The world runs on hope. And this is true in every aspect, even marketing. When a customer purchases, say any cosmetic product or a packaged fruit juice, he or she purchases a product for the hope that it will make their skin look better or the juice will provide refreshment and make them feel better. Similarly, marketers too use hope in as an important element in getting any product across to their target audience.
And along with hope, emotions too play an important role in driving marketing campaigns. Infact, once the product’s emotional appeal is felt by a customer, rarely, will a customer not make a purchase. Utilizing this concept brilliantly, is ‘Saregama Carvaan’ that adopted a niche marketing strategy to get to their target audience. Let’s take a look at what the brand did to become a hit.
1. Targeting a niche audience
Saregama explored the opportunity available in the form of the older generation, as most of the new age music apps were focusing on the youth and its preferences. The older generation, though not very tech-savvy, loved their kind of music, which was available through only a select few mediums, mostly YouTube. With radios gone, and cassettes no longer in market, Carvaan helped them relive their love for their kind of music.
2. Old look with new features
Also, its design made an impact. With the nostalgic transistor look, with the tuner button placed in the right, the familiarity made the product well-accepted.
Along with the old songs and design offered by the product, the USB and Bluetooth options offered benefits for the young generation as well.
3. Diversifying their product portfolio
Saregama diversified by adding Carvaan Tamil, Carvaan Kidz, Carvaan Bhakti and Carvaan Go. These helped the product become more inclusive and accepted, becoming a good gifting option for kids and regional music lovers as well.
4. Word-Of-Mouth Marketing
The product was launched in 2017, as a music player that had around 5000 songs, curated from Saregama’s archives and assorted on the basis of singers, music composers, lyricists and even moods. The makers relied heavily on word-of-mouth marketing, which paid off, with their niche target audience doing all for it. In fact, on the launch itself, 4 lakh units of the product were sold.
5. Positioning
According to research, millennials contributed to a large extent of large number of Indian households. And so, keeping them out would only prove pointless. Their purchasing power and disposable income too were considered, as they were the ones who could afford to spend. Hence, the Carvaan was positioned as a gifting item. Though created for a different audience, it was imperative to be appealing to the ones who could buy it.
Also, by incorporating the emotional appeal concept, Saregama Carvaan conveyed that no price is too much for, while gifting your parents or grandparents, and it is the emotion that matters. The brand through some heart-touching ads conveyed the same.
6. Special Content
Radio shows have been something the older generation grew up with. And thus, incorporating a special radio show, in the eternal voice of the legendary Ameen Sayani, was something that drew audiences to the product.
The product has done well, and staying true to its core, ease and simplicity, the product has managed to make a place for itself in a lot of households where music from the olden times is loved and valued.
