Branding campaign of Hero Motocorp

Re-branding is no easy task, especially for an established brand. Some like Vodafone have placed themselves in an elite league, by performing this hard task multiple times, though. Vodafone brand has invented zoo-zoos thrilling its audience and penetrating deeper into their psyche. Vodafone brand has used pugs to sail smoothly over its transition of its ownership. Initially Vodafone’s ad campaigns would be to connect with their audience by means of the legendary pug. Then they would change their logo colour to ooze out feeling of freshness from its brand. Then they had change in the ownership (and probably also change in perspective on its brand image). The pug left Vodafone, but not before slowly bringing its customers through the transition in ownership and handing over the command to the Facebook opera (remember “I am aaaaaalwaya on facebook…!”).. But that’s Vodafone. They have good experience in re-branding, refreshing logos, changing logo colours etc.

Cut to, 2011 Hero Honda demerger. When the news of demerger of Hero group and Honda Motors first broke out, overall sentiment about Hero motor’s future was not very positive. Of course stock market and financial pundits had their reasons (like royalty that Hero group would have to pay to Honda motors till 2014) to doubt their profitability. But there was another more important aspect on which Hero Motor was on a shaky ground. Whether, Hero Honda would be able to command same brand loyalty, customer faith and credibility in the eyes of its customer sans Honda? A complete generation had grown up riding over Hero Honda, aspiring for Hero Honda and in turn trusting Hero Honda since their childhood days. Would it be possible to instill same feeling of belongingness after removing 'Honda' from 'Hero Honda'?

An affirmative yes was the answer from a combined team the Mozart viz. A R Rehman, a pug viz. 'hero'…of course there is no pug with Hero Moto Corp but the word “Hero”. I call it Hero Moto Corp’s pug because; the word “Hero” did for Hero Moto Corp what the pug once did for Vodafone. Yes you recall correctly, it smoothly brought over audience of Hero Moto Corp through the transition from 'Hero Honda' days to the Hero Moto Corp days, post demerger.

This is how it did it. The word “Hero” was often used in ad campaigns of Hero Honda prior to demerger of Honda Moltors and Hero Motors. And music was always mainstay of their ads. Music coupled with “hero” would be used in a manner, which would generate an emotional appeal of 'nationalism' and 'pride in oneself'. Post demerger, the word “hero” was again used with music to evoke emotional appeal in its viewers. But this time, the emotional appeal was shifted towards generating a feeling of 'pride in oneself' alone. Differentiating factor this time was very touching and hummable music of A R Rehman. This did two important things for Hero Moto Corp. One, it gave viewers same feeling of watching a Hero Honda ad. Two, fabulous Rehman music got viewers hooked on to Hero Moto Corp’s brand, creating a familiarity with the brand very quickly. Finally what you have in front of audience is Hero Moto Corp in the same light as Hero Honda was i.e. same feeling of belongingness, trust and familiarity with the brand ad with Hero Honda. Essentially Hero Moto Corp has been successful in bringing brand legacy of Hero Honda to its new name.

I guess one would wonder …such a tall tale on branding without a word on logo... So let us talk about the new logo. Hero Moto Corp’s logo has been designed by Wolf Olison in London. We hear logo design and colour combination have been worked upon very meticulously, so that it projects an image of ‘trendiness’, ‘technological edge’ and carries reminiscence of Hero Honda logo (red & black). But, in my personal view, Hero Moto Corp’s logo wouldn’t stand out hinting or projecting such characteristics. They might as well have used some other deign and colour combination for it and it would have hardly made an incremental difference. To me what cracked the nut for Hero Moto Corp is not the logo but its pug (the word hero) and the Mozart’s music.