Mahindra Centuro plays on

Mahindra Two Wheelers, a group venture owned by Mahindra & Mahindra, which recently entered the Indian two wheeler market, has launched a digital campaign to promote the Mahindra Centuro, a bike targeted to the youth.

According to the agency, the games have been developed to promote the vehicle's exclusive features. In Mission Ignition, the gamer has to light up the key torch and move over the floating ignition. The game highlights the Remote Flip Key with Key Light feature of the Mahindra Centuro, a first on any bike in India.

Bike Seeker, the second game, is inspired by the Find Me Lamps feature where the gamer has to find eight bikes hidden in the different city landscapes. Fuelonomics, a demanding riding game, challenges the user to maintain his speed to consume less fuel, drawing attention to the Distance to Empty - DTE feature of the bike.

In Centuro Alert, the gamer has to play a burglar and steal different bikes. However, if he tries to steal the Centuro, there is a surprise in store. This game highlights the advanced Anti-Theft Alarm on the new bike. Path Illuminator is conceptualised to inform riders about the Guide Lamps of the Mahindra Centuro. Centuro Challenge, which simulates real city conditions, highlights the powerful MCi-5 Engine of the Mahindra Centuro.

Speaking about the idea behind using games to promote the vehicle, Viren Popli, executive vice-president, Mahindra Two Wheelers, says, "Games have always been a great way for brands to engage with youth audiences. Brands that find the perfect balance between showcasing their product's salient features and providing a fun and irresistible gaming experience will benefit from increased brand engagement. The Mahindra Centuro games have found this connect by looking at the response they have generated. We will continue to use digital as a way to engage, inform and service our current and potential customers."

The company claims it got more than 15000 game plays and a viral impact of over 1.4 million impressions. The contest promotion also trended on Twitter India for the hashtag #IPlayGamesWhen with more than 70,000 fans being added on Facebook during the game contest period alone. The Mahindra Motorcycles Facebook page currently has 919,388 fans.

The company also believes that using multiple media was crucial for the campaign's success. Facebook and Twitter alone are not enough. Brands are also looking at emerging social media to promote their products. Mahindra Two Wheelers, for example, is one of the first motorcycling companies to leverage its brand on Vine (a mobile social video platform where users can shoot and share 6-second videos).

"From the beginning we knew that we had a product that will resonate with the young online audience. Our focus was on creating a gaming experience around the 'wow' features of the Mahindra Centuro. We discovered a segment of the online gaming community that was also enthusiastic about biking and sought to entertain and educate them on the Mahindra Centuro," states Sarosh Shetty, vice-president, Mahindra Two Wheelers.

According to estimates shared by Mahindra, more and more youngsters are engaging with brands through online gaming. "A recent study shows a 16 per cent increase in the time spent on online gaming in India in 2012. Gaming is also a big hit with social media users with 50 per cent of Facebook users engaging with games. Very low attention span, growing time crunch and information overload are just some reasons why youngsters are moving to games," states the company.