A British cricket team who want to defeat the Indian team is brainstorming the best way to do it. They conclude that they should think like Indians to be able to do so and decide to act, dance, eat and play cricket just like Indians. Flying Lufthansa is just another choice as part of that decision which has everything Indian on board hence the tagline 'More Indian than you think'. The airline, which is looking to change its German perception in the Indian market, launched another new ad film after the first TVC under the same tag line. The ad has more than 2.2 million views to date.
Lufthansa believes this the right time to invest in India as the travel sector is on an all-time growth. According to figures released by International Air Transport Association (IATA), India will surpass the United Kingdom as the third largest aviation market by 2026 as domestic and international travel in the country is on an all-time rise. Wolfgang Will, Senior Director, South Asia, Lufthansa said in a conversation with BW Businessworld, "We are confident that India will be the biggest aviation hub by 2030, hence we have big plans for the airline in India. Our current strategy is to elevate our ongoing consumer experience to the next level, and our commitment to India is big. The biggest step in this direction this year is to get the A380 to India."
In the past, Lufthansa has run an Indian airline in partnership which was called ModiLuft. The partnership came to an end in the 1996 after a spat over payment issues between the airline, oil companies, creditors and the Airport Authority of India. Later, the airline's permit was used to start SpiceJet.
The airline is looking to expand in India and has replaced the smaller aircrafts with the bigger fleet of Airbus 350, and has also started a few new routes from Delhi to Frankfurt and Mumbai to Brussels (operated by Brussels airlines).
The new TVC is the German carrier's strategy to strengthen their position in the Indian market. Commenting on the responses the airlines has received for its first TVC in 2014, Will said, "The 'More Indian than you think' campaign has been a success in the market reflecting into the brand strategy of increased preference for Lufthansa. The August 2016 ad tracking source for GFK clearly shows that Lufthansa has the highest first choice rating for 32 per cent rating for business travellers and 29 per cent leisure travellers and more than 80 per cent of the target group. Our campaign philosophy is well associated with Indians. We bank upon our punctuality and safety and our connect with our fliers. Our new TVC celebrates India's undeniable influence over the world and Cricket is just a metaphorical reference."
"As of 2017 we have decided to continue with our TVC campaign and wider engagement with our consumers. The first part of the campaign was launched in 2014 - it was born out of the GFK report. Lufthansa was always in a rational space. It is about the trust of the customers that we are trying to take to another level," said Sangeeta Sharma, Senior Manager - Marketing and Product, Lufthansa India.
The German airline's biggest competition are the domestic operators such as Air India , SpiceJet and Indigo which makes the fliers comfortable with the Indian hospitality on board. Lufthansa, with its new aircrafts, is looking to do the same.
"Everything is Indian on board. Our aim is not just to cater to Indians living in India, but also to Indians from across the world," Sharma explained.
Talking about Lufthansa's strategy to combat competition in India, Will said, "We believe in healthy competition. We are trying to focus on the needs of the Indian fliers so that they choose us. Lufthansa is now more Indian than you think. We are trying to match up the prices as per the expectations. The new and modern aircrafts on various routes will be helpful in attracting more fliers."
FY 2016 has been a happy year for the airline carrier which made a profit of 1.8 billion euro and India had its role to play in it, Will highlighted.
"Our focus in terms of marketing and advertising is that our brand needs to be omnipresent. We are investing a lot on digital campaigns and believe in a 360-degree integration in our campaign," Sharma added.
