Škoda Auto India has announced the name of its sub-four metre SUV, which the company believes is its biggest launch in the country since its entry in 2001.

Called the Kylaq, the marketing campaign began in February this year with the ‘Name Your Škoda’. According to Petr Janeba, brand director, Škoda Auto India, this was more than just 'any marketing campaign'.

In a conversation with Manifest, he said, "Campaigns usually have a marketing connotation. This was a 100% PR job. It’s been very well executed."

The crowd-sourcing initiative has ended with the most popular name among the 10 receiving the first vehicle off the production line in 2025 and ten other participants winning an exclusive trip to Prague.

While the naming initiative launched in February 2024, the car will be available for consumers, a year later in February 2025. Explaining this long 'campaign', Janeba said, "We are in the middle of the journey. We started this in February, when we started the countdown to the purchase of the car, which will be possible by February 2025. In the meantime, this year, we are looking at engagement activities. The first one was the naming story and we are pretty proud of this activity. We don’t know any other car where the name of the car was decided by the people. Names of the cars are always decided by the board of directors, CEO, or proposed by marketing, or agencies. This car will also be exported but 80-90% of the sales are for the Indian market. We truly believe that the car is a breakthrough for Skoda here."

He added, "This is the first time the board agreed on two things – firstly, start the communication of the car launch a year in advance and secondly let the local market name the car. We thought if the market wants to embrace the car, they should be given a reason. Giving a name to the car is one reason to love the car."

Janeba also stated that while Wunderman Thompson (now VML) bagged the creative mandate for Skoda in India last year, there's a fresh pitch process for the Kylaq, which is now in its final round. The film above has been conceptualised by Trip Creative Services.

Catch our full chat with Janeba in the September issue of Manifest. 

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