the brand's existing AMG portfolio (which starts with the C63 AMG) and its executive sedan range (comprising variants like the top-end E-Class) that are available in this market. The CLA 45 AMG, a model that stands for both "performance and practicality," is priced at around Rs. 80 lakh in the country, as per market estimates.

Interestingly, "database marketing" forms an integral part of the media mix for this new variant. Explains Iyer, "Though the TG is completely different from our existing sedan and SUV owners, it comprises a mix of both 'luxury dwellers' as well as 'upgraders' to the brand: Our existing customers may want to own a 'performance car' like this one apart from the regular sedan they already own. At the same time, a lot of new young customers may want to join the Mercedes-AMG league with this model."

Locally, the company has three exclusive AMG Performance Centres located at Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.

From Owning To Driving

As the phrase suggests, the 'Ah My God' campaign attempts to capture what the brand calls "the indescribable surge of excitement" one experiences while driving a Mercedes. According to Iyer, it was important to "communicate to the customers the importance of driving the car and not just owning it."

This reminds us of a statement Iyer made in previous interview on afaqs!: "Research indicates that today there's more front-seat driving in luxury cars. Mercedes is more of an owner's car today, not so much a back-seat, chauffeur-driven car."

In conversation with us regarding the present day campaign, he says, "We are glad to see more and more customers driving their Mercs. This model will further the trend in India. The challenge is to promote the perception that the Mercedes is a fun car to drive and is not merely for chauffeur-driven customers."

Iyer explains that while his traditional base of customers (patrons of the S-Class, for instance) may prefer chauffeur-driven sedans, his new-age customers are mostly front-seat owners who seek the wheel no less than they do the status of owning a Merc. Says Iyer, referring to the latter, "They want a 'driver's car'," a need the brand caters to through its compact cars portfolio. We note here, of course, that by 'driver' he means car owner and not chauffer, as local parlance might denote.

Recall that with the launch of the A-Class last year Mercedes gave the affordable luxury segment (under Rs. 25 lakh) a serious go. Now, with the CLA 45 AMG, the brand is looking to promote the drive-it-to-experience-it notion.

By the way, CLA stands for Coupe Light A-Class.

Lite Luxe

The TVC opens with the super, 'When was the last time you felt something you just couldn't put into words?' after which, clips of people jumping off planes and surfing on giant waves give way to shots of a zooming Merc.

Raj Kurup, founder and creative chairman, Creativeland Asia, the brand's digital agency, describes the model being advertised as "a car where luxury meets adrenaline."

"While the brand has pure luxury offerings too, this is the sporty side of Mercedes luxury. The campaign likens the feeling of driving this AMG-powered car to words that cannot be expressed logically but only exclaimed evocatively," says Kurup.

The brief to Kurup and team, shares Iyer, was to create a TVC which showcases "the emotions you go through when you drive an AMG."

Though this is Merc's first India-specific ad film, there's nothing overtly Indian about it - no Indian roads or Indian faces behind the wheel. However, apparently, the film does bear some shots of the car on the Buddh International Circuit at Greater Noida, venue of its impending launch on July 22. It is on this track that the brand conducts its AMG Driving Academy programmes, wherein Merc drivers are taught road safety techniques.

The ad film, currently available on the brand's YouTube channel, will hit TV screens on the day of its launch. A print campaign across major lifestyle and luxury magazines will follow subsequently.

The music score is by songwriter and composer Mike McCleary. The brand plans to upload the tune on the iStore and make it available as a mobile download.