PROPOSED MARKETING STRATEGY FOR HONDA WR-V TO IMPROVE BRAND AWARENESS AND CUSTOMERS PURCHASE INTENTION : CASE OF PT. MANDALATAMA ARMADA MOTOR

• Main Author: Maharani, Annisa
• Format: Theses
• Language: Indonesia
• Subjects: Manajemen umum
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/72393
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Automotive industry in Indonesia has experienced significant challenge over the last 5 years, especially after COVID-19 pandemic. This situation has also happened in the regional market including Central Java and Yogyakarta. Aside from the upsand-downs of maintaining the number of retail sales, car brands companies are now combining traditional and digital marketing together as ways to promote their cars. SUV car segment has also become the trend among the people in Central Java and Yogyakarta over the last two years. Seeing this opportunity, Honda seized the opportunity to launch its new Small SUV car, Honda WR-V. This car was displayed in GIIAS Semarang after its official launch in November 2022 with Authorized Main Dealer Honda Semarang Center (MD HSC) as Honda representative for Central Java and Yogyakarta area. MD HSC claimed that Honda WR-V has the best features than its main competitor in the same segment, Toyota Raize. As a newreleased car with better features than its main competitor, Honda WR-V should be promoted routinely by MD HSC in order to build brand awareness to the public and to convince them that Honda WR-V is the best SSUV car in the market so they are willing to purchase Honda WR-V. However, that did not seem to be the case as MD HSC was focused on other units marketing campaign. The marketing team only promoted Honda WR-V through a simple exposure content in social media and relying on all Honda dealers’ exhibition where Honda WR-V is being displayed. For this reason, this study is conducted to provide a well-planned marketing strategy for Honda WR-V in Central Java and Yogyakarta to improve brand awareness and increase customers’ purchase intention. A descriptive qualitative method is applied in this study by implementing Ethnography research strategy. Focus group discussions were implemented not only to gain insight regarding brand awareness and their purchase intentions, but also to understand customers’ complex buying behavior to purchase a car. Interviews with MD HSC, particularly the marketing team, were also conducted to understand the market situation and its current marketing strategy. Through focus group discussions with 20 respondents, the writer found that more than half of the total respondents were unaware of Honda WR-V existence in the market. Honda WR-V also received mixed-responses from the respondents. Most of the respondents also stated that they were not interested in purchasing Honda WR-V because of various reasons. The respondents also mentioned several factors which become their considerations to purchase a car. With these findings, the writer proposed several strategies which were developed from internal and external analysis, then summarized into SWOT analysis and TOWS matrix. Since the objective of this study is to improve Honda WR-V brand awareness and customers’ purchase intention towards this SSUV car, the proposed strategies are developed into an integrated marketing communication plan to deliver a consistent key message to the public and convince them that Honda WR-V is the best choice for them. Three marketing channels are recommended to use to conduct integrated marketing communication: advertisements, direct and digital marketing, and sales promotion.