We'd like the bike do all the talking: GM-marketing strategy at Yamaha

In 2018, a toddler embodied the essence of a bike enthusiast in Yamaha's first flagship brand campaign, ‘The Call of The Blue’. As we move into 2024, the once toddler has grown into a teenager, but his love for Yamaha continues to shine through in the brand’s latest campaign.

In the fourth edition of this campaign, the brand is trying to reinforce its premium status in the Indian two-wheeler market. This year's slogan, ‘Hear the Call Now’, builds on the momentum established in previous iterations, marking a progression from last year's ‘Have You Heard the Call?’

Since its launch in 2018, every iteration of ‘The Call of The Blue’ campaign has prompted Yamaha Motor India to adjust its product planning, marketing, and customer strategies to embody the brand's essence of “excitement, style, and sportiness.”

Vijay Kaul, general manager of the marketing strategy division at Yamaha Motor India, elaborates on the motivation behind the campaign's creation.

“In 2017, we acknowledged that our current strategies were insufficient to advance us to the next level. We intentionally chose to concentrate on the premium segment, providing motorcycles over 150cc and scooters over 125cc. The marketing team was assigned the responsibility of transforming Yamaha’s image in India to be more thrilling, stylish, and sporty, aiming to position the brand as youthful and aspirational,” he states.

Kaul notes that since that time, they have introduced four iterations of the campaign, although momentum was hindered during the COVID period.

This storyline deeply connects with the brand's main audience, focussing on individuals aged 18-24.

“We are focussing on first-time buyers, showcasing our portfolio to them through this campaign.” Kaul explains, “We also target a subset of customers who are looking to upgrade from their existing models.”

Since the campaign began in 2018, Yamaha's premium motorcycle market share in India has grown from 8.1% to 17.7% (as of August 2024). The brand offers 12 motorcycle models in India.

It also offers three scooter models: Ray ZR 125, Aerox 155, and Fascino 125.

Motorcycles range from Rs 1.1 lakhs to Rs 4.6 lakhs, while scooters are priced between Rs 79,000 and Rs 1.5 lakhs.

According to B2B automotive magazine AutoCar Professional, in Q1 FY 2024, Yamaha Motor saw a 2% year-on-year growth, with sales reaching 110,184 units compared to 107,603 units during the same period last year.

However, the company lacks presence in the 110 cc and 125 cc segments, with sales of the 149cc FZ series bikes falling 26% compared to the previous year. Despite this, 155 cc models saw a 31% rise in demand compared to Q1 FY 2024.

Yamaha experienced significant growth in the scooter segment, with sales reaching 75,607 units, marking a 32% increase from the previous year.

Category code and media mix

In the motorcycle industry, a prevalent theme has emerged where brands frequently feature a rider accelerating the bike to emphasise its smoothness and agility in advertisements.

This visual depiction has become closely associated with motorcycle marketing, especially for brands aiming to highlight performance.

Kaul observes, “It hinges on the goals of the campaign.” In the commuter category, the advertisement will highlight mileage, while in the premium category, it will emphasise smoothness, agility, and enjoyable features."

Actor John Abraham was the brand ambassador for the brand between 2005 and 2016.

Reflecting on this collaboration, Kaul states, “To reach a mass audience, the celebrity route works well.” For a premium brand like ours, we believe that the bike itself should take centre stage in our communication, engaging directly with the audience rather than depending solely on celebrity endorsements.

Regarding the media mix, 50% of the budget is designated for digital platforms, 30% for television, and the final 20% for out-of-home (OOH) advertising.

The brand participates in events like Track Day, The Call of The Blue Weekends, Overnight Tours, and Blue Streaks Community rides.

The brand employs print media during the festive season for strategic promotions. “Print is mainly used for rapid sales, advertising promotions, and reaching particular markets, especially during seasonal celebrations such as Pongal, Onam, Diwali, and Durga Puja,” he notes.

The brand utilises regional marketing for promoting its scooter range.

Trends and additional business

Kaul notes an increasing fascination with the retro and heritage biking segment, which the brand responds to through the FZ-X model.

He also observes that customisation is an emerging trend, indicating that although it is presently niche and unstructured, it is poised to become important once the brand officially provides it. “This service was introduced alongside our MT-15 model,” he adds.

In 2020, Yamaha launched a collection of apparel and accessories on platforms such as Amazon and Flipkart. This range features T-shirts, jackets, stickers, keychains, and a variety of two-wheeler accessories, including tank pads, bike covers, seat covers, engine guards, skid plates, and USB mobile chargers.

Kaul states, “It serves as a brand-building exercise for us.” The goal is to offer the audience a comprehensive experience—not merely a motorbike, but a whole way of life. The business is expanding steadily, yet there are still greater heights to reach.