Hyundai is targeting non-metro markets with emotion-led campaigns, regional outreach, and OTT integrations. Virat Khullar outlines the brand’s shift toward full-funnel, retention-focused marketing.
Virat Khullar on Hyundai’s regional push and marketing shift beyond metros. (Source: financialexpress)
It’s not just the price tag. Or the engine specs. Or even the showroom shine. What really moves the needle for car buyers, especially outside the metros, is a blend of aspiration and access. Hyundai seems to know this instinctively. And its latest marketing playbook doesn’t just sell cars. It sells belongings.
India’s passenger vehicle market crossed 4.2 million units in FY24, with SUVs accounting for nearly 50% of total sales—a jump from just 30% five years ago. The surge is being powered not just by metros, but by Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, which now contribute close to 40-45% of PV sales, according to SIAM data.
Hyundai Motor India—the country’s second-largest carmaker—recorded total sales of 7.62 lakh units in FY25, with SUVs contributing 68.5% to its domestic sales. The company exported 1.63 lakh units during the year, reinforcing its position as Hyundai Motor Company’s global export hub. According to internal estimates, more than 50% of Hyundai’s new customers are now coming from non-metro markets.
It’s this expanding regional demand that the company is doubling down on, with emotional storytelling, targeted ambassadors, and a media strategy tailored for Bharat.
Car buying in India is rarely a cold, rational purchase. It’s a milestone, a status symbol, a decision made with both emotion and Excel sheets in tow.
“The ‘Dil ki suno ya deals ki, loge toh Hyundai Hi’ campaign is meticulously designed to leverage both emotional resonance and intrinsic value, as we believe both are crucial for driving conversions in today's automotive market,” Virat Khullar, AVP & Vertical Head, Marketing, Hyundai Motor India, told BrandWagon Online.
“Emotionally, the campaign taps into the profound significance of car buying in India, a statement of status and personal choice. The narrative, featuring Pankaj Tripathi in a neighbourhood setting and highlighting children as key influencers, taps into these deeply held aspirations and reinforces the trust associated with our brand. Concurrently, the campaign explicitly promotes the ‘offers and benefits’ available for the month of June, appealing to the practical, value-seeking customers,” he says.
Even as brands chase digital-first buzz, Hyundai continues to anchor its mass campaigns in traditional media. But don’t call it legacy.
“Our continued significant investment in TV is a calculated strategic decision aimed at achieving mass visibility, particularly in non-metro markets,” Khullar says. “While TV maintains the largest share of our campaign budget, it is integrated within a comprehensive media strategy. This strategy includes a very strong emphasis on print for tactical and regional outreach, along with a robust digital and CTV presence.”
Hyundai believes that a multi-channel approach ensures maximum reach and visibility. For a sales promotion campaign of this nature, the company considers TV's extensive reach crucial in breaking clutter and capturing consumer attention across the country, particularly in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.
SUVs are everywhere, and the checklist of features is starting to feel interchangeable. Hyundai’s marketing strategy is to elevate the conversation beyond the spec sheet.
“At HMIL, building the brand has never been just about selling cars, it’s about creating meaningful connections, driving innovation and shaping aspirations,” says Khullar.
“Our marketing initiatives focus on portraying the vehicle as an integral part of our customers' lives, symbolizing family aspirations and elevated status. Our approach is focused on three key pillars: first, building a strong and diverse product portfolio tailored for India; second, investing in digital-first, emotionally rich marketing campaigns that engage consumers across generations; and third, forming powerful partnerships—from iconic brand ambassadors like Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, and recently onboarded Pankaj Tripathi to associations that reflect our values and vision,” he says.
As digital metrics evolve, Hyundai’s focus isn’t just about eyeballs anymore—it’s about action.
“Our expanding OTT and digital content strategy is designed to achieve both broad visibility and to generate measurable buyer intent,” Khullar says. “The onboarding of Pankaj Tripathi, a prominent OTT personality, is a direct initiative to enhance visibility and break clutter in the highly competitive advertising landscape.”
However, as per Khullar, this increased visibility is strategically channeled towards tangible outcomes. The campaign is positioned as part of the brand’s tactical outreach pillar, with a clear focus on demand generation and festival promotions, both aimed at driving measurable buyer intent.
“Our substantial presence on social media platforms, achieving high engagement rates, alongside advanced tools like our WhatsApp chatbot and rigorous monitoring of website visits and searches, all underscore our commitment to converting initial visibility into concrete expressions of buyer interest and ultimately, sales.”
As EVs mature from curiosity to consideration, Hyundai’s messaging is also shifting gears—from tech specs to lifestyle signals.
“Our journey at HMIL has always been driven by innovation and a deep understanding of evolving customer aspirations,” Khullar says. “Over the years, we’ve consciously transitioned from being a mass-market mobility provider to a brand that embodies modern premium.”
“This evolution is reflected in the design, technology, safety and experiences we offer across our product range, be it the feature-rich ICE models like CRETA, VERNA, ALCAZAR or the cutting-edge EVs like the IONIQ 5 and the newly launched CRETA Electric.”
“Our focus is on delivering lifestyle experiences that resonate with India’s new-age customers, who are well-informed, quality-conscious and emotionally invested in their choices. By offering many segment-first innovations and elevating our brand storytelling through powerful campaigns and iconic ambassadors, we are targeting a diverse set of audience while catering to all of their needs.”
From first-timers to auto enthusiasts, Hyundai’s messaging adapts—without compromising brand consistency.
“We tailor our messaging for diverse buyer segments, including first-time buyers, upgraders, and auto enthusiasts, without compromising brand clarity, through a strategic blend of universal themes and a comprehensive, tiered product offering,” Khullar said.
“At HMIL we focus on 3A [Awareness (Generating reach) + Adoption (Generate Purchase Intention) + Advocacy (Create fandom)]. We believe in building connection with the customer with localized approach. We understand that India has many regions and multiple cultures and as a brand we celebrate this diversity with various regionalisation campaign.”
For upgraders, Hyundai’s product range allows a progression to higher-segment vehicles as income levels rise, helping retain customers within the brand. For auto enthusiasts, the company points to its role in introducing new features and technologies before others, reinforcing its focus on innovation.
Hyundai’s focus is steadily moving from top-funnel awareness to retention and customer lifetime value.
“Our marketing KPIs are indeed evolving to place a stronger emphasis on retention-led metrics like customer lifetime value, while still acknowledging the fundamental importance of visibility,” said Khullar.
“In today’s era, the highly exposed customers expect their brands to know them & their preferences. The customers are also now very particular about their preferred communication channels, best time to communicate and even the choice of payment medium.”
Hyundai Motor India says it engages with customers across the entire lifecycle through a mix of email, chatbots, WhatsApp, and other direct channels. The company has also developed a global customer experience platform to support these efforts, with an aim to build retention and long-term relationships.
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