Two-wheelers for all

High-decibel advertising does not work if not backed by the right products. The lifecycle of motorcycles has dropped sharply in the last few years. If it was 10 years earlier, it is not more than two or three years now, reckons Munjal. "Customers have become more demanding now," says he.

So, Hero Honda has refreshed its entire line of motorcycles. None of its 13 motorcycles in the market is more than two years old. The company has decided to launch eight or nine new products, variants or refreshes every year. And these launches will be spread across the three categories because, says Dua, all are growing at a fast clip.

Hero Honda relies heavily on variants and refreshes because they cost less than a whole new product. "That way, you get more bang for the buck," says Dua.

The Passion Pro, for instance, was an all-new motorcycle but was launched under the bestselling Passion brand. Sometimes, the profile of an existing brand fits the new product. For example, the company had a new product ready for launch in October 2006.

It decided to call it CBZ Extreme, though the CBZ brand had been discontinued in 2005! "CBZ is a brand about the spirit, so we can stretch it," says Dua.

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