Anand Mahindra on importance of marketing and communication

“Is marketing important? I would say, it is supremely important after a period when India had vanished from the radar screen of the world. People had given up on India. They said India always flatters to deceive. They said India was shining and then suddenly, for almost a decade, it lost its way.”

That’s Anand Mahindra, Chairman and Managing Director, Mahindra Group, in an interview with Mint’s Amrit Raj.

“In my opinion, we have always undervalued marketing and communication in India,” said Mahindra. “To the Prime Minister’s credit, he understands the value of both these things. Yes, of course, marketing has to be followed by delivery. Delivery takes longer, but I believe that he (Modi) is working (on that) in parallel.”

Reading Mahindra’s statement between the lines, one can decipher the branding strategy of the Mahindra Group. The same has been further amplified by S P Shukla, President, Group Strategy and Chief Brand Officer, Mahindra Group.

Speaking to Arun Sudhaman of The Holmes Report at the 2015 World Economic Forum in Davos, Shukla said the Group would like to focus on ‘admiration’ rather than brand building or growth. "Admiration has to be earned through a combination of approach, actions, attitude and achievements… Gaining admiration is a far more complex and difficult goal for a brand than earning either loyalty or liking or even respect."