Exclusive | Betting big on social media: Mahindra's Vivek Nayer

Mahindra & Mahindra has always been known for listening and acting on feedback from customers, fans and social media communities when it comes to their products. This approach now holds true for its communication as well. One such recent example is the new 2 minutes ad film of the XUV500 which has recently been released on the social media platforms. The ad-film showed the XUV500 with an Indian number plate in a South African setting while making the commercial. 

It was debated and thought that it would be ‘cool’ to show the XUV500 with an Indian number plate going on a road trip to South Africa. However, people on social media platforms saw it as an aberration or a lapse and there were many conversations and feedback. M&M decided to act on the feedback and changed the number plate to a South African number plate which has been  noticed and appreciated. The 2 minutes modified version of the commercial has first been aired on the digital space prior to its television premiere.

While in conversation with  Adgully, Vivek Nayer, chief marketing officer, Automotive Division, Mahindra and Mahindra  shared some insights about the campaign.
Sharing his thought on taking such a big decision, he said, “As the leader in the SUV segment in India, over the years, we have built up a vast fan base across digital platforms and greatly value their feedback. We expect that this move will further strengthen our association with our fans and followers and become a truly ‘customer-centric organization’.” 

When asked, what was the actual nature of the chatter which led to this step, he explained,  “When the new XUV500 TV advertisement first premiered on the digital platform it showcased the XUV500 with an Indian (Maharashtra) number plate in a South African backdrop. Among conversations in social media, this was seen as an anomaly. Mahindra made conscious effort to listen and act on the feedback swiftly. The license plates were quickly changed in the advertisement to a South African number plate using a very specialized technique. The change and acceptance of customer feedback was duly noted and appreciated by the digital community and  fans. As a result the advertisement that is seen on the TV is with a South African number plate.” 

Anand Mahindra himself has been very active on twitter and social media and in the past also has responded to  many grievances aired on the social media space so is it fair to say  that all teams pay due cognizance to social media chatter? In response to this Mr. Nayer says, “Yes, these conversations gave us an opportunity to incorporate their views and become a truly ‘customer-centric organization’.”

The XUV500 has come up with this new 2 minutes commercial to reinforce its brand positioning of “May your life be full of stories”. The film is based on the incredible experiences of 3 young friends who decide to embark on a journey, together. The ad is set in the scenic locales of South Africa which would be relatable and aspirational for many. The film uses Bollywood style song, music and setting to inspire a feeling of wistfulness in viewers to have a life like that. The ad targets the young at heart to create memorable experiences for themselves.
The XUV500 has been seamlessly integrated in the film to drive home its on-road and off-road capabilities. Of course, the surprise towards the end of the film leaves one with the thought of those incredible experiences that make for life’s memorable stories and thus ties in with the positioning theme of the brand.

The advertisement shows oversees locales so was it not a daunting task to re-shoot the campaign in terms of logistic and financial implications? Answering this he said, “We did not have to re-shoot the complete advertisement. The license plates were changed in the advertisement to a South African number plate through a very specialized process. We used an ingenious process called Rotoscopy to change the number plate on the vehicle in the moving shots.”

The task at hand was very challenging but tackled in a deft manner. With regard to this he says , “The task was very challenging as it involved changing of the number plate frame by frame in every shot of the video. Since the vehicle was in motion each shot needed to be synchronized with the surroundings and  colour adjusted. It was a very intensive and  time consuming process requiring lot of precision and expertise.”

This is a bold step hence speaking about message that it conveys, Nayer says, “We hope that our approach of listening to our stakeholders and  taking swift action based on their valuable feedback will further strengthen our association with our fans, followers and all the stakeholders.”

The campaign has also been launched on TV across India on all the key genres. The 2 minutes digital version of the TVC has already crossed more than 2.6 million views on Youtube.
Mahindra had unveiled a new visual identity a month back which is now being used as part of the product name for Mahindra's mobility offerings and as an 'endorser' for Mahindra's non-mobility offerings. The company has also unveiled a new millennium logo, which will be used only as a vehicle badge for Mahindra's mobility products.