ENFIELD GOES UPMARKET...

IN INDIA, Royal Enfield's marketing initiative to woo potential customers through its `Log Out" campaign targeted at corporates is paying dividends. The Chennai-based manufacturer (an Eicher Motors subsidiary) aims to pitch the riding experience as a team-building exercise over weekends. And the company reports that having ridden an Enfield, many a corporate rider has sold off his existing two-wheeler and upgraded (?) to an Enfield bike.

ZeroOne Technologies, a Chennai-based technology solutions provider, 'logged out' for its fifth anniversary on April 25. A few company staffers, some of them astride a Thunderbird for the first time, rode from Chennai to Yellagiri.

It's a campaign with a difference because it allows riders to set out on a trip even if they are riding other motorcycles. Shaji Koshy, divisional general manager, sales and marketing, Royal Enfield, reveals just why: "While our 'Ride On' campaign has it that every participant rides an Enfield bike, the Log Out campaign has no such restrictions. In fact, it is during the ride that many non-Enfield riders are converted into Bulleteers. En route they get to know the Enfield bike better – some are initially intimidated by the size of the motorcycle but once they ride it, they find out that it is easy to handle. For our company, this is a major marketing initiative."

We are not sure what these 'corporates' would make of Kiwi Rider magazine's test photos of the new 500 Classic. Check: http://kiwiridermagazine.blogspot.com/2010/03/stretch-ing-royal-enfield.html
Royal Enfield has also earmarked exports as a growth area and says its 500cc motorcycle that meets Euro 3 emission norms is a major draw abroad. The Indian bike maker, which sells around 2300 bikes in the overseas market every year, has now targeted sales of 10,000 units per annum in the export market alone.