Advertising Ka Kamaal: A History of Apple in Outdoor Advertising

9 Oct 2011


What can we learn from Apple’s outdoor ads? 


"Keep it simple. Promote one product at a time. Usually the best feature to promote is how the product will make you feel or change your life, not some sort of technical spec or gadget jargon. Have a brand vision and stick to it. Design is everything."-Steve Jobs




Via: The Hangline

Force launches SUV at Rs 10.65 lakh

19 Aug 2011


Matador and Tempo Traveler-maker, the Pine-based Force Motors, made its foray into the personal vehicle market with the indigenously made sports utility vehicle called Force One. The new SUV will be available across the country through 22 new exclusive dealerships, set up across India, 

especially for Force One and the other personal vehicles that the company has in the pipeline.
Priced at Rs 10.65 lakh, the car runs on a diesel engine that is used in the Mercedes E-series cars. Force Motors has paid a licence fee for the Mercedes engine design and has manufactured it locally.
“We have made the engine in India with the right production techniques,” said Abhay Firodia, chairman, Force Motors.
The car was developed and designed in India in collaboration with Daimler AG, Lotus Mercedes Benz Technologies with an investment of Rs 150 crore.
The company will launch a 4x4 version of Force One soon and launch a new SUV by 2014.
Force Motors has appointed Amitabh Bachchan as a brand ambassador for Force One.

15 Aug 2011


Google to Acquire Motorola Mobility

Combination will Supercharge Android, Enhance Competition, and Offer Wonderful User Experiences


MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA and LIBERTYVILLE, IL – AUGUST 15, 2011 – Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) and Motorola Mobility Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: MMI) today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Google will acquire Motorola Mobility for $40.00 per share in cash, or a total of about $12.5 billion, a premium of 63% to the closing price of Motorola Mobility shares on Friday, August 12, 2011. The transaction was unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies.
The acquisition of Motorola Mobility, a dedicated Android partner, will enable Google to supercharge the Android ecosystem and will enhance competition in mobile computing. Motorola Mobility will remain a licensee of Android and Android will remain open. Google will run Motorola Mobility as a separate business.
Larry Page, CEO of Google, said, “Motorola Mobility’s total commitment to Android has created a natural fit for our two companies. Together, we will create amazing user experiences that supercharge the entire Android ecosystem for the benefit of consumers, partners and developers. I look forward to welcoming Motorolans to our family of Googlers.”
Sanjay Jha, CEO of Motorola Mobility, said, “This transaction offers significant value for Motorola Mobility’s stockholders and provides compelling new opportunities for our employees, customers, and partners around the world. We have shared a productive partnership with Google to advance the Android platform, and now through this combination we will be able to do even more to innovate and deliver outstanding mobility solutions across our mobile devices and home businesses.”
Andy Rubin, Senior Vice President of Mobile at Google, said, “We expect that this combination will enable us to break new ground for the Android ecosystem. However, our vision for Android is unchanged and Google remains firmly committed to Android as an open platform and a vibrant open source community. We will continue to work with all of our valued Android partners to develop and distribute innovative Android-powered devices.”
The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including the receipt of regulatory approvals in the US, the European Union and other jurisdictions, and the approval of Motorola Mobility’s stockholders. The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2011 or early 2012.

Webcast Information

Google and Motorola Mobility will hold a conference call with financial analysts to discuss this announcement today at 8:30am ET. The toll-free dial-in number for the call is 877-616-4476 (conference ID: 92149124). The call will also be webcast live athttp://investor.shareholder.com/media/eventdetail.cfm?eventid=101369&CompanyID=ABEA-3VZHGF&e=1&mediaKey=A21887C59EBAAC12F1BCF4D43C080953. The webcast version of the conference call will be available through the same link following the conference call.

About Google Inc.

Google's innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a top web property in all major global markets. Google's targeted advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.google.com.

About Motorola Mobility

Motorola Mobility Holdings, Inc. fuses innovative technology with human insights to create experiences that simplify, connect and enrich people's lives. Our portfolio includes converged mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets; wireless accessories; end-to-end video and data delivery; and management solutions, including set-tops and data-access devices. For more information, visit motorola.com/mobility.

For Google:

Investors:
ir-core@google.com
Media:
press@google.com

For Motorola:

Investors:
Dean Lindroth
Motorola Mobility Holdings, Inc.
+1 (847) 523-2858
dean.lindroth@motorola.com
Media:
Jennifer Erickson
Motorola Mobility Holdings, Inc.
+1 (847) 772-1217
jennifer.erickson@motorola.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by phrases such as Google, Motorola or management of either company “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “foresees,” “forecasts,” “estimates” or other words or phrases of similar import. Similarly, statements herein that describe the proposed transaction, including its financial impact, and other statements of management’s beliefs, intentions or goals also are forward-looking statements. It is uncertain whether any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do, what impact they will have on the results of operations and financial condition of the combined companies or the price of Google or Motorola stock. These forward-looking statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to the ability of the parties to consummate the proposed transaction and the satisfaction of the conditions precedent to consummation of the proposed transaction, including the ability to secure regulatory approvals at all or in a timely manner; the ability of Google to successfully integrate Motorola’s operations, product lines and technology; the ability of Google to implement its plans, forecasts and other expectations with respect to Motorola’s business after the completion of the transaction and realize additional opportunities for growth and innovation; and the other risks and important factors contained and identified in Google’s and Motorola's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), such as their respective Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Annual Reports on Form 10-K, any of which could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date hereof. Neither Google nor Motorola undertakes any obligation to update the forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

Additional Information and Where to Find It

Motorola intends to file with the SEC a proxy statement in connection with the proposed transaction with Google. The definitive proxy statement will be sent or given to the stockholders of Motorola and will contain important information about the proposed transaction and related matters. SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT CAREFULLY WHEN IT BECOMES AVAILABLE. The proxy statement and other relevant materials (when they become available), and any other documents filed by Motorola with the SEC, may be obtained free of charge at the SEC’s website, at www.sec.gov. In addition, security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the proxy statement from Motorola by contacting Investor Relations by mail at Attn: Investor Relations, 600 North U.S. Highway 45, Libertyville, IL 60048.

Participants in the Solicitation

Motorola and its directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from Motorola stockholders in connection with the proposed transaction. Information about Motorola’s directors and executive officers is set forth in its proxy statement for its 2011 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on March 15, 2011, and its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010, filed on February 18, 2011. These documents are available free of charge at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, and by mail at Attention: Investor Relations, 600 North U.S. Highway 45, Libertyville, IL 60048, or by going to Motorola’s Investor Relations page on its corporate website at http://investors.motorola.com. Additional information regarding the interests of participants in the solicitation of proxies in connection with the transaction will be included in the proxy statement that Motorola intends to file with the SEC.

Commercial vehicle sales show growth

13 Aug 2011


Swaraj Baggonkar / Mumbai August 3, 2011, 0:23 IST

The commercial vehicle (CV) segment, which is often regarded as the barometer of economic health of a nation, has posted growth in July even as sales of the car segment slumped, its worst performance in over two years.
The country's top commercial vehicle manufacturers such as Tata Motors, Eicher Trucks and Buses, Mahindra & Mahindra and Asia Motor Works (AMW), which command a share of 83 per cent of the domestic CV market, have together posted a growth of 28 per cent selling over 60,000 units in July. Chennai-based Ashok Leyland is yet to issue its sale numbers for the month.
The rise in CV sales is a result of a favourable mix of several reasons such as planned execution of scheduled infra-related works sponsored by the government and private parties, imposition of anti-overloading law by some states and new product introduction.


The growth, according to CV manufacturers, has come despite broader inflationary pressures, high fuel costs and peaking interest rates even as car sales, which are more sensitive to such reasons, buckled under pressure during the same month.
Tata Motors, the country's biggest manufacturer of light and heavy trucks and buses, posted a growth of 14 per cent during July, selling 40,798 units in the domestic market as compared to 35,694 units sold last year.
The biggest growth driver for the Mumbai-based company was the passenger and goods carrying light commercial vehicle range which grew by 22 per cent. Medium and heavy commercial vehicles achieved a growth of four per cent.
Somnath Bhattacharjee, president, Volvo Trucks India and executive vice-president, sales, marketing and aftermarket, VE Commercial Vehicles said, "The CV industry as a total is still not impacted as the cars segment. The light and medium trucks, which generally cater to the agricultural and service sector, have been doing well. In addition, the heavy trucks segment has seen an uptick due to constant implementation of the compliance of anti-overloading law."
Eicher trucks and buses, a business area of the company VE Commercial Vehicles and the fourth largest CV maker in India, posted a growth of 34 per cent in sales at 4,152 units last month. The company is expecting demand to stay high as CV consumption form the agricultural sector generally grows in the second half of the year.
Mahindra & Mahindra, India's third biggest CV maker and new entrant Mahindra Navistar Automotive (MNAL) is confident of growth possibilities and would, thus, launch more products to maintain consumer interest. While M&M grew by 91 per cent at 13,472 units, MNAL grew by 13 per cent at 1,144 units during July.
While those heavy trucks are expected to see a minor correction in demand moving forward other segments such as the tippers are witnessing stronger demand.
Nalin Mehta, chief operating officer, Mahindra Navistar Automotive, said, "We have been in the LCV business for some time now, which is doing reasonably well there. We are adding to our range in the heavy commercial vehicle (HVC) segment. Yes, the market has become a little tight, this is a difficult scenario with fuel and finance having gone up. But we hope to do well with further addition to the range. The school buses are witnessing good demand. We added the 25 tonne long-wheel base as well as started with 40 tonne tractor trailer."
While those heavy trucks, which ply only on highways, are expected to see a minor correction in demand moving forward other segments such as the tippers, which are used extensively in construction and infrastructure building areas, are witnessing stronger demand.
A Ramasubramanian, president, AMW said, "We sold close to 900 trucks in July as against 500 same month last year. The boarder economic scenario will bother the highways trucks more than other sub-segments.
Expenditure on truck are totally different issue with timelines and expense targets expected to be adhered to. Many trucks are bought to aid large power projects. Many infra-building projects are facing a lag effect."

GM Set to Launch 3 More Cars in India by The Year End

13 Feb 2011




General Motors is set to launch three more cars by the end of 2011 in the Indian Auto Market. The cars to be launched include an SUV, sedan and a hatchback. These cars will be launched by the year 2012 along withChevrolet Tavera (the Euro IV version) by the end of 2011.

The VP General Motors, Mr. Mr. P. Balendran has informed that currenlty their R & D team in Banglore is working on localization of the upcoming 5 cars to be launched by GM by 2012. Few of these cars are anticipated to be from SAIC Motors, the Chinese business partner of General Motors India.

GM India has massive investment plan in India. Company is set to gear up after facing the downtrend in Indian Auto Market. GM india is planning to expand their manufacturing plan in Talegaon and Halol by investing $ 500 million. The quoted investment figure is in accumulation with Rs. 5000 Crore investment that has been made by international automotive major in the country. This huge investment will impart more flexibility to the new and upcoming models.

GM India’s total sales figure for the last year was 1.1 Lakh units in India. This year they hope to reach the mark of 1.4 lakh. General Motors India is aiming to double its market share in India. Recently launched, Chevrolet Beat diesel, small car by General motors, ranging from Rs. 4.37 to Rs. 5.55 Lakh has received decent reviews and it is expected that it’ll gear up the sales of General Motors India.