With the over 26-year-old joint venture between Hero Group and Japanese Honda Motor Corporation put to rest, the countdown for a new face of the well-known Hero Honda in the country has begun. The company, last week, announced that it has appointed Wolff Olins, an innovation specialist with operations in London, Dubai and New York, to create its new brand identity.
The job includes brand architecture, brand name, brand logo and brand positioning. Wolff Olins? Indian clientele includes Airtel, Tata and Tata Docomo. It?s global automotive clientele list includes Mercedes-Benz, Renault, General Motors’ Cadillac and Vauxhall. In an email interview to FE?s Shweta Bhanot, Manev Mianwal, head of strategy at Wolff Olins Dubai and also lead strategist on the Hero-Honda project, shares some insights on what would guide the company to form the new avatar for the largest two-wheeler maker in the country.
Hero Honda has been the first name in two-wheeler in the country and more than anything its products have been the face of the company. With such a strong recall value in the market for the brand, what will drive the makeover and the new avtar?
The new brand will consolidate the inherent strengths of Hero Honda, dialing these up to fill the current and anticipated gaps in the market and in doing so delivering the business ambitions. Brands for us are an integral part of the eco-system they exist in. Therefore, the philosophy of any brand needs to embrace and in turn influence the local canvas and culture. The sweet spot for the new Hero Honda brand will lie at the intersection of what is great about the company, what the customers want and what is missing in the world. India has metamorphosed in the recent past, accentuating its role on the world stage. Hero Honda is an Indian icon and will continue to be the flag-bearer of the spirit of this new India.
What is the budget set aside for the makeover?
The budget for the makeover is a function of many variables that would need to be defined as we go along.
Is there a timeline for the new brand strategy to roll out?
This mandate is of strategic importance us. Our priority will be to make sure we have a winner while acknowledging the pressing urgencies in the market place and demands of the business.
How would you describe the re-branding exercise of the company?
Re-energise and revitalise Hero Honda.