In an advertising campaign that borrows from the low-cost philosophy of the product being advertised, Tata Motors Ltd has used a digital marketing campaign to rustle up interest for the Nano, the ultra inexpensive car.
And so, after spending Rs24 lakh, which can buy someone a little less than three-quarters an entry-level Mercedes, India’s biggest auto maker by revenue has been deluged by enquiries by the thousands from far and wide.
Through an eponymous portal, tatanano.com which has been up since January last year, Tata Motors has been spreading the message of the Nano, and extended this to online, high-traffic properties such as Facebook and Orkut.

Tata Motors’ sales push on social networking sites makes for smart marketing even with India’s low levels of Internet penetration, says Sandeep Singh, business director at Quasar Media Pvt. Ltd, given that half of India’s online population of some 50 million users are touched by social media platforms.

Such buzz on social media could help Tata Motors save money in the otherwise cash-strapped times. “Tata Nano is relying on social media heavily which is why their digital advertising budget will not run into crores,” says Sidharth Rao, founder and chief executive, Webchutney Studio Pvt. Ltd, the agency handling Tata Nano’s online account.:cool:

A Tata Motors spokesman declined specific comment on the firm’s exact targets through the online push. “As a company it only makes sense to have the communities’ link on our website.” At tatanano.com, the company is running a contest where visitors are asked to guess the price of different Nano models. The prize: an invite to the Nano launch function on Monday.