Ralco Tyres assigned its creative duties to Triton Communications. Hammer Communications is the incumbent agency. The company will be rolling out a multi-media communication campaign to take on the competitors in the two-wheeler automotive tyres space.
It may be recalled that Ralco Tyres had awarded its creative duties to Hammer Communications in February 2012 following a pitch call, which had seen the participation of Pickle Lintas, Crayons, Triton Communications, and BEI Confluence, besides Hammer.
Commenting on the development, Yogeshwar Sharma, Deputy General Manager, Advertising & PR, Ralco Tyres, said, “Ralco has been a market leader in the bicycle tyres category and we now plan to take on the leaders in the two-wheeler tyres space. The vision is to increase market share, expand the distribution network and penetrate into small cities. Our products are adequately priced with great quality; with new agency on board and a new communication we aim to reach out to a much larger audience. We would invest hugely in ramping up our distribution network as well.”
Ralco will focus on television, outdoor and print medium to begin with, Sharma divulged. The company is now gearing up to focus on integrated marketing efforts; the idea is to create visibility at the very point of sale and drive imagery through mass media. “It is imperative for us to reach out to the replacement market as it is quite significant and educate the consumer,” he added.
This is Triton’s first client after the recent restructuring, wherein its National Director-Strategy and Planning, Renton D’Sousa, was given the additional charge of CEO. Speaking on the win, D’Sousa said, “We are very happy to have Ralco as part of the Triton family, it is certainly a privilege to have them with us. As we go along, the intent will be to shift market share in Ralco’s advantage in this highly competitive category space.”
Expressing his views on the industry, Rohit Madhusudan, Branch Director, Triton, said, “The industry is focussed on consumer safety, whereas the consumer education is very low. Most of the consumers aren’t even aware about the correct air pressure.” Though Ralco has been in the replacement market for some time, they have started focussing on the segment now. “In the absence of education, a replacement consumer randomly selects the brand that comes factory fitted with his vehicle,” he added.
For the record, Ralco Tyres is owned by Ludhiana-based Ram Lubhaya and Sons Ltd (Ralsons). Ralsons is one of India’s largest companies in the field of bicycle and automobile tyres, tubes and bicycle components. The company also exports its products to Europe, South & Central America, South East Asia, Gulf, the Middle East and Africa.