Mahindra Bolero - Milestones

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, Republic of (Free-Press-Release.com) September 27, 2010 -- Mahindra Bolero - Milestones
Background:
• Till the mid 1990s, the Utility Vehicles (MUVs) category was not viewed as premium and city slickers dismissed product offerings as vehicles for farmers. Mahindra Bolero, launched in year 2000, changed that perception.

• The brand was attractively priced at Rs. 4.9 lacs and the strategy was to provide a fully loaded vehicle, high on image dimensions at an attractive price. Thus the brand promise was that of “Luxurious Toughness” and the emotional benefit communicated through mass media was “Break Free!” bringing out car-like luxury features in a UV.

• The brand met with success and enabled M&M to enter the cities as a serious contender. To further expand the portfolio and cover all usage and price segments, new Bolero variants were launched between 2003-04 targeting personal and contract segment in urban and semi-urban markets.

• Simultaneously, the automobile landscape in India was changing rapidly with customers being exposed to greater style and luxury. The Mahindra Scorpio, launched in 2002-03 had redefined the category benchmarks and the Bolero was now being considered a basic utility vehicle. The brand needed revitalization to extend its lifecycle.

Brand Re-positioning: Launch of Bolero Refresh:
• The revitalization exercise began with a decision to re-position and re-launch Bolero as an entry level Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) as against a plain Utility Vehicle (UV).

• A detailed consumer research was undertaken on different usage segments of the category. Research studies suggested that competing brands such as Tata Sumo had a powerful equity in commercial segment but negligible presence as a personal vehicle. There was an opportunity to capitalize on emotive drivers such as ‘Pride of Ownership’ through attributes such as product styling and an aspirational imagery.

• Accordingly, the vehicle’s looks were contemporarized to communicate style and status. New clear lens headlamps, tail lamps, bumpers and grill added style and attitude to the vehicle while dual tone soft touch upholstery accentuated the exterior styling. A two tone interior and exterior colour scheme was also developed.

• It was also important to evolve distinct spaces for both Bolero and Scorpio to synergize the portfolio and prevent cannibalization. Towards this end, the Bolero was repositioned as an ‘Entry Level SUV’ with an attitude of ‘Taking on Anything’, offering an affordable, stylish option for young, upwardly mobile consumers while the Scorpio was targeted at those who had arrived in life and for whom the brand was an extension of their lifestyle.

• A clutter breaking new “Water Scooter” TV ad was developed projecting excitement, energy and vibrancy of youth in an aspirational outdoor setting. This was supported by a 360 degree marketing campaign involving print, interactive & on ground activities.

Mahindra Bolero emerged as India’s No.1 Sports Utility Vehicle brand in 2006-07 and has continued to occupy that pedestal for 4 years in a row. This path breaking performance can be attributed to:

1. A superior value proposition as stylish, affordable SUV for the youth. The price range for the variants: Rs. 5.22 lacs to 7.01 lacs (Ex-showroom, Lucknow)

2. The aspirational imagery that repositioned the brand

3. CRM led brand activation and a customer centric approach. This resulted in the Bolero ranked the highest in Total Customer Satisfaction in SUV/MPV category by TNS automotive (2009). Criteria for the award included sales satisfaction, product quality, vehicle performance and design, after sales service, brand image and cost-of ownership.

4. A brand portfolio strategy with variants targeted at various customer segments at different price points. (Refer attached matrix for details)

5. Below the line activities with the aim to expand the pond & appeal to consumers considering entry level compact cars and sedans like Tata Indica and Indigo.

6. Sustained customer saliency and interest through unique activities such as product customization and Special Editions which create continuous buzz around the brand. The brand has been associated with popular celebrities such as cricketer Gautam Gambhir and Robin Uthappa who own the ‘Bolero Stinger’ and the Bolero Special Edition respectively.

7. Leveraging the Mahindra heritage of tough, rugged vehicles and catering to the needs of the Indian Army, Paramilitary, Police and various other government and institutional customers.

8. More than 3,00,000 satisfied Bolero families since the time of its launch.

Change In Owner Profile Post Relaunch:
Research has shown that the new Bolero user is a lot younger compared to earlier

The Way Ahead

1. Going ahead, the Bolero will continue to dominate the SUV/UV/MPV space with its superior value proposition and rugged appeal, coupled with our customer centric approach to the business. This will help us retain competitive advantage on sustainable basis.


Reason for Bolero being largest s

Bolero     mahindra     Mahindra Mahindra