MAHINDRA RISE: A BRAND

ARCHITECTURE DECISION
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ABOUT THE COMPANY
• Mahindra and Muhammed was incorporated in 1945
by J.C.Mahindra and K.C.Mahindra and Malik Ghulam
Muhammad in Ludhiana, Punjab to trade steel.
• Anand Mahindra is the MD appointed in 1997 and the
current CEO is Anish Shah.
• Mahindra is one of the 20 largest companies in India.
• Mahindra Group is a US $16.7 billion Indian MNC
• Headquarter in Mumbai with operations in 100
countries & has 180,000 employees
• 18 key industries such as aerospace, agribusiness,
automotive, energy etc.
• Largest tractor manufacturer(by volume) in the world
• Market leader in utility vehicles and tractors .
• They have 6 SBUs namely: automotive, farm
equipment,infrastructure, trade and financial services,
IT and automotive components.
What are the key challenges faced by brand Mahindra that
prompted the organization to rethink its brand positioning and
brand architecture?

• Increasing competition from global automakers, such as

Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai.

• The rise of electric vehicles, which is a threat to

Mahindra's traditional gasoline-powered vehicles.

• The need to invest in new technologies, such as

autonomous driving and connectivity.
 BRAND
ARCHITECTURE
Brand architecture is the organizational hierarchy
of a company’s brands, sub-brands, products,
and/or services. It’s an integrated system of
names, symbols, colors, and visual vocabulary
that bring clarity to a brand portfolio.

Why is it important?
• To target the needs of the specific
customers
• To significantly reduce the marketing costs
• To clarify brand positioning
• To facilitate growth and bolster stakeholder
confidence
• To enhance customer awareness
KEY WEAKNESS
OF BRAND
ARCHITECTURE

• Lack of clarity and consistency

• Brand dilution

• Ineffective communication

• High costs
Evaluate the pros & cons of the three options given to Mahindra by Landor? What are the possible
brand architecture solutions you would recommend?
PROS
• Each business would have its own unique identity and marketing strategy.
• This would allow each business to better connect with its target audience.
• It would also give each business more flexibility in terms of its branding and marketing activities.

CONS
• It could lead to confusion among consumers, as they would have to learn about multiple different brands.
• This could make it more difficult to build a strong corporate brand.
• It could also be more expensive to manage multiple different brands
 What are the key takeaways from the analysis conducted by Landor for
designing a brand architecture solution?

Inconsistent Brand Identity Implementation Challenges in New Brand Architecture:

• Inconsistency in implementing Mahindra's
brand identity. • Diversity and variance within the
• Variation across different organizations and company posed challenges for
business lines. deploying a new brand architecture.
• Lack of visual separation among business units,
goods, and services.
• Ambiguity and confusion for consumers.

Weak Connection with Younger Generation: Unlinked Operations and Offerings:

• Mahindra brand lacked strong resonance • Failure to connect various aspects of

with the younger generation. Mahindra's operations.
• Difficulty distinguishing between
corporate and product offers.
 Recommendations
• The best brand architecture solution for Mahindra will depend on several factors, including the
company's overall goals, the strengths and weaknesses of its businesses, and the competitive
landscape.

• Based on the information in the case, Mahindra should consider a hybrid brand architecture. This
would allow the company to build a strong unified brand image for some of its businesses, while
also allowing other businesses to have their own unique identities and positioning. This could be a
good way to balance the need for a unified brand image with the need to maintain the strong brand
equity of individual businesses.

• Ultimately, deciding which brand architecture to choose is a complex one that should be made on a
case-by-case basis. There is no one-size-fits-all solution.