Zooming ahead on the fastrack!

Winning brands are those that evolve with the times, and Tata group is probably one body which has imbibed this principle in its truest spirit. The group is synonymous to what we call Indianness. Every Indian has some respect, faith and credibility in the name 'Tata' in the country. Right from salt to software, they make everything and very good brands in each of the category they are in.

One such brand which doesn't actually need the name of Tata anymore is Titan. Titan has evolved from being one of Tata group's brands to a major brand in itself. Titan is probably one of the most trusted brands in India. It once partnered with Timex, and when Timex left the Titan umbrella in around 1997-98, Titan introduced Fastrack with the positioning of "Cool Watches From Titan". From then on, Fastrack had no looking back in terms of brand recall.

Today with the caption of 'How many you have?', Fastrack is one of the must-be's in every youth's wardrobe in the country, be it a watch or eyegear. With its trendy watches and cool eye gear collection, Fastrack is probably solely responsible for bringing Titan closer to the youth. From where Titan seemed like elegant and for professionals to where Fastrack seems like trendy, sporty and casual, it is all marketing acumen at work, something which Titan is very good at. Fastrack has always been maintained closer to the youth. Be it using Narain Karthikeyan to promote it then, or a tie-up with MTV or launching trendy eye gear, Fastrack has always tried to reflect the fast evolving youth segment of the country.

In my opinion, Fastrack is probably the only brand in the country which enjoys unparalleled acceptance from all the strata of the society. Had there been any other brand in place of Fastrack which offered cheap, affordable watches at Rs.500 and also trendy, sleek, suave and sexy watches at more than Rs.10,000 it could have lost one of the sections of customers for the others would have identified more with it, and thus despising one group. But with Fastrack that dint happen, and that is largely because of its clear distinction in its products at various levels, with the quotients of style, attitude upping at every level thus catering to different segments of customers and keeping them locked in to the brand.

Not only the products, there is something innovative in everything Fastrack does. Today, when social media is the rage of the nation, especially the youth, no youth brand could have used it better than how Fastrack is doing it. In association with Blogworks, Fastrack has floated this website where there are regular updates, announcements, trivia and contests about the brands of Fastrack. The best thing about marketing your brand this way is that it helps the customer stay connected to the brand. The world is today connected by del.icio.us, stumbleupon, feedburner and co. I would rather read a feed on my feed reader than go and watch some commercials on the tv, and that is what fastrack is cashing in on when it is using this medium.

Check out various options on that website, and am sure you would agree that Fastrack is using social media too well to keep its brand on the fastest track! With products like Neon Disc range of clocks, Campus Collection Eye Gear etc... the best way to connect to the audience is none other than social media, and kudos to Fastrack for having realised that and mastered it.