It has been almost 6 years since I wrote about Bajaj Discover. A lot happened in these years about the brand. And those development was indeed surprising. Now Bajaj Discover is the second largest selling motorcycle in India . Since the introduction in 2004, the brand has moved through interesting phases to reach the top crossing the one million units sales per annum.
The brand had a dream start with the endorsement from Jackie Chan. Discover instantly topped interms of awareness and image. The brand was launched as a part of the grand strategy of moving the consumers away from the 100 cc bikes towards more powerful 125 cc bikes. The commuter segment of the Indian motorcycle market was dominated by 100 cc bikes and Hero Honda ruled the segment.
The grand strategy failed and Discover was having tough times. Bajaj experimented heavily with the Discover brand by launching the brand in various engine capacities. Discover was initially launched in 125 CC later in 115 cc, then in 135 cc , then 100 cc and 150 cc. Most of these variants failed in the market. But somehow Bajaj decided to keep the Discover franchise alive.
The fortune of the Discover brand turned with the launch of the 100 cc variant. Ironically Bajaj resisted launching any products in that segment and it had the hypothesis that consumers will desert 100 cc m/cycle for more powerful bikes. But it had to bite the bullet and launch the100cc Discover and sales went through the roof.
The discovery of the potential of Discover was through a series of flawed product strategies. The dominant logic of the firm was that the era of 100 cc bikes were over which was a flawed logic. Consumers still found logic in using 100 cc bikes so Hero Honda thrived.
The company got the positioning right for the 100 cc Discover . The brand talked about mileage ( 100 kmpl ) and that together with the premium image of Discover propelled the sale of the variant.The firm was right in pricing the brand competitively in the market.
The success of Discover prompted the company to experiment more with the brand. Discover 150 was launched to act as a flanker brand for the premium Pulsar. Now Discover 125 is also being launched . It seems that there is hell lot of money at Bajaj for experimenting with brands.
Bajaj plans to use Discover for the volume game and the focus will be to give the right product mix to the commuter segment which forms the largest chunk of M/cycle market. The 100 cc and 150 cc experiment worked well for the franchise while the rest failed.
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experimenting with brands is the latest trend now, and they are making me confused.
ReplyDeleteIt's a case of repositioning your offerings. Here are my own two cents on it:
ReplyDeletehttp://saketvaani.blogspot.com/2010/09/rebranding-in-real-life.html
would love to hear from you.
Thanks
From Bajaj's strategy I could make out that, Bajaj was trying to position Discover by banking upon emotional or self-expressive benefits, but failed to do so. Most of the Indian customers look upon the functional benefits i.e. mileage, cost, technology etc., if the company is targeting mass. 135cc and 150cc or beyond that would appeal those category of customers who are emotionally driven and seek products that can help them make a social statement.
ReplyDeleteBajaj Discover 125 ST price is well justified for its sophisticated features which truly make this Sporty Tourer bike. Bajaj Discover 125 ST features air cooled 4 stroke 125 cc engine which is highly suitable in terms of giving power for daily commute in cities and other areas.
ReplyDeleteDiscover 100 is a highly affordable bike of Bajaj. One of the most successful powerful high mileage motorbike , impressive suspension system and an attractive body.The bike price is also low according to new feature and technology
ReplyDeleteBajaj Discover is a complex system made his way to the bikes said the price is too low
ReplyDeleteAs we know that Bajaj is a leading brand in automobile industry and it provide always one of the best and i really like all bajaj bikes
ReplyDelete