Having just launched Vodafone Blue, the ‘Facebook phone’, Kumar Ramanathan, Chief Marketing Officer of Vodafone Essar Limited, says the company now aims to sharpen 3G services and customise products and distribution strategy for specific segments…
You recently launched Vodafone Blue, the Facebook phone, aimed at youngsters. What has been the response to it? How many phones have sold since the launch?
The response for Vodafone Blue has been very encouraging from Day 1. Youngsters liked its user-friendly and innovative features and deeply integrated mobile Facebook experience. Its stylish look and a year’s worth of free Facebook access have generated great excitement among Facebook lovers. Vodafone Blue will definitely redefine the way people engage in social networking.
Vodafone UK seems to have effectively utilised Twitter and other digital media for campaigns. What is the scope in India? Post Vodafone Blue, are you planning more digitaldriven initiatives?
Vodafone has always heavily invested in the digital media. We are talking to the early adopters of technology and digital will continue to be a very strong focus for driving the Vodafone Blue campaign. In India, the digital medium is picking up really fast. We are confident that Facebook, the largest social networking site and Vodafone with its global experience in understanding its consumers, will continue to create an extraordinary digital campaign.
How has the company’s Indian experience differed from its international operations?
India as a market holds huge potential. Reflecting a strong commitment to the Indian market, Vodafone has been investing in platforms that enable the delivery of Internet and data services to large parts of the country. We endeavour to be the first to offer globally bench-marked products and services to our customers. We develop services and products on the understanding that customers in different segments have different needs. Our offerings are customised and differentiated to ensure that we meet the diverse requirements of our customers across the country and world at large.
What are the marketing activities that you undertake to build your brand? What is your media mix?
We believe in the 360-degree approach and use an equal mix of ATL and BTL activities. We are undertaking a lot of on-ground initiatives, but the main medium will be Internet and television. Television occupies a substantial amount of the media spends, but we have also dedicated a sizeable chunk of the budget to digital media. On Facebook, the promo film is up on the Vodafone Zoozoo page and we have got amazing response. Besides this, Vodafone will utilise cinema, OOH, and print to promote the new phone.
Who is your target audience and how do you plan to tap them? What are the key insights behind your marketing activities?
Our target audience is anyone who loves Facebook. Youngsters are the primary set of Facebook users in India and the core audience. As of now, we are generating leads on Facebook for Vodafone Blue and will use both traditional and digital media as part of our marketing campaign. We have designed this campaign on the basis of a deep understanding of youth social networking needs. The campaign is a fresh mix of marketing initiatives that will appeal to youth and aptly communicate the key value propositions of Vodafone Blue – one-touch integrated Facebook, pocket-friendly price and free Facebook access on-the-go.
Your creatives have always made waves – from the ‘Happy to Help’ pug to Zoozoos, and now a Broadway musical for Vodafone Blue. How would you rate the contribution of Ogilvy to the success of your brand?
The campaign is a fresh look and neverbefore peep into the life of a Facebook lover. We briefed Ogilvy about Vodafone Blue and recommended that the campaign should revolve around a protagonist who is a Facebook addict. Ogilvy got the pulse right and developed this concept beautifully by creating a TVC that had an international feel to it as the young audience on Facebook aspires to be international in its ways. The chemistry between Ogilvy and Vodafone has helped create some extraordinary, out-of-the box television campaigns. The team at Ogilvy understands our business and messaging very well, and helps us reach out to our target audience in the most innovative way. We look forward to creating equally exciting and magical ad campaigns in future as well.
What is the one attribute that differentiates Vodafone from its rivals in this highly competitive market? What’s your USP?
Vodafone’s global expertise has always given us an edge in the market. We have used our best practices and learning from around the world to give a seamless service experience to our customers in India. Our technology meets the international standards in all our offerings whether it is 3G or enterprise. All this makes for a great customer experience which sets us apart.
What is the biggest challenge today in your stated objective of increasing subscriber base and penetrating Tier II and Tier III cities?
Availability of sufficient spectrum has been a hindrance in our development in Tier II and Tier III cities. However, to overcome this challenge we have partnered with other key players in these cities, especially for 3G network. It gives a way to provide smooth service experience to our customers across the country.
How is 3G likely to change market dynamics in the Indian scenario? What trends do you foresee in the sector?
Though 3G is a still at a nascent stage in India, it will rapidly catch on. India has a vast potential for 3G. There has been a steady transition in subscribers from 2G to 3G from the time of its roll-out. At this stage, it is important to drive adoption of this new technology for which Vodafone has over 67 stores across the country where customers can get a first-hand experience of Vodafone’s 3G products and services. Today, 3G has become synonymous with high speed global mobility. It provides super-fast connectivity for data transmission and has altered the way people communicate. It has enabled multimedia access - be it in the form of music, games, or business solutions, at a fast pace and low cost. For years, ‘voice’ was the focus area for all service-providers, until the launch of 3G services. The future may see fervent activity with companies trying to expand their infrastructure and equipment standards. There might be a consolidation in the sector, especially with MNP coming into effect.
What do you have to say about the prevailing belief that Vodafone’s focus is more on customer relations than other services in India? What is the focus going forward?
At Vodafone, we place our customers at the heart of everything we do. Our brand identity, “Power to you” expresses our desire to offer better choices and empower our customers with unique advantages. We develop our services and products on the basis of a deep understanding of our customer needs and constantly aim to provide them with superior and innovative offerings. One of the key aspects of our business approach this year is to sharply segment our customer offerings and deliver differentiated products and services. We employ high-end business analytics to identify homogenous customer segments and then create products and distribution strategy to meet the requirement effectively.
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