What makes Royal Enfield special?

Recently, Shubhranshu Singh, global head – marketing, Royal Enfield, spoke about how this British motorcycle brand, perched on the intersection of man, machine and terrain, keeps its mojo alive.

Royal Enfield, a brand that has always prided itself on being 'made like a gun', has been in business since 1901 and has been in India since 1955 – when the Indian army placed an order for 500 bullet motorcycles that were delivered to what was then Madras. The world's oldest continuously manufactured motorcycle brand, Royal Enfield has survived two world wars. It's not the fastest or the most tech-equipped motorcycle brand out there. So what makes it special?

Recently, Shubhranshu Singh, global head – marketing, Royal Enfield, spoke about how this British motorcycle brand, perched on the intersection of man, machine and terrain, keeps its mojo alive.

Watch the video for the full presentation. Read on for key highlights.

• Things endure because they're relevant at each stage of their evolution.

• A brand that can be many things to many people without losing its integrity, has a good shot at being iconic. For Royal Enfield it's about passion and camaraderie – a sense of belonging to a tribe.

• We don't want to be contrived and 'ad-zy'. We don't do conventional 'ad speak'. Almost every brand can make an ad, most brands can do a reasonable marketing job, but very few brands can create culture.

• We believe in brand minimalism and being real, accessible, and 'inclusivist'.

• We are not a 'motorcycle' brand. We are a 'motorcycling' brand.

• 70 per cent of our social media marketing is user generated. Only 30 per cent is commissioned by us.

This coverage is based on Shubhranshu Singh's presentation at the first edition of Great Lifestyle Brands, an event organised by afaqs!.