Mall consumers gather around Hero's activation.

Hero’s ‘Ride Smart’ activation goes to 130 malls in 87 cities

by  Dharm Patel Marketing | November 20, 2014 | News

Salt Experiential Marketing Hero MotoCorp

Salt Experiential Marketing recently executed the ‘Ride Smart’ Activation for Hero MotoCorp’s Splendor iSmart. A blend of technology, innovation, scale, brand integration and product experience, the pan-India activation created buzz and engagement with the brand. The three-month long activation took place in 130 malls across 87 cities and amassed 2.5 lakh footfalls, 1.1 lakh leads and 60,000 demos, garnering around 2 crore eyeballs in the process.

The brief given to Salt was to create an experiential engagement for audiences across India around the i3s technology, a unique technology for two wheelers in India. To bring out the automatic ‘stop and start’ feature of the bike, Salt created a virtual-reality gaming experience for participants. The bike itself was mounted on a ‘dyno-run’ setup which facilitated the actual switching on and off of the bike. Actual simulations of road conditions were played on LED screens and the participants had to respond to them to earn points and redeem rewards. The brand fit with the game content further communicated its high fuel efficiency. The same concept was created in its digital avatar on Zapak.com and in just 45 days the activity garnered 2 lakh game-plays.

Besides the gaming experience, promoters explained in detail, the USPs of the bike to prospective customers. Participants were actively engaged with Hero merchandise, with instant photo-uploads on their Facebook profiles. The activation created a pull for Splendor iSmart bikes across all dealerships leading to a stock-out and booking for the bike. The bike gained 3% market share and grew by 209% since the start of the activation. All this resulted in massive retail sales of 36,000 for Splendor iSmart last month.

Commenting on the activation, Hemant Dahiya, Managing Director, Salt Experiential Marketing, said: “The activation was built around a unique concept which was precisely planned and impeccably executed by Salt. It engaged the youth of India through something they loved and enjoyed - gaming! Despite the crowds and an overwhelming response, the experience was seamless. We are really very happy that the innovative idea worked so well for the brand. This activation is a perfect example of the power of activation and what it can do to make a brand popular.”