By the time you read this article, you’d probably be swamped with news of the incoming 2021 Perodua D55L. After all, Perodua has already opened bookings for the SUV (which might be is called Ativa) and it does have some interesting specs.

While this year will see the focus shift to the second 'national’ carmaker, Proton doesn’t want Malaysians to direct their attention to the next big thing that also happened to be an SUV. So, mere days before Perodua opened the order books, the Malaysian tiger launched not one but four limited-edition models of their existing cars.

Indeed, the Proton Iriz and Saga R3 Limited Edition as well as the Proton Persona and Exora Black Edition are nothing more than cosmetic upgrades of Proton’s original un-rebadged quartet (collectively called the PIES). Even so, there are some buzz surrounding these models.

Whether it’s good or bad, a buzz is certainly better than nothing and while none of these models are direct competitors to the Perodua D55L, Proton has for a brief moment led Malaysians to focus on itself.

This isn’t the first time that Proton has tried to direct the nation’s focus on itself or as a matter-of-fact Perodua. Last year, the nation witnessed two ‘coincidental’ announcements from both local boys within days of each other.

On 9-July 2020, Proton launched a special Proton Saga Anniversary Edition in commemoration of the Saga’s 35th anniversary. Four days later, on 15-July 2020, Perodua launched a minor update on the Perodua Myvi. Just like recent events, both models aren’t direct competitors but notice the way each brand tries to direct buyers’ attention?

Speaking of the Myvi, when the first-gen was launched in May 2005, Proton launched the Savvy a month later. Ever since, whenever either brand launches a new model, the other will follow suit with their own launch, whether it’s a minor update or a major one.

However, 2020 was the year when companies have to switch up the way launches were done. Following the new norms and SOPs, going virtual is the way to go these days. It has made things easier and quicker for companies to respond or ‘clap back’ at their competitors.

Granted, this doesn’t only work for our local boys but also it could work for other brands too. So it wouldn’t be surprising if Honda Malaysia announces the pricing for the City RS around the time of the local debut of the Toyota Corolla Cross.

Certainly, 2020 was Proton’s year with numerous spyshots and the eventual launch of its hotly anticipated (and important) Proton X50. Just for the sake of good sportsmanship, they should just let Perodua take the spotlight in 2021, right?

Of course not. Naivete won’t get you so far in business and as a result, we come to this quartet of lightly customised Protons.

In the eyes of consumers, this is seen as a half-hearted attempt for Proton to continue its relevancy in the market with their ageing quartet. They might just be kitted-up Persona/Iriz/Exora/Saga models but when you’re a business like Proton, staying relevant is just as important.

For the marketing department, relevance is both a curse and a blessing. On one hand, you have to be constantly in-the-know when it comes to trends but if you find the right spark to stay relevant, you can gain some buyers and maintain a fanbase.

The latter is what the limited-edition Proton models are catered for. Even small cosmetic improvements like rims that resemble that of the Satria Neo are enough for these fans to declare “Shut up and take my money!”

But then you might ask, why was Perodua quiet when the Proton X50 was launched? Well, here’s another business strategy, but one that is taken by market leaders; you do not need to imitate the competition to maintain or extend your lead.

Imitation is a form of flattery to some. However, in the case of Perodua, it might be better to focus on innovation than imitation.

While Proton’s aspirations to be Malaysia’s No. 1 brand by 2027 appear to be on the right track with all these aggressive marketing tactics, Perodua’s rise to where it is now is mostly down to being more attentive to consumers. Then again, perhaps seeing their rise here might not be a good thing after all?