Dubai: Take a bow, Maruti…
India’s Maruti Suzuki has been named as Asia’s ‘strongest’ car brand and beating off global challengers, according to the latest auto industry rankings brought out by the consultancy Brand Finance.
A common enough sight on Indian roads, Maruti Suzuki has been expanding its reach to export markets within the region. It seems to be paying off.
The carmaker was given top points based on customer familiarity, corporate reputation, staff satisfaction and marketing investment. Last year was a torrid one for India’s auto manufacturers, with demand caving in during the second and third quarters because of the severe lockdown measures against COVID-19.
But the October to end December showing provided some spark, and which is continuing into this year. The future looks promising too.
“As India’s largest auto manufacturer, Maruti Suzuki, has been driving the CNG (compressed natural gas) side of its business heavily in recent years, with CNG engine options offered in eight models from its line-up of 14,” says the Brand Finance report.
“With the rise in popularity for these types of vehicles ever-increasing – as concerns around the environment build, government regulations on emissions rise and from the need to reduce fuel costs – Maruti Suzuki is putting itself in a strong position for future growth too.”
It’s the red one… again
Across the world, there was no competition for Ferrari as the Italian manufacturer easily retained its status as the ‘strongest automobile brand – for a third straight year’. It had a Brand Strength Index of a whopping 93.9 out of 100. Ferrari was the only maker to achieve the AAA+ rating.
“Ferrari reacted proactively to the pandemic, initially shutting down production and then reopening with a focus on creating a safe working environment,” said a statement from Brand Finance. “This both minimised disruption and reinforced the brand’s reputation as a high-quality and responsible firm.
“AAs Ferrari’s brand strength maintained its rating, its brand value grew, improving 2 per cent to $9.2 billion. For years, Ferrari has utilised merchandise to support brand awareness and diversify revenue streams and is now taking steps to preserve the exclusivity of the brand, planning to reduce current licensing agreements by 50 per cent and eliminate 30 per cent of product categories.”
