Advertorial: Renault India drives the change, one 'like' at a time

French automobile giant, true to its racing heritage, speeds away to

1 million facebook fans, along with other successes in the digital medium.

With the endeavor to keep its customers and fans close to the brand, conversing and engaging with them on a one-on-one basis, Renault began the Indian leg of its digital journey in 2011 with the launch of the brand in India.

Among the first launches were the Fluence and Koleos, with the task of setting the brand on its aspirational path. With digital at its core, Renault executed a Formula 1 campaign the same year, coinciding with the debut of Formula 1 in India. As an engine supplier to the rampaging Red Bull F1 team, Renault India saw a meteoric rise in its fan base, reaching the 75,000 mark within weeks of its first ever campaign on Facebook.

Renault then launched its mass market cars such as the Pulse, Scala and Duster which helped Renault to reach more customers and fans. With the Duster, Renault created a community for the owners, the Gang of Dusters - for like-minded people with a penchant for adrenaline-pumping adventure. The community thrives on digital forums and has been acclaimed as one of the best initiatives by Auto Brands to engage with its customers.

All the while, Renault's Formula 1 juggernaut rolled on, toppling behemoths like Airtel India and Mercedes Benz and becoming The Most Influential Brand during the 2013 Formula 1 Airtel Indian Grand Prix (source: Social Bakers) with a score of 87%. Airtel India and Mercedes Benz received scores of 34% and 56% respectively.

Renault India currently accounts for more than 10% of Renault's global Facebook fan-base, only behind Brazil and Turkey. While Renault has been operating in both these countries for over a decade, Renault has achieved this feat in less than 3 years of operations in India.

Keeping with the trend, most of Renault India's Facebook fans are accessing the Brand page through their Mobile devices, and we see this trend growing in the months and years to come. Our objective is to create content that the fans appreciate and to provide them in the right manner on the desired platform.

Renault India has not only localized their cars to satisfy Indian needs but also their digital communication to further connect with fans on social media. The French automobile major imbibed local traditions and cultural festivals with celebrations around Holi, Diwali, Onam and the likes.

Renault India has reached out to more than 10 Million people who have interacted with the brand on its website

With the launch of the Duster, Renault India trended its Twitter hashtag #DusterIsHere for more than two days across India

Renault Duster was the Number One searched term on Google in India on the day of the launch

With the launch of the Scala, Renault India trended its Twitter hashtag #ScalaIsHere across India on the day of the launch

During the Formula1 Indian Grand Prix, Renault was the Most Influential Brand (source: Social Bakers) and its hashtag #RenaultPowersChampions trended during the Race. The hashtag campaign coincided well with Sebastian Vettel claiming his 4th Drivers Title at the 2013 Formula1 India Grand Prix.

Renault India has kept its customers and fans close to its heart, with the winner of the last Facebook contest taken to watch the 2014 Formula 1 Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix on an all-expense paid Race Weekend. He interacted with racing greats such as Sebastian Vettel and enjoyed the Race from the Grand Stands.