Revving Up Marketing Synergy

With more than 20 years at Castrol and a career spanning the early days of edtech to rural tractor oil sales, Rohit Talwar, Vice President & Head of Marketing, Castrol India, is brimming with insights on everything, from balancing media mix, leveraging data-driven personalisation to the role of storytelling in a tech-dominated world.

Talwar traces his roots to the dawn of India's edtech revolution, followed by boots-on-the-ground experience selling tractor oil in rural Punjab - a foundation he credits for his pragmatic approach to modern marketing challenges. "Having that strong foundation in sales makes you a better marketer because you're then able to do stuff that actually drives business impact," he tells BW Businessworld.

Old & New Wisdom
Talwar's approach to marketing combines traditional wisdom with digital innovation. "The Indian market is incredibly exciting," says Talwar, who recently returned to India after a five-year stint in other markets.

He also identifies a shift in consumer behaviour that's reshaping the market. Citing CRISIL data, he states that premium car sales in India have more than doubled their market share, jumping from 11 per cent in 2019 to 25 per cent in 2023. "Indian consumers are not looking for the entry price point, they're looking for premium products and special experiences," he observes.

The premiumisation trend aligns with broader patterns he's observed across Asian markets, where vehicle owners are getting younger and more aspirational.

Media Strategy
With India's advertising spend growing at 10 per cent and traditional media continuing to expand, Talwar maintains a balanced approach. Their recent launch of Castrol EDGE, featuring Shah Rukh Khan as the brand ambassador, allocated approximately two-thirds of the marketing budget to traditional media and one-third to digital platforms.

However, Talwar is equally invested in digital innovation. The company is piloting an online service booking programme and growing its ecommerce presence. "We're doing demand generation into workshops, bringing in new footfalls and new consumer walk into our workshop," he explains highlighting the role of digital performance marketing in these initiatives.

On Personalisation
Drawing from his mathematics background, Talwar brings analytical rigour to his marketing approach. At Castrol, he leverages data signals to precisely target diverse vehicle owners and maintains detailed mechanic databases for customised outreach. The company demonstrated this approach by partnering with Rephrase AI to deliver personalised celebrity videos to workshops.

"Personalisation drives deeper engagement. It makes the consumer or the customer feel like the brand understands me and knows me," Talwar notes.

Despite the technological advances, Talwar maintains that storytelling remains crucial in marketing. "Clutter is here to stay," he acknowledges, referring to the increasingly fragmented media landscape. His solution is to focus on simple, sharp and entertaining stories with seamlessly interwoven brand messages.