MindTree Blog Archives
The year 2009 felt like the right time to look at the MindTree brand for the first time since the early days of the Company. Coming on the heels of our re-organization and our stated aspirations to reach $1B by 2014, it was important that we re-look at our positioning and messaging in the market. Also, to assess the strength, accuracy and effectiveness of the brand to enable the transition of MindTree from a $270 million IT and RDS services company to a $1B global IT solutions company specializing in 7 different business areas. In essence, it was time for a re-launch.
We are about 6 months into the process and it has been exhilarating and frustrating at the same time. One of the lessons I have learned is that brand is a very emotional topic for our management team at MindTree. Most of us have essentially been with the Company since day one (August 1999). This is not an exaggeration: not only are all 10 co-founders still with MindTree, but of the first 150 people to join, we’ve lost only 2 or 3 “MindTree Minds”. The stability we’ve had makes the brand discussions very personal.
One of the decisions we’ve had to address is whether to implement a branding strategy that takes aim at positioning the 7 individual business units; or stick with a corporate brand strategy. To date, the thinking has been that we must first successful brand (position) MindTree at a corporate level.
I read in this week’s Wall Street Journal that Hewlett-Packard (H-P) also feels it is need of an image makeover. After an aggressive acquisition spree, including EDS, it is launching its first advertising campaign in 5 years. It will be a 5 week, $40M+ campaign that includes a print, TV, internet and radio campaign and will carry the slogan “Let’s Do Amazing.”
What interested me was that H-P had a similar decision to make: whether or not to put a single public face on its very diverse businesses; or stick with its long history of having a much decentralized marketing organization. They have chosen to break from its tradition and go with a single corporate brand strategy in its advertising campaign. I guess great ‘Minds’ think alike.
I will keep you posted on how MindTree’s brand re-launch strategy progresses.
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Deepu says:
Hi Joe,
Creating distinct brand identities for each business vertical would be largely appropriate for product based organisations.
It would be appropriate for an organization like MindTree to have a single corporate identity. The advantages of having a distinct identity for each of the 7 service offerings is that it would give absolute autonomy to each of the business leaders as to how they want to position their service offering. But you may run the risk that the thoughts of different leaders on market positioning may be quite differentfrom each other and from how the corporate identity is positioned.
The second point is that MindTree has only about 4 years to achieve its target of USD 1 billion (4 times your current revenue) and this may not be sufficient time to effectively brand each service offering and leveraging the same to achieve targeted business results. The costs and resources involved in a fast-track branding program if undertaken could be huge and RoI may not justify investments.
Am glad you stickin on to a single corporate identity (for now!). MindTree has GREAT Minds!
Vijay. M says:
Dear Joe,
I think MindTree’s brand is well established among the intellectual and high end circle in the IT industry.
When I had job offers from TCS and MindTree at engineering school, I chose MindTree because of its size and brand name. So even before I could join MindTree in early June 2007, MindTree’s brand has been established in a significant way.
A single corporate brand approach usually embraces all products and services of the business and therefore represents the total offerings of the company. It is clear that this approach otherwise known as a monolithic brand strategy can add significant value to any organization since it facilitates the implementation of the long-term vision and provides a unique position in the marketplace. This helps companies leverage on tangible and non-tangible assets, which ultimately leads to branding excellence throughout the organization.
Strong single corporate brands are characterized by the precise, distinctive and self-contained image they hold in the minds of stakeholders.
One of the central goals of a single corporate brand identity is to provide a clear, consistent and unique picture of the company and its single corporate brand across all target audiences.
Regards,
Vijay
Lubna says:
Hi Joe,
While Vijay is in the IT industry and more well versed with it, than I am, I differ a bit. MindTree has already established its corporate brand. People know it stands for values. However, at times, people are puzzled as to what are the services or products (including bluetooth) that MindTree offers. It is time, I think, to begin to concentrate on the various verticals, without losing sight of the values and the branding of these values.
Cheers.
Joseph King says:
I agree with you Lubna and that is exactly why we are looking closely at the brand again. Also, there is a major difference in our brand awareness between the India and US markets. Obviously, both you and Vijay look at MindTree through an India context. Wht we heard in the US and UK from our clients was sobering to a certain degree and so we realized we needed to do this.
Joseph King says:
Vijay:
I only agree with you from an India perspective. From a rest of world vantage point (particularly US and UK markets) it is a very different story.
Lubna says:
All the best Joe. We shall stay tuned to the developments.
sunil jogdeo says:
reading mindtree blogs has been an exhilerating experience. This blog also inspires an HR consultant like me to think of our own busienss policies. We also have a very ambitious upcpming plan of an NGO under the name `Krishna foundation`. Would be eagerly waiting for the same.
sunil jogdeo says:
a small correction. Would be eagerly waiting for your next blog on this subject. sorry.
Joseph King says:
Thanks Sunil. I appreciate you taking the time to write me (us). i will be posting another blog within a few days, so please check back.
dental hygienist says:
nice post. thanks.
MarkSpizer says:
great post as usual!