Mahindra, Indian for 'Rise'

With the help of New York-based ad agency StrawberryFrog, Mahindra has announced that it will begin using a singular global branding campaign for all facets of its international business.


Mahindra will use the word ‘Rise’ to unify and identify all of their global business entities from tractors and defense, to SUV’s and information technology services.

"For Mahindra, 'Rise' means achieving world class standards in everything we do, setting new benchmarks of excellence and conquering tough global markets," Anand Mahindra, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd

Mahindra announced last year that it was impressed with the work of StrawberryFrog (Fosters Beer being one of their better known ad campaigns in the US) and had partnered with them for a global branding effort. You may recall that StrawberryFrog had originally been hired by Mahindra’s US pickup truck distribution partner, Global Vehicles, in 2008 to create a grassroots advertising campaign for the perpetually delayed Mahindra TR20 and TR40 compact diesel pickups. Neither the ad campaign nor the vehicles ever materialized.

With two of four US partners left standing (StrawberryFrog and Navistar), we just hope that Mahindra will ‘Rise’ to their commitment to bringing their pickups and SUVs to America.

Source: The Economic Times

Recycling, Mahindra’s EPA Submission, and a StrawberryFrog

Mahindra Pickup News for 07-May-2010


Recycling
Without much news to report on from Mahindra & Mahindra or their US-based importer, Global Vehicles, some serious news recycling went down in the automotive cyberspace yesterday.

Autoblog Green added their two cents to the Mahindra EPA submission story that Automotive News broke over a week ago. We think some internet motor journalists had a few too many Corona’s for Cinco de Mayo. But the hardcore Mahindra fan will still want to check out the story. The Autoblog Green article is here. The Automotive News article is here. The PickupTrucks.com article is here. The Mahindra Planet article (with news of Mahindra’s SsangYong bid) is here.

Insider: “Government Has Nothing to Review”
Ward’s Autoworld did have a bit of insight yesterday. They quoted an unnamed Global Vehicles insider that told them Mahindra has still not submitted required paperwork to the EPA for approval. With an estimated 90 day timeframe for approval and arrival of the first US-bound TR20 and TR40 pickups, it will certainly be August before they are available. However, rumors heard on MahindraTruckForum.com call for a fall launch with a low-key promotion effort, and an 18-truck, cross-country caravan to promote the brand. Thanks Moulin6801!

StrawberryFrog?
Way, way back (in early February 2008) Global Vehicles announced that they had brought on internationally recognized ad agency StrawberryFrog to launch the advertising effort for Mahindra in the USA. At the time, StrawberryFrog had just missed out on landing the US account for Hyundai and were hungry for a US automotive account. At the time, a grass-roots advertising campaign was to be launched that would include mostly internet-based ad work and strategic print advertising. None of which materialized. Or maybe the advertising was so slick and clandestine that we just haven’t noticed…

Fast forward to yesterday and PRNewswire reports that Mahindra & Mahindra has globally hired StrawberryFrog to “develop a global Cultural Movement brand strategy”. We interpret that as unifying the Mahindra brand and making it globally recognizable. Much like General Electric is universally recognized whether or not you know that they make trains and jet engines in addition to light bulbs and home appliances.

"StrawberryFrog is helping us develop a Cultural Movement strategy, innovative global brand and digital strategy, as well as activation. We are impressed with StrawberryFrog's global track record in innovation, and excellence in strategy, technology, business, and creativity. They have demonstrated for us strategic and creative ingenuity and we are very satisfied with our collaboration." - Anand Mahindra, Vice-Chairman, Managing Director, Mahindra Group

So sayeth the man whose name is the brand. Will this mean that we will be seeing Mahindra truck advertising in the US soon? We certainly hope so!

Sources: As hyperlinked, and thanks to Moulin6801 for the tips and the image!

Australian Ad Campaign Offers Chance to Win 1 of 100 Mahindra Pickups

Mahindra Australia begins a large scale promotional advertising campaign for the Mahindra Pik-Up (US TR20/TR40) tomorrow. According to AdNews.com, the new campaign will cover television, online, print, and social media outlets.


This leaves US Mahindra fans asking: Hey Mahindra, send us some trucks and give us a chance to win ‘em too!
Source: AdNews.com

Crowd Sourced Marketing

I am in no way picking at the scab that is a certain company’s (lack of) marketing effort for a new vehicle that is set for its US debut in February of 2010. I provide this information as a general interest item following the excitement that the 2011 Ford Fiesta has created at the LA Auto Show this week.

If you haven’t seen the Fiesta or caught any of the buzz around the car, do a quick Google search for it. The car may not be your cup of tea, but the launch and excitement created around it are fantastic and worthy of a few moments of your time.

Not only is the pre-launch hype there, but Ford is actively searching out everyday people who are fans of the Fiesta to (gasp!) help market the car for them.

If you go to the Fiesta website, FiestaMovement.com you will see a letter asking for creative people to put together a team of two and brainstorm marketing and advertising ideas. There will be 20 teams selected to operate in specific parts of the country. Each team will be given a new Ford Fiesta with gas and insurance, and will be partnered with local advertising professionals to create their campaign. Oh, and the team gets a chance to win a new Fiesta when all is said and done.

The crowd-sourced advertising campaign is a great idea. Let the customers who are impassioned with the brand do the hard work for you. In fact, give them all of the tools, information, and resources they need to be extremely successful and spread the word.

I wonder what other company could benefit from this type of grass-roots, viral advertising and marketing. It seems to me that there is a particular company who is new to the US and on the verge of a product launch, and could easily organize an effort of this kind. This is a company who could potentially reap tangible rewards for creating some type of advertising campaign in any form. Who could that be???