With a total of 1,000 such electronic air gauges slated to be installed in the next one year, phase one of the project will focus on BPCL outlets in the metros and mini metros. These gauges will be installed at the upgraded BPCL outlets which offer value-added facilities like convenience stores and car washes -- and which have a high passenger car traffic.

Apollo was already maintaining regular tyre pressure gauges at 1,000 BPCL outlets--these will now be upgraded to the new technology. Branded `Perfect Pressure' the new pressure gauge offers an electronic auto cut-off facility, which allows a customer to maintain exactly the recommended amount of pressure in the tyres.

Todrive home the association of the Apollo brand with the four customer-service attributes, Apollo will be putting up signboards near the gauges, detailing the benefits of maintaining exact pressure in the tyres. Customers will therefore be cautioned that by maintaining the recommended air pressure in their tyres, they can ensure: safety (no sudden tyre-burst); driving comfort (too much air results in a bumpy ride); fuel efficiency (optimum at recommended pressure); and environment friendliness (too much pressure, more emissions).

The focus at the air-station will be to promote the Apollo motherbrand, though the target quite clearly will be the passenger tyre user--as opposed to transport tyre users. To this end, the Apollo signage--on which the gauge will be mounted--is being given a new look to make it more contemporary and complimentary to the new-look BPCL outlets. By extension, the focus is to promote the Amazer XL radial tyres, which were launched just four months ago.

According to a spokesperson forApollo Tyres: ``You can either make your brand visible through advertising and publicity. Or you can also give value to the customer by offering services which help in the customer enjoying your brand more. We feel this way the customer can derive the maximum delight from the brand. So, while we are advertising, we also feel that we need to put in place a service infrastructure, so that the end of consumer service is met.''

The agreement, was formally initialed in Mumbai today, by A K Bansal, general manager (retail), on behalf of BPCL and S Asoka Iyer, chief marketing, Apollo Tyres.