Škoda Auto India has tied up with the Gurgaon Rapid Metro for a very innovative marketing initiative – the entire train on the Gurgaon Rapid Metro line is liveried in Skoda’s Rapid model. This was a natural fit as Škoda sells the Rapid sedan whose name coincides with the Gurgaon Rapid Metro line. The association also marks the first time an entire metro is branded by a single product. This Metro travels through corporate hubs including DLF Cyber City and Unitech corporate parks, which serve as catchment areas for the target audience for Škoda.
Speaking about this approach, Kamal Basu, MD, Škoda Auto India, said, “The association was based on our brand philosophy of being ‘simply clever’, It was an opportunity for Škoda to take up this property as the metro was named after one of our carline ‘Rapid’. Gurgaon being one of the important market for us this association helps in increasing brand awareness as we reach out to 6 to 7 lakhs of our audience every day. Apart from this, the Rapid Metro branding is also visible from Delhi – Jaipur highway which has a daily traffic of approx. 1 lakh vehicles”
This collaboration is for an initial duration of three months, with the company planning to extend it depending on the response it garners. The Rapid is the entry level sedan in the Škoda lineup, and has sold over 35,000 units since its late-2011 launch.
Story: Gaurav Nagpal
