Polaris has been appointed to provide PR services to the world’s biggest bike manufacturer by volume, Indian owned Hero Cycles.
Polaris is working with Hero Cycles UK operation based in Manchester. Hero has followed a number of high profile Indian companies in investing in British companies like the Tata Group’s ownership of Jaguar Land Rover and Tetley Tea. In Hero Cycles case it bought British bike maker Avocet in 2015, based in Salford, whose brands included Viking, a well known British heritage bike brand. In January 2017 Hero opened a £2million global design centre in Manchester.
Polaris managing director Ben Pinnington said Polaris has been brought in to support the promotion of Hero’s first collection of bikes designed in the UK under the new Insync brand.
“We are absolutely delighted to be working with Hero Cycles,” he said. “We are one of the few PR companies in the UK specialising in working with Indian companies. We have worked hard to develop expertise in India travelling there regularly, working with Indian companies and launching the IndiaGBnews.com website. In addition we have years of experience working with engineering and manufacturing companies. We have been very struck by the passion and vision of the Hero management and design teams. Our PR campaign aims to capture that passion for cycling and encourage more families to take up cycling as a way to get fit. It is a real privilege to help Hero promote its new Insync range of bikes to the UK, Europe and India.”
Ben said Polaris has already provided publicity and photography services to two big events for Hero Cycles – first when Hero presented its electric bikes to Prime Minister Theresa May and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Commonwealth Summit and for the launch of the new Insync bike range at Old Trafford football ground. Read Press release
Ben said both stories generated extensive coverage across media including cycling press, regional business press, Indian media and social media.
Hero Cycles background
Hero Cycles Limited was founded in India in 1956. It is the largest bicycle manufacturer in the world by volume producing 19,000 cycles per day and 5.2million per year. This represents one out of every 20 of the world’s bicycles. Hero Cycles has manufacturing units in Ludhiana (Punjab), Bihta (Bihar) & Ghaziabad (UP). It is part of the Hero Motors Company which has revenues of $400million and $1.2billion in assets employing circa 8,000 staff.
The company exports to more than 70 countries through a network of circa 250 suppliers and 2800 dealerships. Its bike range includes road bikes, hybrid bikes, children’s bikes, electric-bikes, mountain bikes, BMX and roadster models. Hero in India also manufactures automobile components like chassis for cars, safety components and transmission for motorcycles.
In August 2015, it acquired British brand Avocet Sports with 51pc stake targeting high-end bicycle market in Europe and now has full ownership. In 2015, it also acquired Firefox Bikes – India’s largest premium bicycle brand with an established presence Pan-India through a network of 160 outlets. In 2016, it acquired a majority stake in Sri Lanka’s leading bicycle manufacturer BSH Ventures, further boosting its manufacturing capacity. As part of major expansion plans across Europe it launched the £2million Hero Cycles Global Design Centre (HGD) in Manchester, UK, in January 2017. The design hub is led by creative minds from across the world including innovators from India, Taiwan and Denmark.
Hero Cycles is ISO9001 & ISO14001 Certified from BVC of UK and recognized by the R&D department by the Govt. of India.