Salek Shahriyar
Head of Marketing
Suzuki Motorbikes
As the newly appointed head of marketing for Suzuki, what is your vision for Suzuki?
Suzuki, being a Japanese brand, is a seller of premium motorcycles. I decided on two goals for myself when I joined Suzuki: first, make Suzuki the Apple of motorcycles in Bangladesh, and second make Suzuki a household name for motorcycles.
The motorbike industry in Bangladesh has experienced rapid growth in recent years, with a Daily Star article predicting about 1,000 bikes being sold each day. How does Suzuki plan to deal with the surging demand?
I would say currently the sale of motorbikes stand at 1,000 plus per day. Suzuki does not intend to be the market leader in Bangladesh overnight in terms of numbers, but rather we are here to cater to the aspiring motorcyclists. We want to provide our customers with the best in class retail experience and after sales service which the industry has been lacking for some time now. You see, soon motorcycling will turn into a lifestyle rather than being seen as a means of travel. And that is where we are aiming.
Our customer has been true to us. In the shortest possible time, we have been able to create a name for ourselves. Our flagship product – the GIXXER has been widely accepted by the people. We are working hard to bring in new and exciting products in the near future. Also, the capability to manufacture motorcycles instead of assembling or importing “Complete Built Unit” mode will play a vital role in this market.
What would you say is the biggest challenge facing Suzuki in the current Bangladeshi market?
The retail experience a customer has shopping for a motorcycle is crucial. Our goal would be to guarantee that the retail experience that a customer has at our Dhaka showroom is similar to a customer’s experience looking to buy a bike in Thakurgaon. With so many motorbike sellers in the market, the service factor and retail experience would be the deciding factor. We just need to take our product to the people. Suzuki is already working on improving our network, starting from the dealer network to service network. Our aim is to ensure that the process of improvement is continuous to guarantee the best product and service for our customer. Having said that we hope to have a new face for Suzuki for all our services and dealer shops by December.
Suzuki recently sponsored SAFF Suzuki Cup. In your opinion, how does this help with promoting your product?
Before cricket took over, football had been the favorite sport of the nation. The matches drew a respectable number of people especially when Bangladesh was playing. Suzuki Japan has been sponsoring SAFF for a long time now. Such events are a great way to introduce Suzuki to the public.
Are there any events in the future which will be sponsored by Suzuki?
Our target market is 25-40-year-olds – young students or young executives – from affluent households. We want to harness their interests. Hence the events we sponsor are tailored to reach our target audience. We have been sponsoring the CEMS auto fair for sometimes now. We brought in the Legendary Suzuki Hayabusa, especially for the fair. The response we got was overwhelming. The excitement in the eyes of our customers got us charged up. There are many more events in our pipeline, but for now, we’d like to keep our customers guessing.
You have had over ten years of hands-on experience in the field of marketing, having worked with big brands such as DHL, Banglalink and now Suzuki. What would be your advice be to someone who has just started their career in marketing?
I’m a CSE graduate from North South University who ended up joining Asiatic. Everything that I have learned about marketing has been completed from a hands-on experience. The first time I actually read about marketing was when I started my MBA degree. Marketing is understanding and knowing the customer’s demands, observing the market from the ground level and finding insights. For the aspiring marketers, it’s vital to do two things: start your career with an advertising agency. This will earn you the hands-on experience and the know-how you need to be successful in this field. You learn tricks of the trade and learn to handle the creative and strategic side. The second thing is to make a habit of talking to customers and distributors, which will help you stay attuned to the market. It’s a must to regularly visit your market and try to get a grip on these dynamics. No marketing campaign has ever been successful without an insight. And that insight will only be found from the observations, knowledge, and data gathered from the market. In other words, do not try to take the easy way out, because you will ultimately fall short.
