Digital platforms have boosted Maruti Suzuki sales: Shashank Srivastava

Maruti Suzuki’s executive director (marketing and sales), Shashank Srivastava, has said that the introduction of digital sales platforms has helped boost sales for the manufacturer. He further stated that Maruti’s digital channels have helped generate over 21 lakh customer enquiries and sales of over 2,00,000 units since April 2019. 

• Maruti Suzuki’s digital platform now covers nearly 1,000 of its dealerships across India

• Maruti has also partnered with platforms like Google and Facebook to bring global digital expertise to its dealers

Digital platforms drive Maruti Suzuki sales up by 20 percent

Maruti Suzuki says it pioneered online bookings in 2017 and claims it online digital initiative now covers nearly 1,000 of its dealerships across the country. The company has seen a five-fold increase, to around 20 percent of total sales. In the prevailing COVID-19 scenario, the digital enquiry contribution has further increased, exceeding 33 percent during the last 5 months.

Speaking on the digital initiatives, Srivastava said, “Nearly 95 percent of new car sales in India are digitally influenced, as per the Google Auto Gear Shift India 2020 Report. Customers first research online and then buy at physical dealerships”. He also added that customers who enquire on the company’s digital channel end up purchasing a car within 10 days. 

He also added, “We witnessed a two-fold increase in ‘Near Me’ customer searches for Maruti Suzuki dealers. 

Focus on digital marketing

The company says it has built a state-of-the-art technology platform that helps the manufacturer and dealer websites drive synergy and strengthen localised messaging. For this, Maruti Suzuki has partnered with leading online platforms like Google and Facebook, bringing global digital expertise to dealer teams.

Building digital marketing capabilities at the dealer’s end, Maruti Suzuki says it consistently offers training to its dealer partners to upgrade their knowledge of the online platforms. These dedicated digital lead management teams have been trained through regular physical and virtual trainings on the finer nuances of managing the expectations of today’s digital savvy customer.

Maruti Suzuki in India

Maruti Suzuki is India’s leading passenger vehicle manufacturer in terms of market share and overall sales. Recently, the carmaker rolled out Festive editions of its Alto, Celerio and Wagon R hatchbacks. Currently, Maruti Suzuki is working on the next-gen Celerio, slated to launch in early 2021. 

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