Customer focus, value-added services and new technology together make up Tata Sky’s mantra, says Vikram Mehra, CMO, Tata Sky. He also explains why the company is not just a DTH platform, but an entertainment provider and how it attracts new customers, even those who don’t have time to watch TV.
Q] A three-and-a-half minute ad campaign in an age when many advertisers look for ads of less than 30 seconds duration, thanks to short attention spans. Can you elaborate on the latest Tata Sky TVC and the rationale behind it?
All our advertising comes with a strong belief that ads are not about selling, but about telling an engaging and entertaining story. We wanted to tell the story of Tata Sky+ HD, and that story turned out to be more than three minutes long. Did we start by telling the agency “Make a 3-minute ad”? No. We said we want a story. The story turned out to be a long one and we are very happy with it. We sell value for money to our customers and we also believe that this campaign is value for money.
For any campaign, we work with a reach and frequency target and the day we touch that target, we shut the campaign. In this case too, it will be similar. It may take anything between 4-8 weeks. There will be shortened versions of the main film and then there will be something which takes the story forward.
Q] While the ad is engaging, it ends with the tagline “For those who don’t have time to watch TV”. What is the thought behind this, and how do you then promote actual TV watching?
Our research showed that many people reach home late and get time to watch TV post 11 pm. It’s the same argument - who has got the time to watch TV? To which our second question is: Does that mean you never watch TV? The response: “When I have time, there’s nothing good on TV.” Hence the product Tata Sky+ HD, because now you get to watch what you want to watch, when you want to watch. It completely redefines appointment viewing, as it is now based on when the viewer has time to watch TV. Hence it is applicable to people who really don’t have time to watch TV. Tata Sky+ HD is also not an expensive product at `6,190.
The endeavour of Tata Sky through all its advertising has been to tell people that when they buy a box, it is an important decision. We tell them to look at what a box can offer, the value-added services and the customer service. A combination of these three determines which box one should buy.
Q] What are the fundamental principles of your marketing strategy and what does your media mix look like?
The core philosophy of the brand is that we are going to make your lives that much more fun – ‘Isko Laga Dala Toh Life Jingalala’… and we abide by that. Our communication style is also this. So we are selling entertainment and entertainment cannot be boring, it has to be fun and interesting. We are using every possible media which allows us to talk to people across the country, with specific focus on the 38 cities that are going through the second phase of digitization. We use Television, a lot of Digital as well as activation exercises. Besides, there is OOH, Radio, Print and Cinema.
Q] How is Tata Sky using the Digital platform to promote its products? Do you have an app?
We use Digital a lot to demonstrate the product, to explain to people what we are talking about - for example, how to pause and rewind live TV. We use search engine marketing and put in contextual ads. The effort is to make it engaging. We have an application called Tata Sky Mobile, which allows a viewer to record any programme through a single click. Close to half a million users utilize this application regularly.
With the app, you can find out which programme your friends are watching and also get all information on any movie or programme. It gives you the second device experience and is a very big part of our overall strategy.
Q] What are the challenges faced in marketing DTH and Tata Sky in the Indian market?
The perception remains that it is very complicated and expensive. That is an image that we struggle with; so we work on how to make people comfortable with the product despite the fear of technology. We work on making people comfortable with the product, and also changing the perception that Tata Sky is expensive.
Q] The first and second phase of digitization happened in the urban landscape. What have been the learnings for Tata Sky from the two phases?
A lot of new initiatives were launched based on the learning of Phase 1. We found that paying upfront for the box was a financial burden for some people, so we came up with a scheme where you pay `400 upfront and then `5 per day. People thought Tata Sky, being a premium brand, would be expensive. Hence the “Poochne Mein Kya Jaata Hai” line telling people ‘Don’t assume that just because we are premium, we are expensive’. We have communicated that the cost of the daily subscription of Tata Sky is less than what you pay for a samosa or an idli. We would visit customers’ homes to give a demonstration and then install the box. We also learnt that demand picks up closer to the cut-off date and realized the problem was not boxes, but trained manpower. Boxes are there, but not enough people to go and install them at homes when required. So that was a big learning. Subsequently, we have seen phenomenal growth and as of January 31 this year, the Tata Sky base was 10.5 million connections.
Q] Is Tata Sky’s marketing strategy going to change for Phase III and IV of digitization?
When you go into rural India, you cannot take an urban India product. We need to reduce prices and say we are ready for rural India. In fact, we have launched a lot of new products targeted at those markets. One example is Actve English, which teaches the basics of the English language. Another is Actve Funlearn, meant to entertain and enhance knowledge of young kids. In small towns, PC penetration is very low.
So if on a `2,000 box we can provide basic knowledge services, it adds great value. We are focusing on these services. The big thing in those areas is activation work - going from village to village, to the choupal or school, demonstrating the product, holding quizzes for children and elderly people so that they get a hang of the product. We are doing it currently in all the north Indian States. Also, where power supply is a problem, we have optimized our boxes so that the base box requires less power than a 30-watt bulb.
Q] What has been the response to your Actve education services and other services?
We have over 2 million paid subscriptions right now for Actve. The education part on Actve is a big draw, and then come services such as music, gaming and cooking, which are very popular.
Q] What is the USP of brand Tata Sky to stand above the competition?
If we have promised something, we ensure that we very well go ahead and deliver it. We believe that we are not there to provide you only digital channels, but to give you a whole experience. Hence the entire focus on coming out with new technology products and value added services. The third leg which is very important for us is customer service. In January 2013, we increased our workforce in some cities by 400% to meet the rush due to digitization.
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