Maintaining A Firm Grip

We have seen a lot of focus on building communities and creating more engaging brand experiences. Tell us more about these?

CEAT has made brand investments in multiple spaces. Especially, after the pandemic, we restarted our focus on connecting with communities. 

We are seeing communities on semi off-roading grow in a big way. It is a new space that we have been focusing on across the country and now it has turned out to be a great opportunity for us. As market leaders it's our responsibility to build this space and nurture this community.

When it comes to marketing, which medium gives you maximum engagement?

When you look at media, be that TV, print or digital, the engagement levels are high. However, when you do events which are based on certain interest groups, since this is an engaged community already, the results are higher when we look at engagement factor, and this is something CEAT is really thrilled about. Such interest groups may be a small audience overall, but it is growing across the country in a big way.

What has helped CEAT maintain its high brand recall?

I would say we are consistent in terms of communication and focusing on our core philosophy which is circled around the fact that safety comes first. Also, we are deeply invested around smart mobility. Anything that is adding significant value to our consumers has always been our focus and this has helped the brand build a high recall value.

How big is the activation piece in your marketing mix?

If you look at today’s marketing mix, the context has shifted post-Covid. When it comes to activations, it is growing significantly and there is a steep increase in investments in these kinds of spaces. 

For example, we do rides with consumers, we call it discovery rides. While we started this a year back, today we are getting a large number of requests across the country. Consumers want us to organise these events and it pulls us to look at this space more seriously, and I'm sure we will have significant investments diverted towards this in near future.

When it comes to marketing, customers are looking for experiences and this is going to be a big differentiator.

If you look at the export numbers, 25 per cent of revenues are coming from international markets. Wwhat is driving this growth?

There are two aspects. One is a concerted effort to provide quality products specific to certain markets. In any particular geography that we have invested in, we want to have a long-term vision and products specific to that geography. This approach has helped us get a firm foothold in new markets and drive growth for us.

Tell us about your recent association with the Indian Supercross Racing League?

We are thrilled to be the title sponsor for the Indian Supercross Racing League. CEAT's association with this sport reflects our long-standing commitment to supporting and promoting the passion and thrill of competitive sporting events. 

The CEAT Indian Supercross Racing League (ISRL) is all set to revolutionise the world of motorsports, bringing together adrenaline-pumping action and fierce competition. With CEAT as the title sponsor and Toyota Hilux as the official vehicle partner of ISRL, this partnership between the brands and the league is a testament to their shared values of innovation, performance, and pushing boundaries.

CEAT has been invested in the world of dirt biking since 2014 and will be launching its new Gripp MX range in 2023. CEAT's advanced and high-performance tyres are perfectly suited to the challenging terrains of Supercross, ensuring superior grip and control for the riders. As title sponsors, we aim to enhance the excitement and adrenaline of Supercross racing and look forward to an exhilarating season ahead. We are proud to be part of this electrifying sport and to contribute to its growth and popularity in India.

What is your big focus this year?

We were recently live in the T20 league.  Now, providing a large number of products to the consumer is something we are committed to. On top of that we have offered tyres for all kinds of segments and tyres that deliver the best in quality. We have also been associated with new initiatives like the one with the Bureau of Energy Efficiency.

We are very clear that the consumer is evolving and there are a lot of opportunities which are available and we want to leverage them.