Indian passenger vehicle industry engages numerous social media influencers to accelerate sales
Indian passenger vehicle industry — which saw a historic 27% growth in FY23 with sales of 3.90 million vehicles, and growing since the pandemic – has floored the pedal by engaging numerous social media influencers to further accelerate sales.
And the strategy seems to be working just fine: most automakers have been able to sell cars to an increasingly informed set of buyers – who seemed to know pretty much everything about a vehicle before even stepping into a showroom.
The content created by these influencers are consumed by prospective buyers across the country – driving an unprecedented market expansion, beyond the top-tier cities/towns.
Maruti Suzuki, the country’s largest car maker, is using influencers in a big way, especially in the last couple of years, to create awareness among target consumers and in newer markets.
Shashank Srivastava, senior executive director marketing and sales, Maruti Suzuki said: “Car buying is a very engaging process and consumers do a lot of research before they decide. Influencers can play a very big role for auto companies in this decision-making process as they are looked upon as people with authenticity and as unbiased.” In the last couple of years, Maruti has used influencers in several of its key product launches such as Grand Vitara and Jimny.
Ashish Gupta, brand director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars India, said influencer collaborations have a tangible impact on sales. «By leveraging the reach and credibility of these individuals, we have witnessed a positive correlation
