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Creating communities while balancing emotions and functionality is crucial: Maruti’s Partho Banerjee

At the India Digital Summit 2025, the Head of Sales and Marketing at Maruti Suzuki discusses the automobile giant's ‘eBorn’ vision, beginning with the eVitara

BestMediaInfo Bureau and Vishesh Sharma
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Partho Banerjee and Vivek Malhotra at India Digital Summit 25 in New Delhi on Thursday, January 16, 2025.

Partho Banerjee and Vivek Malhotra at India Digital Summit 25 in New Delhi on Thursday, January 16, 2025.

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New Delhi: Suppose you are a marketer trying to sell a product. How would you approach your communication? Would you focus on functionality and purpose, or would you amplify emotions to trigger a purchase?

The question might seem complex, but Partho Banerjee, Head of Sales and Marketing at Maruti Suzuki, provides a simple answer: "Make it functional and purpose-driven."

Sharing the stage with Vivek Malhotra, Group CMO & COO (Consumer Revenue & Enterprise Strategy), Malhotra introduced Banerjee as a marketer laser-focused on customer-centricity.

Starting the discussion, Malhotra inquired about Banerjee's views on the 4.0 communication ecosystem. Banerjee responded by explaining that the key today lies in differentiating between purpose and functionality. Often, we solely focus on functionality without clearly conveying the underlying message. Functionality should serve a specific purpose. For example, Instagram initially had a single channel but gradually cultivated a diverse customer base.

Through Nexa, we connected with younger audiences and introduced new phases of the Nexa experience. It's about the overall communication and purpose, not just the product itself. While functionality remains paramount, the Indian consumer is highly conscious, which explains the continued popularity of diesel cars. Functionality is always considered, but a clear purpose sharpens the understanding of the message.

Moving on, Malhotra mentioned how numerous brands are engaging in purpose-driven marketing, particularly emphasizing sustainability in their messaging. However, it can be challenging for marketers to effectively communicate their brand's values and purpose.

Sharing his perspective, Banerjee stated, "Some time ago, we launched a CNG campaign focusing on CNG cars. While cost savings are the primary driver for using CNG, it also offers environmental benefits. However, there was a perceived liability due to the lack of consumer affinity for the product. Today's young Indian customer is environmentally conscious and understands sustainability, recognizing their moral responsibility.

I had an interesting conversation with a Tesla customer in the US who mentioned purchasing Tesla to contribute to the planet's health. The Tesla marketing team effectively communicates this message. Inspired by this, we introduced a sustainability campaign for CNG cars, encouraging people to view CNG cars as part of a sustainability effort rather than feeling apologetic about driving them."

"If you fail to create a community of people who believe in you and value your brand, you'll continue to run campaign after campaign with minimal results. However, if you successfully foster these communities, the brand will start to thrive organically," Banerjee concluded.

Maruti Suzuki will showcase its production-ready eBorn SUV, the eVITARA, at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025 starting Friday, January 17, 2025. The eVITARA is a global model manufactured in India for the world, recently unveiled by Suzuki Motor Corporation in Milan, Italy.

When Malhotra inquired about the rationale behind naming Maruti Suzuki's cars "eBorn", Banerjee explained that the mission is to discover new products. 

"While new products are constantly being launched, the key to success lies in the ecosystem. Currently, EVs contribute only 2.5% of total sales. While everyone is launching a product, we aim to create a robust ecosystem before entering the market. With eBorn, we aspire to create a community where everyone has a defined purpose and contributes to the collective goal. By fostering this sense of community and purpose, we can differentiate ourselves, achieve greater success, and effectively address the needs and aspirations of our customers," he said.

In the closing minutes of the discussion, Malhotra highlighted how Gen Z and Gen Alpha have access to vast amounts of information and meticulously research products before making a purchase, relying on podcasts and reviews. This approach, while commonplace for Gen Z, is often "estranging" for older generations. Therefore, while the upcoming generations are emotionally driven, they also prioritize functionality.

Malhotra then posed the question: How can marketers effectively balance emotions and functionality?

In response, Banerjee said, "Several key factors must be considered in any customer communication. Firstly, managing costs and maintaining progress are crucial. Syndicated strategies have revealed that 51% of Indian consumers value functionality; however, it's essential to align functionality with a clear purpose.

Marketers should address societal challenges and emphasise the significance of each customer in the market. Communities are not solely built on product functionality but also on emotional connections and a shared purpose that aligns with the functionality."

Maruti Suzuki Vivek Malhotra India Digital Summit
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