REPORT CARD: Should Hero STOP Karizma to Save Further Brand Destruction?

Hero Karizma sales card presents a very sorry picture and it is beyond understanding – Why was the motorcycle relaunched without any change?

Ever since Honda decided to split with Hero, pundits predicted doom for the Indian brand because – one, Hero did not have any Research & Development upon split (at that time), two, even the smallest of technology that they used on their motorcycles was sourced from Honda.

Fast forward to 2019 and Hero is still the market leader with a considerable gap against Honda. So, were the naysayers wrong?

Okay, factor in that almost all the sales Hero is garnering even at this point come from engines/technology that they have inherited from Honda. Most of their strategic product-launch decisions have not yielded favourable results. This suggests that they are still sailing mainly because of the legacy that has been created and the widespread reach that they have. Which means that the future still looks blurry for the Indian motorcycle maker…

Now, among the biggest gaffes, this one – the re-launch of Karizma last year, would probably hold the top slot, and by a big margin. Let us clarify that it was not the re-launch of the brand but the re-launch of the motorcycle without an iota of change is what is dumbfounded!

You know that the 2014 update had killed a legendary brand; buying sentiments were terribly low when it was discontinued. So, you make some changes, do something, to at least present that you were serious with your product and the market!

Hero Karizma Sales

As a result of ‘the seriousness‘ of the re-launch, here is how the report card of 2018 Karizma looks like..

MonthSales
May 201917
June 201812
July 201814
August 201810
September 201811
October 20180
November 20184
December 20184
Total72

To read it out – that is 72 units in all in 8 months which corresponds to a single digit 9 unit sales every month on an average. Which, in turn, corresponds to, total revenues of approximately 9.90 Lakh ONLY!!!

Rumour Suggests There Could be a Karizma 200!

In comparison and just for reference, the once-considered-arch-rival Pulsar 220 managed to oust 3884 units in the single month of December 2018 implying approximate revenues of over 38 crore to Bajaj.

XPulse 200T Tourer – Will it Work: 5 Quick Pointers

It will be a simple call to STOP the Karizma from further humiliation and not update it with ABS, to allow a natural death to the current version. But, you never know Hero…