Suzuki Canada is taking the high road against competitors Daewoo and Kia with a new campaign that focuses on branding rather than price.
Mike Kurnik, Suzuki Canada’s national advertising manager, says Suzuki is letting its Korean competitors talk about price while it accelerates its brand-building efforts with a campaign that highlights its history as an engineering ‘trailblazer.’
‘We need to set ourselves apart from (Daewoo and Kia), to raise the bar for us, and against some of our other competitors,’ Kurnik says of the rationale behind Suzuki’s new tagline: ‘Engineering beyond belief.’
Kurnik says the new slogan is less a strategic repositioning for the company – which has built its reputation on building affordable sub-compact vehicles – than an extension of its former tagline: ‘All you have to do is drive one.’
A 60-second corporate spot talks about the size and diversity of the company, which sells its products – including cars, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, outboard engines, and generators – in 188 countries. Two 30-second spots are also currently airing, one for Suzuki’s Grand Vitara SUV and the other for the Esteem station wagon.
Four more commercials will be added to the mix over the next few months, focusing on other individual models and engineering benefits.
The new campaign was created by Padulo Integrated of Toronto.
