email from Global Vehicles

[howam00]

Register to stop seeing this ad!

well I am a little sad about the trucks coming into New Jersey first since I live so far west. I hope that is merely the entry port and so many (6-9 trucks) are going to be shipped to dealers so everyone has inventory to sell all at once.

[blue7.3]

Originally Posted by ddmahindra

I think they should be pretty close due to the revamping of the Australian units they originally introduced in 2007. From what I understand they dressed them up a little more Amreican style with larger door handles and other saftey features before they submitted them for certification. There are a couple of other things they are working on for the consumer as well such as what is the powertrain coverage going to be. Initially we were told it is going to be between 150k miles and 250k miles. What we do know is the bumper to bumper warranty will be the 4/60000. I tell you what, with the fuel mileage, cost and total warranty they are going to be hard to compete with.

dd, do you have any detailed information regarding the engine? Technical stuff... bore/stroke, glow plugs, cam drive type etc...?
thanks,
-pete

[pswanson]

If 'your only sending 2000 vehicles to start with can we know what dealers, as I'm traveling through I can get my name on a list to be called? pswanson-travel nurse

[ddmahindra]

We do not have any idea as far as who will get trucks first as of yet. Trust me I want to be the first but being in the midwest I highly doubt that. As far as technical info on the motor they have been pretty vague. I will give my contact a shout and see what he can provide and post anything I can.

[Joe Callimachus]

Hay, find out if they passed the NCAP yet. That would be the news that we need to hear.

[PJFeliz]

March due date and we still not have a clear US model photos, advertisement, or anything else. If Mahindra selected GV to do their marketing hope they are not involve in the supply and repair operations. This Web-base only marketing strategy is very weak.
V/R
PJ

[pee wee]

when you read about the Mahindra Pik-Up in Australia, you see that most people there still haven't heard of Mahindra. It looks like they are using the same strategy here. I'm no expert on automotive marketing, but I can't remember another case where a brand sold well without a concerted advertising program. In this country we would describe this launch as a "timid" approach, where is the fanfare? In India they are using typical mass advertising, but for some reason we haven't yet seen that here. I'm not saying they're doing it wrong, but I sure don't understand their strategy. Then again, from a selfish viewpoint, I would like to visit a dealership when things are quiet.

[howam00]

I have seen some quasi similar strategy from other auto makers. Take Hyundai, they haev had the restyled 2010 Santa Fe out for about 60-90 days now but only just recently (last week or two) advertized any specs or info on their website despite dealers having and selling them.

I know their strategy was to get rid of the old design on the lots but they also waited for the dealers to all have one before drumming up advertizing. No sense marketing a product you don't actually have in inventory I guess.

As a side note maybe Mahindra can do test drives and courses like Land Rover does so new or prospective customers can actually see what the vehicle is capable of. That word of mouth will travel fast.

[Joe Callimachus]

I think the simple answer is there is no product to advertise yet. GV has hired good people, they just have to wait for something to advertise,

We will have to wait till the trucks get here to see what SF does.

Strawberry Frog is known in the U.S. for handling Sam’s Club, Fosters Beer, Morgan Stanley , Frito-Lay and Microsoft. It previously handled Heineken. The agency was a finalist in last year’s review for Hyundai’s U.S. account. And internationally, it’s Amsterdam office had handled Mitsubishi’s European ad account, as well as Daimler-Benz’s Smart Car.

“StrawberryFrog joins us at an exciting time as we launch Mahindra, the first Indian vehicle to enter the U.S. market,” said GV president Bill Goetze. “Just as Mahindra enjoys a worldwide reputation for quality and innovation, StrawberryFrog’s reputation for creativity and strategic thinking will help us position Mahindra as a leader in innovative automotive marketing and advertising.”

“There’s something very special about representing Mahindra, the innovative automotive brand, the first to enter the U.S. market from India,” said Scott Goodson, CEO of StrawberryFrog. “It’s been no secret that we've wanted a major car account in the USA, and we look forward to our partnership with Global Vehicles and Mahindra."

[AZDzlPickUp]

Originally Posted by Joe Callimachus

“There’s something very special about representing Mahindra, the innovative automotive brand, the first to enter the U.S. market from India,” said Scott Goodson, CEO of StrawberryFrog.

Yikes, he was on a roll before he said innovative automotive brand. They better keep it simple and avoid the lipstick.