Mahindra Satyam: Advertising at its best

Mahindra Satyam has done that no Indian software company has ever done – Advertising @ a Global level. I was flabbergasted to see its advertisements in the opening FIFA world cup matches. It took me to surprise that how can an Indian IT Company’s banner be present at this international sporting event..! I soon realized that Mahindra Satyam was driving FIFA World Cup's software network and has developed the event management solutions.

The approach is very unique and innovative. Till date IT companies used to lash out press releases, send e-mailer campaigns, provide a range of marketing collaterals (from case studies to whitepapers to brochures), use internet marketing and direct marketing efforts for their branding and awareness activities. Foremost IT companies such as Infosys, used campaigns such as Think Flat | Flat World initiatives; which were quiet successful. Even IBM’s campaign – “Make the planet smarter” worked fine.

But Mahindra Satyam completely overshadowed these with its out-of-the box advertising agenda. It had become extremely important for Mahindra Satyam to “RE-brand” itself and resurrect from the biggest scandal in the Indian Outsourcing Industry. A RENAMED Mahindra Satyam had to re-build trust and confidence in the firm. And I got to praise its Marketers’ efforts; they’ve hit the nail @ the right spot. World Cup football is one of the world’s most followed Sporting Event; and has tremendous viewer base in European and American continents. This proves to be immensely vital, as most of the customers belong to these regions.

Lets track the Branding activities of Mahindra Satyam:

1.  A Television Commercial…..!

2. A microsite - http://www.mahindrasatyam.com/fifa/index.asp along with links to its BLOG, White paper and Case Study.

3. Online advertising campaign along with an offer to win a free ticket to the event.

4. Free Publicity through news releases and media. Ex: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/infotech/ites/Mahindra-Satyam-driving-FIFA-World-Cups-software-network/articleshow/6037982.cms

5. Extensive use of Social Media to propagate its feat – Ex: Tweet from Mr. C P Gurnani (CEO – Mahindra Satyam) – “Indeed proud moment to see Mahindra Satyam on TV as a sponsor and also as the ONLY Indian IT services provider for FIFA. “

6. Innumerable eyeballs watching the mega sporting event – Advertise @ the event.

Mahindra Satyam is one of the eight World Cup sponsors and the only one from India. It joins hands with seven other firms -- America's Budweiser, Castrol, Continental and McDonald's, South Africa's MTN and South Korea's Yingli Solar -- as sponsors. Mahindra Satyam BRAND will thus get a major boost through this world cup. I hence admit that I was extremely pleased to see the ingenious marketing effort of Mahindra Satyam and Kudos to them. I hope we rock the world with similar efforts in the future.
The Website currently looks something like this: