Mahindra unveils new brand position-'Rise'

Synopsis:

• Mahindra unveils new brand position – Mahindra Rise & new Core Purpose
• To invest Rs. 120 crore over 3 years towards promotion of the new brand position

Mahindra Rise to communicate with one brand voice, one face & one Mahindra core purpose




January 17, 2011, Mumbai: The US $ 7.1 billion Mahindra Group, one of India’s leading business houses with a vast global footprint, today announced a new brand position - Rise. The latter represents a new chapter in the history of this iconic 65 year old brand and seeks to communicate the new face of this diversified federation of companies with its increasingly global ambitions.

This is the first time Mahindra as a Group which spans everything from Aerospace to Automotive, from farm equipment to IT and logistics, will communicate with one brand voice, one face and one ‘Mahindra’ core purpose.

The Group intends to invest Rs. 120 crore over 3 years, in activities related to promotion of the new brand position.

“Rise isn’t just a word – it is a rallying cry which enables people to unify around shared ideas, values, principles, a way of life or a common goal. It is a call to see opportunities where others can’t and to set an example for the world. For Mahindra, Rise means achieving world-class standards in everything we do, setting new benchmarks of excellence and conquering tough global markets,” said Mr. Anand Mahindra, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Mahindra Group.

“Mahindra has always been known for its ingenuity and never say die spirit. Whether we’re transforming the lives of millions of farmers through our agri-prosperity initiatives, creating green and innovative urban living spaces or investing in new automotive technologies and factories that leave the lowest carbon footprints, Mahindra is many companies with just one purpose: Enabling people to Rise,” he added.

Two years ago, Mahindra’s Corporate Brand Council mandated StrawberryFrog, a New York based global advertising agency, to undertake anthropological and semiotic research across India and around the world which enabled it to create this unique positioning.

“Rise is a simple yet powerful verb which defines our Group and succinctly sums up the aspirations of our stakeholders and employees. When we spoke to customers across the world, all of them without exception expressed a strong sense of optimism about the future and shared a common desire to Rise, to succeed and create a better future for themselves,

their families and their communities. We strongly believe that the Mahindra brand epitomizes what our customers want – a company that empowers them to Rise,” said Mr. Ruzbeh Irani, Executive Vice President - Corporate Strategy, Chief Brand Officer - Mahindra Group and Member of the Group Executive Board.

The Group today unveiled the new brand position and the new Core Purpose:

We will challenge conventional thinking and innovatively use all our resources to drive positive change in the lives of our stakeholders and communities across the world, to enable them to Rise.

The spirit of Rise is based on the following three Brand Pillars:

• Accepting No Limits
• Alternative Thinking
• Driving Positive Change

                                       

Implicit in the Rise message is the belief that anything is possible, that we can achieve whatever we set our minds to. It seeks to unite the Mahindra workforce as a group of passionate individuals and unconventional thinkers who create world-class offerings and aspire to greatness.

At the core of the Rise philosophy is the customer. Mahindra believes that its actions, innovations, products and services empower the customer to overcome his own challenges, exploit his ingenuity and shape his own destiny. Everything we do centres around enabling the customer to Rise.

About The Mahindra Group
Mahindra embarked on its journey in 1945 by assembling the Willys Jeep in India and is now a US $7.1 billion Indian multinational. It employs over 1,00,000 people across the globe and enjoys a leadership position in utility vehicles, tractors and information technology, with a significant and growing presence in financial services, aerospace, after-market, real estate, hospitality, logistics. The Mahindra Group today is an embodiment of global excellence and enjoys a strong corporate brand image.

Mahindra is the only Indian company among the top tractor brands in the world. It is today a full-range player with a presence in almost every segment of the automobile industry, from two-wheelers to UVs, SUVs and CVs. Mahindra has acquired a majority stake in REVA Electric Car Co Ltd. (now called Mahindra REVA), strengthening its position in the Electric Vehicles domain.

The Mahindra Group expanded its IT portfolio when Tech Mahindra acquired Satyam Computer Services, now known as Mahindra Satyam.

Its flagship company Mahindra & Mahindra Limited has recently earned the distinction of being the only Indian automobile manufacturer to feature in the top 10 list of the Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index in India - 2010, created by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). CDP is an independent not-for-profit organization holding the largest database of primary corporate climate change information in the world.

Company press release dated 17 Jan 2011

GM to double production capacity of Chevrolet Volt Hybrid by 2012

GM Said to Plan Doubling 2012 Production Capacity of Chevrolet Volt Hybrid 


General Motors Co. Chief Executive Officer Dan Akerson, seeking to boost sales of plug-in hybrids, plans to double 2012 production capacity for the Chevrolet Volt to 120,000, said two people familiar with the matter.
Volt output this year may increase to 25,000 from an original plan of 10,000.

Akerson said earlier this month. GM is working with suppliers to raise 2012 capacity from an earlier target of 60,000. It may not build that many if parts aren´t available or demand isn´t strong enough, said the people, who didn´t want to be named because the plans are private.

Akerson, who became CEO in September, wants to sell more of the $41,000 Volt and is pushing to use its Voltec gasoline- electric drive system for models sold by other GM brands. Akerson has said he wants GM to have more fuel-efficient models ready for a possible increase in oil prices to $120 a barrel.

"We want to stay sharply focused on technology," Akerson told analysts at Deutsche Bank´s Auto Industry Conference in Detroit on Jan. 11. "We don´t want to be caught flat-footed as we were in 2008."

As per a report on Bloomberg. For more details click here.

Renault's Ghosn says internal spying probe was legal

Renault had taken legal steps against three of its executives on charges of  leaking company information.

The three executives are Michel Balthazard, former vice president of advanced engineering at Renault, and his deputy Bertrand Rochette, as well as the former deputy director of the electric vehicles program, Matthieu Tenenbaum.

As per a Reuters report : 
"Renault's Ghosn says internal spying probe was legal"

Carlos Ghosn has claimed that the investigations done were legal and that any action taken against the concerned persons was done with due process. Ghosn said, "I personally followed the progress of this process step by step."

For a full report please click the above link.

Carlos Ghosn, is a Lebanese Brazilian-born businessman. He is the current CEO and President of Renault of France and Nissan of Japan. He was voted Man of the Year 2003 by Fortune magazine's Asian edition and is also on the board of Alcoa, Sony, and IBM. Ghosn became CEO of Renault, in 2005, succeeding Louis Schweitzer, while remaining CEO of Nissan as well. In 2004 he was added to the Japan Automotive Hall of Fame.

Ghosn joined Nissan as its chief operating officer in June 1999, became its president in June 2000 and was named chief executive officer in June 2001. His turnaround of Nissan has gained him celebrity status in Japan, where he has published books and even has a manga character based on him.