Ceat starts brand restructuring exercise

Mumbai: Tyre brand Ceat, represented by the rhino mascot, plans to invest Rs20 crore in a 360-degree branding exercise to rework the parent brand, Ceat (tyres), Ceat Shoppe (retail outlet selling tyres) and promote the Ceat Cricket Rating.

Ogilvy & Mather, appointed for the exercise, will restructure and reposition the brand based on customer feedback, past legacy and market research. Internally, employees will be asked to come up with their views.

Externally, the company will ask buyers, dealers, agents, passengers and the youth in general as to where the brand stands, where it should be and what is expected of it.

The exercise will focus on the usage cycle of the product i.e. tyre. Advertisements will be based on the feedback generated and will be displayed across the electronic, print and Internet media. The company intends to expand its retail presence through its chain of exclusive Ceat Shoppe outlets.

Ceat will also double the existing chain of 75 dealerships by the end of this year and make its presence felt in the tier 2 cities. Moreover, the retail outlets will wear a new face and have features like two-wheeler tyre balancing, headlight alignment and provision of nitrogen gas in tyres as added services - the first of its kind in the country.